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Re: [TenTec] Explanations of the Different Types of Filtering on Radios

To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Explanations of the Different Types of Filtering on Radios
From: Cecil <chacuff@cableone.net>
Reply-to: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2013 23:01:36 -0500
List-post: <tentec@contesting.com">mailto:tentec@contesting.com>
Thanks Mike...just a bit of humor in a technical world...

Cecil

Sent from my iPad

On Aug 30, 2013, at 8:15 PM, Mike Chatfield <mikechat@embarqmail.com> wrote:

> I very rarely write a response, but Cecil, what a great explanation of how 
> this technology works. I love analogies and your's was RIGHT ON......
> 
> Mike
> W0BBC
> 
> On 8/30/2013 10:46 AM, chacuff@cableone.net wrote:
>> Ok, here goes with an analogy...
>> 
>>  
>> I’ve been up in the Smokey Mountains many times and they have some of these 
>> beautiful short tunnels through rocky hillsides for the roads to pass.
>> 
>>  
>> Lets say you were standing in the middle of the road at one end of one of 
>> these short, straight tunnels looking through to the other side.  At the 
>> other end of the tunnel you see a very nice looking young lady just to the 
>> left of center and a really ugly old lady just to the right.  Of course the 
>> desirable view at this point is the nice looking young lady but it’s really 
>> difficult to get a good look because of the really ugly lady...so.  Say you 
>> had a knob that would allow you to move the end of the tunnel left or right 
>> just enough to block out the view of the really ugly lady leaving only the 
>> view of the very nice looking young lady...there you have IF Shift....also 
>> called PBT by other manufacturers.
>> 
>>  
>> Now re-center the knob where you have both ladies in view.  Hold up the 
>> index finger of your right hand out at arms length.  Close one eye and place 
>> that finger over the really ugly lady blocking the view of her and leaving 
>> only the view of the nice looking younger lady...there you have the Notch 
>> Filter.  It may not cover the whole view of the ugly lady but it does enough 
>> to allow a better view of the nice looking young lady.
>> 
>>  
>> The others are a bit more difficult to explain...
>> 
>>  
>> RIT is really not a filter at all...just another way to tune the frequency 
>> of the receiver a small amount without changing your transmitter frequency. 
>> Say you are having a short SSB QSO after calling CQ with a fellow who 
>> doesn’t seem to be tuned properly to your frequency and he sounds like he 
>> has been snorting helium so you need to tune your VFO to make him sound more 
>> natural.  If you tune your main VFO you are not only tuning your receiver 
>> but also your transmitter...which will result in a change in how you sound 
>> in his receiver.  Well on the next over he may retune his VFO to make you 
>> sound normal in his speaker and it’s an endless chase up and down the band. 
>> (this can be caused by radio alignment issues)  Better choice would be to 
>> engage RIT and just move your receiver until he sounds natural to you which 
>> will not change your transmit frequency only your receiver frequency leaving 
>> you sounding the same in his receiver and less likely causing him to 
>> retune...ending the chase.
>> 
>>  
>> DSP Noise reduction...well this being a software feature is implemented 
>> differently in every manufacturers radios and sometimes even between models 
>> in the same manufacturers radios.
>> 
>> The goal of all is to reduce random noise as much as possible while 
>> identifying the desirable young lady...um...signal and bringing it out of 
>> the noise.  All this is done using math inside the computer.  Some work 
>> better than others.  The Icom system works well at reducing background noise 
>> without adding too much digital artifact noise as long as you don’t over use 
>> it.  Seems some think if a little is good then a lot is better...it’s a 
>> balance.  Turning the knob full clockwise will result in digital noise and 
>> not help at all.  The DSP system on my Orion II is different and I’m not 
>> sure exactly how to explain it..except the way Ten-Tec does that advancing 
>> to a higher number increases the length of time sampling is done before the 
>> digital filter is built.  Which results in a better built filter in software 
>> but it takes longer to get there.  Of course the desirable signal needs to 
>> be there for the duration of the sample or it probably will have a hard time 
>> doing it’s job.  None of them are magic...and most work well some times and 
>> not so well others...it’s just another tool.
>> 
>>  
>> Noise Blankers.  Most are designed to work on repetitive noise pulses like 
>> old auto ignition system noise or electric fence pulses.  Some works well on 
>> power line noise some not so much.  I’m surprised sometimes at how well some 
>> work and how poorly others don’t...and it doesn’t seem to matter how much 
>> the radio cost.  Some of the older cheap radios noise blankers do wonders on 
>> power line noise and a high dollar radio won’t touch it...go figure.  Won’t 
>> do much on atmospheric static crashes because they don’t happen on a timed 
>> repetitive timeline which noise blankers are designed to sense.
>> 
>>  
>> Well that’s about all I got...my apologies to any of the ladies out there 
>> with my analogy...it was the first vision that popped into my head this 
>> morning when envisioning an answer to the question.  No harm intended...
>> 
>>  
>> I’m sure others will have more insightful answers and between the group of 
>> us we should answer your questions.
>> 
>>  
>> Best of the Labor Day weekend....
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Cecil Acuff
>> Gulfport MS
>> K5DL
>> 
>> 
>> From: Will Jones
>> Sent: ‎August‎ ‎30‎, ‎2013 ‎9‎:‎33‎ ‎AM
>> To: tentec@contesting.com
>> Subject: [TenTec] Explanations of the Different Types of Filtering on Radios
>> 
>> 
>> There are a few of us who meet together every Wed. morning at a local 
>> restaurant to talk about ham radio and stuff.
>> Some are new hams. One asked this week a question which I think would be an 
>> interesting study in comments.
>> He asked, "I have an I.F. shift on my radio and I have read about what it 
>> does but don't really understand "what" it does. Also how does it compare to 
>> the other features I see on radios such as PBT, notch filters, RIT, DSP 
>> noise reduction and noise blankers. Without having a radio with these 
>> features on them it is hard to explain just what your signal will sound like 
>> when these devices are used.
>> So can anyone give us some ideas how to explain these different types and 
>> why we would want one and not another and why radios don't have them all on 
>> one radio.
>> Bill, N4LB in TN
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