B. Otten wrote:

An excellent post Terry, solid information on an interesting subject.
Well done.

bill
KC9CS
-------------------------
Thanks, I realised after rereading my posts that it sounds
like I am "down" on bipolar audio amplifiers. I want to make
it clear that, in my opinion, bipolar amps can sound as good
(ie low distortion, clarity etc) as the best tube/valve amp. But
is is much easier to be great amps with tubes or MOSETs.

I had intended to build one of the audio amps at:
http://sound.westhost.com/projects-1.htm
His designs are well thought out and work very well.
The Pioneer MOSFET amps were an accident and reduced
my time and expense.

As I experiment more with this I become more convinced
that much of the superiority of great radios like Drake,
NRD, AOR, has as much to do with their choice of detector
as with the PLL/mixers. I have no doubt that their superior front
end and mixer help a lot, but even a middle of the road receiver
like the R2000 benifit greatly from even simple, less then the
insane lengths I am going through, modes.

The most bang for the buck would be to build a good precission
detector and couple it to a good, low distortion, amplifier.
This could all be built inside of a receiver like the R2000 which
would allow the decent internal speaker to be used

Even a mediocre receiver like the DX398 is a whole new animal
with an outboard active detector and better audio amp, and using
synch detection open new doors. I wish I had the skill to bild SMD
micro projects because Ithink there is money to be made offering
a simple add on synch detector, audio amp. I am being forced to
build a simpler outboard detector for my wife's DX398. I am going
to try and multiplex the IF on to the audio record out 3.5mm connector.

Terry