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Re: LF: Receivers for LF and MF 136 KHz @ 477KHz ???

To: <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: LF: Receivers for LF and MF 136 KHz @ 477KHz ???
From: "Graham" <[email protected]>
Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2014 12:13:04 +0100
Importance: Normal
In-reply-to: <776311A518F6F642962EC561A9184090D582E15B35@THSONEP02CMB01P.one-02-priv.grp>
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Hi   Paul,

Yes , the later version , may be the 117 or the fine tune version for the Navy used the 7360 , probably about as good as it gets , I spent some time on production test when the ra1771/2 was first produced , that was long ago , I have a ra1778 and ra6790gm , with the lf front end , the start this year , I sold all the ra17 set up , ra17, pan adaptor , lf adaptor [with rad-haz mixers] ssb adaptor , all of which , I had not used for decades, all had failed in one way or the other , working or not , seems little difference in the price , must of used 3 cubic yards of cardboard packing ! the sets are now all round the world .

Noted on the SDR , yes , I assume thats needed due to lack of 'bits' , there was an idea to use a 24 bit a/d as a 0>1 MHz sdr , aimed at the low frequency bands , but as yet , waiting ..

one of the £5 dongles would work as pan adaptor , showing the 2/3 MHz IF out , only problem, if the ra17 has the original IF amp , then the LO carrier also shows on the trace , 100KHz from the tune point , I fitter the modification , but the rx-noise increased , due to the second valve ,


Q Have you  used  the  AFEDRIxx  on 136 . 477  ?


73-Graham
G0NBD



--------------------------------------------------
From: "REEVES Paul" <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, August 08, 2014 7:49 AM
To: <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: LF: Receivers for LF and MF    136 KHz  @ 477KHz   ???

Hi Graham,

RA17 with beam deflection mixer? Surely not.......
I would certainly agree with you about the RA1772 (and extended family) but I like using both - and a (fairly) complete set of RA17/MA79 plus accessories really beats anything else in terms of looks! And it glows in the dark too:) I use an AFEDRIxx too. Works fine but really needs a preselector on HF unless used as a panadaptor (behind an RA17 perhaps....), fortunately Racal made nice preselector units too.

73s
Paul     G8GJA

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Graham
Sent: 07 August 2014 21:36
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: LF: Receivers for LF and MF 136 KHz @ 477KHz ???

Yes Tobias,

All is not as it seems , but as you say , adding filtering , reduces the
problems  , and  with  direct conversion  , the  noise  floor  is the
lowest possible , stability is at maximum , having only 1 oscillator , In have good decode results on 477 using the £5 dongle , behind the TX
atu and inv L ae

For the  £150  sdr , the  description  lists  80 msps , which  , I assume
moves the image problems out side the HF spectrum ? at 12 bits , that
starts to  provide a  reasonable  , post processed  dynamic range ?

12- bit 80 MSPS A/D conversion

I would  not  link the  barlow-wadley , too  closely  to  lack  dynamic
range , may be a lack of engineering integrity , the RA17 with pentode
rf  stage  , then  later  cascode  , with  beam deflection  mixer , was
reasonable , though  there  was a  pre selector  for  use at  close  tx/rx
sites , the ra1771/1772 was the first to better the ra17 , but again
that also tends to  question the  models before ..   the  ra1772/1  is
fitted  with  rf-pre selector , for those 'unexpected' situations ,  the
ra6790gm , with  no  pre-amp  is the  closest  I have  seen  to  a  bullet
proof front end , that runs , where the ra1778 needs the pre-selector

But in terms  of  noise  etc , one of these  'reasonable  sdr's'  may be
better .. I don't think I would  recommend any one  go  down the  racal
path  these  days !

73-G,

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Tobias DG3LV" <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2014 4:16 PM
To: <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: LF: Receivers for LF and MF    136 KHz  @ 477KHz   ???

Hi Graham !

This type of device has a dynamic range of 48dB at maximum (8 Bit), so
they need help from a narrow-band frontend plus input-attenuators to
reduce the load to the A/D-converter. The conversion speed is variable
from 1 to 3 Megasamples/second, leading to a Nyqist-frequency of 0.5 to
1.5 MHz.

This filter should have a deep attenuation above the Nyqist-frequency to
avoid unwanted reception at harmonics/aliases of the sampling frequency (=
"undersampling").

The advertized usage of 100kHz to 30MHz (in direct-sampling method) is
based on this normally unwanted harmonics/aliases, i.e. the receiver uses
a method that has become "famous" with the ancient "Barlow-Wadley"
all-band receivers. (at least equivalent to). Their
(large-signal-)problems of the past are reborn at the direct-sampling
method of these DVB-T sticks. Without narrow-band selective frontends this
is just a "proof of concept" and not a usable receiver.

For the use at 136 kHz and 475 kHz a steep lowpass-filter (7 to 9 pole
Tscheby with toroids) at (e.g.) 500kHz would be mandatory. An actual
bandpass may not be necessary. Equipped with such filters the lack of
resolution (8 Bit) will become more acceptable. Using a pre-amplifier
without using filters will do no good.

When home-brewed, such filters will not cost much, but it takes time,
measurement-tools and effort to build and tune them.

73 de dg3lv Tobias

Am 07.08.2014 14:13, schrieb Graham:
Receivers for LF and MF136 KHz@ 477 KHz

A question,

Startingat the£5dongleriggedfordirectsample , as
acheapeffectivestartingpoint

A pre amp and  pre - selector [ band pass filter ] would  help  for
lf/mf

Whatwouldbein a scaleofincreasingperformance[ notcost !]

be seen asreasonable in terms ofconfigurationand hardware ?

Any particular equipments  stand out   as  good cost/performance
choices ?

Tnx

Graham

G0NBD





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