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My receive system comprises an Elecraft K3 and a YAESU FTDX5000MP. Each Radios IF output is feed via a 3dB attenuator through a homemade IF switch, via a Clifton Laboratories Z10000 buffer amp with ~ 12dB gain and then via a 10dB attenuator into an SDR-IQ. The software to drive the SDR-IQ is latest SpectraVue Version. No callsigns are displayed, but if you run a log, signals are dated and time-stamped so you can see if it is your signal or not.
And if you are on this page maybe this will help you "How to setup my Radio for Quality SSB Audio"
Signals displayed are Australian signals only !
Pic. 1 - shows us a nice signal at 7.060MHz, nice audio at approx. 2.8kHz bandwidth.
Pic. 2 - shows us an ESSB signal that is well behaved. I'm not a fan of ESSB, bandwidth is over 3 kHz wide, clean but why!
Pic. 3 - shows two nice signals. The first one has quite a lot of emphasis on the lows (BASS) (@ around 200-400Hz), this makes the signal sound rather muffelt. But it is not over driven. The second shows a lot better balanced audio and I would classify this as very good communications audio.
The bandwidth of both signals are approx 2.8kHz (200-3000 Hz). I hesitate a guess that the bottom signal would still sound rather nice at 2.6 kHz or even 2.4 kHz TX bandwidth.
Pic. 4 - Here we have a fairly noisy band with quite a few nice signals.
Pic. 5 - Wide but, quite a bit of low end at about 400/500 Hz but well behaved.
Pic. 6 - Now look at this b'wed signal!
I've had no issue copying the weak signal on 7.143MHz, due to the impeccable signal on 7.140 MHz.
Pic. 7 - Whoa, I need to have my NARROW BAND signal as wide as possible, looks like someone wants to sound like John Laws (AM BC)
I found that users of the ICOM's IC-7410, IC-9100 and users of YAESU's FT-1200, FT-950, FT-2000, FT-3000 tend to end up with signals like this.
Pic. 8
Pic. 9 - WTF -
Well, a few ugly signals, well past bad, 'nough said ...
Pic. 10 - Interesting phase shift display. However, Did they or didn't they teach anything about linearity at the "How to be the loudest CB-Station" course.
Pic. 11 - Bugger, I tried to work the station on 3.585MHz, but to no avail ...
Pic. 12 - Now this was interesting! It shows us that there is "NOTHING WRONG" with my signal, "YOU ARE ENVIOUS" about this cool audio. The mind boggles ... "REALLY"
Pic. 13 - shows an AM signal that apparently "HAS A SPECIAL HIGH POWER LICENSE", with a Broadcast Engineer on standby! Which seems to equate to "WE ARE ALLOWED TO SPLATTER LIKE HELL"!
Even after complaints from other Amateur Radio Operators, it did not improved.
Pic. 14 - The GOOD and the BAD.
Here you can see the difference between a nice AM signal, which is being transmitted by an Amateur Radio Operator who has the appropriate know-how/skills and our "SPECIAL HIGH POWER LICENSE STATION"! Go figure!
Pic. 15 - to much bass (around 300Hz). Power is in the BASS and it looks like People like their Powermeter pecking the right hand side! Regardless of the consequences. Additionally is sounds dreadful.
Pic. 16 - This was an interesting conversation! Here we have another interesting Amateur Radio AM signal! Rules what rules.....
It is interesting to note that the Operator does not believe in a spectrum display (Spectrum Analysis) !!! They are all wrong !!! According to this OM spectrum displays are wrong! I'm sure if he uses a CRO, he'll see that he is wrong! Not sure what to make out of his comment ....
Pic. 17 - Oh my ... what have we here !!! Here we see the "SPECIAL HIGH POWER LICENSED STATION" having NO ISSUE ....
I would have thought that they monitor the signal that they are transmitting, but ....
Pic. 18 - shows us a interesting signals ...
According to an Advanced Licensed Amateur this ugly SSB signal at 7.055 MHz is "FEEDBACK FROM A HEARING AID" ! (What ????)
Others where very quick to point out "THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE SIGNAL" ! (Nothing wrong ... are you deaf ...)
And another lot, acknowledged that if the operator spoke to loud into the microphone it sounded a "BIT SCRATCHY" !
Hmmm, to me it sounded like a power supply issue. Every time the radio needed more current the power supply struggled to supply the required power and so the radio started to operate non linear. This signal showed up on the bands for weeks on end, I hope nothing happen to the poor old radio. Guess the operator bet on the wrong horse.....
BTW: All on frequency where boasting about their long time affiliation with "RADIO" (CB-Radio is my guess).
Pic. 19 - Here we have a very expensive flexible SDR radio driving a Yaesu Quadra (linear) amplifier !
Yes, I know "PEOPLE HAVE COMMENTED ON THE SIGNAL" but there is nothing wrong with my station. "NOTHING WRONG !" Ok if you say so.
However, a little googling showed that this is a KNOWN issues and that a fix is available.
Pic. 20 - What is this? This looks to be an over driven AM - or maybe a DSB signal, but no sadly it is supposed to be an SSB signal.
Pic. 21 - The band is quiet, let's turn all knobs to the right.
Pic. 22 - "I'M WORKING DX AND RUNNING BAREFOOT, I NEED TO HAVE LOUD AUDIO TO BE HEARD BY THE DX"!
Not a single station on the frequency had any issues with this signal. Even after being asked to reduce the mic gain because of SPLATTER, the station asking got ridiculed by all on frequency. CB Radio mentality at its best. Interesting display of Amateur SPIRIT ! You better join this NET (7.130 DX) if you like this kind of behaviour.
Pic. 23 - ' just fixed this radio, how does it sound? Sounds very nice, works very well!
In these day and age we should know better, so really, please tell about the rotten signal quality .... fixing ain't fixing!
Pic. 24 - This is a Yaesu FT-950, plus an amplifier ... The processor was trying to pump the background.
Annoyed OP: Hi good buddy your signal is rather wide !
Friend of OP1: Looks good on my Spectrum Analyser ! Audio is a bit distorted, but she'll be right mate ....
OP1: Yeah, I don't hit the end of the ALC, so it can't be my signal ....
Woha, this is the new breed of Australian Amateur Radio Operators! They spruce off to have 20-30 year experience in RADIO, whatever that means. Ex CB-Pirates going by the looks of their signals and behavior.
Pic. 25 - Here we have a WIA Assessor that knows his stuff (or does he). This is a YAESU FT-950. Too much bass and so we have inband intermods which equals plenty of splatter, but as an Assessor I would know this. I also would know how to check my signal. This seems to be the NEW standard in Australia,! And it get's worst. These people are lobbying for the use of a KILOWATT to make it even more difficult for everyone. What is being taught to the new AMATEUR RADIO members? How to twiddle knobs or how to become a knoob. I thought this is a technical hobby, but it looks like it is glorified Citizen Band.
Maybe I should not be that critical, it is classed as EXPERIMENTAL RADIO after all.
Pic. 26 - A very nice signal at 7180 with pretty good audio however, the signal at 7158. Lots of propagation phase changes but also a fair bit of IMD.
Pic. 26 - Nope, it is supposed to be ONE signal not two ....
Setup has changed, slightly. I'm now using an ANAN 100D and OpenHPSDR mRX PS.
Setup has changed, slightly. I'm now using an ANAN 100D and OpenHPSDR mRX PS.
Pic. 27 - Two beaut.. signals. The left one is an over driven analog signal and the right one an over driven digital signal .....
Pic. 28 - WTF - another one .....
Pic. 29 - The DX code of Conduct should include "I will have an impeccable transmitted signal".
Pic. 30 - One might think this is a COMMERCIAL Broadcast Station,but nope this is the National Australian AR representation.
Pic. 31 - Hmmm, make up your own mind ... but NOBODY mentioned the distorted audio and I mean nobody, yet it was clearly audible that something struggled ...
(I would go as far as saying the generator got modulated)
Pic. 32 - This signal first showed up on 28.490MHz. And shortly after jumped to 28.530MHz. What? Why is it here on the HALL of SHAME?
Well, it is actually a signal that was first on 14.245MHz and then moved of to 14.265MHz! Hint: second harmonic. Yep, one of the locals. Tried to politely tell him .... but crikey did he get offensive and outright aggressive. Not sure if that was/is a CB hanger on, but as Amateur I would have expected better. See the offending signal below ..... Oh and yes .... Nothing has changed he is still over driving his poor amplifier.
Pic. 33 - The offending signal of the 10m bleed-through .....
Pic. 34 - Here we have an ICOM IC-725 with a SM-20 Mic and a YAESU FL-2100 ....
Wow does this GUY know how to setup a radio! You should listen to the AUDIO (BASS CUT OFF) purrrrrfect .....
CLEAN, WELL BALANCED and YES LOUD!
Not like the new BREED of wanna bees with 20 years plus in (CB)RADIO which BUZZ around the band these days.
Pic. 35 - And another overdriven radio. Look at the speech break, no speech. yet still lots of power. A very nice demonstration of how NOT to do it.
Pic. 36 - Nice
Pic.36 - As can be seen it is possible.... An Anan 100D with Amplifier running PureSignal.
Pic. 37 - Now look at this rotten signal on 7.1 MHz, a nice ICOM IC-7300 in the hands of a CB'er! Too much mike gain and to much compression. I've tried to make my IC-7300 create a signal like this and I failed. (Pic.48 & 49) My guess is the poor amplifier gets forced into an early grave. OOPS the Ops lic says NO amp allowed, so it must be a gold plated antenna.
Pic.38 - A bunch of nice signals to the right,and then the fail to the left.
Pic.39 - The above shows two stations. The bottom one is a rather nice signal, well contained but the carrier suppression needs a bit of attention.
Pic.40 - Wow must be a bad SWAR ! Just managed to get his advanced CB Lic!
"I now can produce the same crappy signal on 10m as I did on 11m !"
Congratulation to the WIA for giving him a helping hand!
Pic.41 - Quite a few issue that need to be addressed, first of all the low end needs to be reduced. Then it's time to check the mic gain. An understanding of ALC could well improve on this signal.
Pic.42 - Here we see very poor band planning. The National Sunday broadcast on 7135, 7140 and then the BIG AM SIGNAL on 7416 blowing away the reception of the 7140 signal. At least they have managed to TAME their AM signal to HALF of their usual spread ! (see above pics)
Pic.43 - To much bass and so we see the signal ballooning in to the opposite sideband (USB)
Pic. 44 - It is not a bad signal but Mike and Compressor gains need to be tamed a bit. Listening to the signal one could clearly hear the compressor pumping the background noise which was nearly as loud as the operators voice.
Pic. 45 - Bass Bass and more Bass. Another poor operator that is trying to have s3x with his beloved FT-2000 ...
Pic.46 - Building them and making them work are two different things. "I'm looking at a meter and it hits the end quite hard ... I also seem to have a bit of a voltage drop" ....
Pic.47 - Sad so sad, no wonder the new breed of HAMatuers don't know better ....
Pic.48 - see below for comments
Pic.49 - (Pic 48 & 49) show you my ICOM IC-7300 running 100W just meters away from my ANAN. ANAN connected to a dummy load (Pic.48) and connected to a my ZS6BKW (Pic.49). At Pic.48 we see about 40dB down on the beginning of the blooming of the signal (Phase Noise not IM) and at Pic.49 it's down to 34dB.
Draw your own conclusion as to some of the horrid signals that we see/hear on air from some of those poor 7300's.
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