[Yaesu] A FT-1000MP warning

[mikea]

On Sun, Jul 08, 2007 at 08:17:56PM -0500, Artmouton wrote:
> Which seems to be more and more of a help in the decision to go SDR next 
> time.
> I am trying to figure out a replacement for a well used FT-1.
> Everything seems expensive and short lived.
> The SDR looks like a good option.  The black box portion remains the same 
> and all of the upgrades are in software and upgraded computers.
> Anyone else thinking of this as an option?
> Art K5FNQ

I've got an RFSpace SDR-IQ, and it's a nifty little receiver. I hear
that its big brother, the SDR-14, is even better. 

Among its many other interesting features, the -IQ makes a very nice 
bandscope/panadaptor: I can see 100 KHz all at once, and listen to 
two separate signals, each in its own mode. The modes include CW, USB, 
LSB, AM, NFM, WFM, and the bandwidth, AGC parameters, and squelch 
levels can be set independently on each of the two demodulators. It 
also lets me feed audio to other programs, such as MixW, for further
decoding of CW, RTTY, PSK, MFSK, and so on. 

A faster computer would let me see more at once, up to the -IQ's max
of 192 KHz. It's really interesting to watch multiple CW QSOs march 
down (or across) the screen. Since the visible RF can be recorded and
played back, I can (and have) watched and listened to multiple DX QSOs
that took place at the same time. 

Downside: if the SDR RX is sharing the feedline with your transceiver,
then you *MUST* provide a way to disconnect it before you transmit, or
else you'll get to send it in for a new front end. I'm looking at
using a coax relay, with a PTT button, key, keyer, or bug to control
the relay, and using a pair of auxiliary contacts on the relay to
actually key up the TX.

-- 
Mike Andrews, W5EGO
mikea at mikea.ath.cx
Tired old sysadmin