"BD" wrote in message
...

My response/question is not intended to antagonize or troll. I would
love to purchase the TenTec DRM capable system. It's something I'd
love to "mess" with. Unfortunately (in a way), I've got broadband
Internet and with radio-locator.com I can get music/news from around
the globe. This is without drop outs, completely digital and only
some stations sound a little "phase shifty" if they stream slowly.
I've got the money for the radio but now it seems like it might be
redundant. And I can imagine, instead of fun trying to bring in a
station, it will just seem like "make work" since I can just point and
click around the globe. You know?

Unless you're in the market for a new receiver, I would not purchase the
RX-350 strictly for DRM reception. The receiver needs to appeal to you for
other reasons as well. If you buy it just for DRM, you will be disappointed
by the few DRM stations available. I just dabble with DRM because it's there
and because I can.

I agree with you about the Internet. I like to listen to Polish broadcasts
via the Internet and there are many from Poland to choose from. The
reception is, for the most part, good to very good. I believe the shortwave
medium is dying and being replaced by the Internet and satellite
transmissions.

Al

... I'm looking forward to this new receiver. How's the performance of
the synchronous detector?

73,

Fred E.
N8UC -- Detroit

Fred, I didn't see a response from Al on this, so I'll take
a stab...
The synchronous detector in my recently-arrived and
updated RX-350D stays in lock until it's faced with a good
jolt of static like from thunderstorms a few hundred miles
away. It also decides that it has lost lock during
significant fades. It works better during fading with the
AGC speed set to Medium rather than Slow, and better yet
with AGC set to Fast. The synchronous detector also works
better if the radio is tuned accurately to the station's
frequency. To do that, I use the 1 Hz tuning resolution as
I switch from lower side-band to upper and back, tuning for
the same pitch on the audio components of the AM signal.
Then I try the synchronous detector again. Or I just leave
it in sideband mode.
When the synchronous detector loses sync, the receiver
apparently reverts to AM mode with a click, a change of
audio level and a change in the audio frequency response.
Then the synchronous detector will reaquire the signal and
go back to the initial set of audio conditions. This
switching is quite intrusive.
So when the going gets tough, I just use the upper or
lower sideband mode. The carrier injection of this mode is
totally reliable since it is locked to a crystal in the
receiver. It also allows the use of the auto-null filter on
strong heterodynes whereas the synchronous detector disables
the null filter. The sideband modes don't boost the low
audio frequencies like the synchronous detector does.
The sideband modes are my preferred modes for marginal
AM signals. These modes behave nicely. The only downside
is the task of getting the receiver tuned exactly on
frequency. Come to think of it, I use the synchronous or AM
detector when tuning through the broadcast bands to avoid
the heterodynes. When I find a marginal signal that I want
to monitor, I'll switch to the sideband modes.
A couple days ago I ran across some marginal 'pirate'
station transmitting on 10253.250 kHz who was on a VFO and
was drifting +/- 500 Hz. It was necessary to chase him with
the frequency knob. This was one rare occasion where a
better implementation of the synchronous detector would have
helped.
I would say that if you're not listening to shortwave
primarily for non-DRM music that you ought to ignore the
synchronous detector issue.

Greetings,
Henry AC5LA



Email address: "see_signature" - "a0015717"
Newsgroup replies may serve better the public interest.

On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 18:16:33 GMT, (Henry
Gardiner) wrote:

... I'm looking forward to this new receiver. How's the performance of
the synchronous detector?

73,

Fred E.
N8UC -- Detroit

Fred, I didn't see a response from Al on this, so I'll take
a stab...

Thanks for the advice Henry. I have a Sherwood SE-3 Synchronous
Detector hooked to a Yaesu Trancsceiver which gives absolutely
fabulous results. I guess that the only thing I can do is try the
unit out and see how it flies. Thanks again for your informed post!

Fred E.
N8UC - Detroit

In article ,
(Henry Gardiner) wrote:

snip

The only downside is the task of getting the receiver tuned exactly
on frequency.

snip

How about using the CW mode to zero beat the receiver to the station?

--
Telamon
Ventura, California

The only downside is the task of getting the receiver tuned exactly
on frequency.

snip

How about using the CW mode to zero beat the receiver to the station?

When tuned directly on frequency in the CW mode, the signal
presents itself as a 700 Hz tone. Just now I tried an
outboard 700 Hz sinewave signal to beat against this, and
indeed it is a much faster method for getting on frequency
than equating the sidebands' pitches in the two sideband
modes. Now it's easy to use those modes to listen to
correctly pitched music on the worst signals, provided the
broadcaster can maintain some frequency stability.
Thanks for the prod!
One could also use the i.f. output on the rear panel for
a similar purpose.

Henry


Email address: "see_signature" - "a0015717"
Newsgroup replies may serve better the public interest.