Return-Path: Received: from mtain-di07.r1000.mx.aol.com (mtain-di07.r1000.mx.aol.com [172.29.64.11]) by air-mc01.mail.aol.com (v128.1) with ESMTP id MAILINMC013-a8514bbe093235f; Thu, 08 Apr 2010 12:49:54 -0400 Received: from post.thorcom.com (post.thorcom.com [193.82.116.20]) by mtain-di07.r1000.mx.aol.com (Internet Inbound) with ESMTP id 99C62380000B9; Thu, 8 Apr 2010 12:49:52 -0400 (EDT) Received: from majordom by post.thorcom.com with local (Exim 4.14) id 1Nzuts-0005gB-Gx for rs_out_1@blacksheep.org; Thu, 08 Apr 2010 17:48:16 +0100 Received: from [193.82.116.32] (helo=relay1.thorcom.net) by post.thorcom.com with esmtp (Exim 4.14) id 1Nzuts-0005g2-5L for rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org; Thu, 08 Apr 2010 17:48:16 +0100 Received: from mtaout01-winn.ispmail.ntl.com ([81.103.221.47]) by relay1.thorcom.net with esmtp (Exim 4.63) (envelope-from ) id 1Nzutr-0005Dw-1V for rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org; Thu, 08 Apr 2010 17:48:16 +0100 Received: from aamtaout02-winn.ispmail.ntl.com ([81.103.221.35]) by mtaout01-winn.ispmail.ntl.com (InterMail vM.7.08.04.00 201-2186-134-20080326) with ESMTP id <20100408164809.HVDU14666.mtaout01-winn.ispmail.ntl.com@aamtaout02-winn.ispmail.ntl.com> for ; Thu, 8 Apr 2010 17:48:09 +0100 Received: from [192.168.2.34] (really [82.22.244.28]) by aamtaout02-winn.ispmail.ntl.com (InterMail vG.2.02.00.01 201-2161-120-102-20060912) with ESMTP id <20100408164808.IEDV16425.aamtaout02-winn.ispmail.ntl.com@[192.168.2.34]> for ; Thu, 8 Apr 2010 17:48:08 +0100 From: "Mike Dennison" To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org Date: Thu, 08 Apr 2010 17:47:55 +0100 MIME-Version: 1.0 Message-ID: <4BBE16CB.23244.11610C0@mike.dennison.ntlworld.com> X-mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (4.41) Content-description: Mail message body X-Cloudmark-Analysis: v=1.1 cv=W3tOLUehizD4qj6VhtReFuw5MKb8d+XqjIxlDsIazEA= c=1 sm=0 a=9YlaCzn6_68A:10 a=kj9zAlcOel0A:10 a=giqZBxkTAXf1NlwGJ-wA:9 a=cgG_gfxZTSjQWMS38ZMpD6kTmS0A:4 a=CjuIK1q_8ugA:10 a=48CAKdZ9v0gunDIc:21 a=Wb_WADJILvZbyTCR:21 a=HpAAvcLHHh0Zw7uRqdWCyQ==:117 X-Spam-Score: 0.0 (/) X-Spam-Report: autolearn=disabled,none Subject: LF: QRSS limiter Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 2.63 (2004-01-11) on post.thorcom.com X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, hits=0.0 required=5.0 tests=none autolearn=no version=2.63 X-SA-Exim-Scanned: Yes Sender: owner-rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org Precedence: bulk Reply-To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org X-Listname: rsgb_lf_group X-SA-Exim-Rcpt-To: rs_out_1@blacksheep.org X-SA-Exim-Scanned: No; SAEximRunCond expanded to false x-aol-global-disposition: G x-aol-sid: 3039ac1d400b4bbe09306f19 X-AOL-IP: 193.82.116.20 It is interesting to read of M0BMU's use of a limiter to reduce the QRM/QRN levels at 9kHz. I have recently experimented with this sort of technique to improve my 137kHz QRSS reception. I have added back-to-back diodes on the isolating transformer between the radio and the sound card. This helps to reduce the peaks of lightning static and improve readability. The best improvement was when I drove the sound card very hard, to well above the top of the 'volume' bar on the left of Argo (it shows red all of the time). This completely removed all of the DFC39 'grams' and lightning crashes which previously showed up as bright vertical lines. It was necessary to reduce the gain of ARGO to almost minimum. The background noise was much less 'clean' and Loran lines were a little fainter, but when testing during the recent Russian evening I got much better results on weak stations. Strong (audible) stations showed some distortion, but it was easy to turn the receiver gain down if necessary. Mike, G3XDV ==========