Heathkit Question

[Bill Coleman AA4LR]

On 11/10/98 8:30 PM, Steve Harrison at ko0u at OS.COM wrote:

>My second vote would be for something similar to the TS-120/130 series; all
>solid-state transceiver with WARC bands but NO unnecessary frequency
>digitizing schemes (yes, I know both the 120 and 130 have digital innards;
>and what I mean is that a new kit should not have any MORE than the 120/130
>already has). By that, I mean NO DSP processors. All too many of today's
>radios with DSP synthesizers generate all too much phase noise and spurs as
>they come from the factory;

Actually, manufacturer's have really cleaned up their act in this area in
the last decade. You're probably thinking of the experience with the
first set of general-coverage transceivers that hit the market in the
mid-80s. Those guys (including my TS-430 I'm still using) definitely had
serious phase-noise problems on both transmit and receive.

Most of the current radio designs lack phase noise problems because they
no longer depend on phase locked loops. Instead, they perform Direct
Digital Synthesis (DDS). DDS doesn't have random deviations of phase.
Other designs from the early 90's had PLL designs that were greatly
cleaned up.

And DSP has nothing to do with phase noise.

>My idea of price range? Ideally, less than $600 each, maybe $800-900 for
>the transceiver and certainly no more than that for each the
>receiver/transmitter. Why? Because that is right in the range of other,
>more-modern radios with equivalent performance that one can buy used.

Unfortunately, the reality is that putting together such a kit could
easily be a > $1000 proposition.



Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at radio.org
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
            -- Wilbur Wright, 1901

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