At 07:18 PM 8/20/2003 -0700, you wrote:
Here's a question... how frequency-stable are the top-of-the-line rigs from
other manufacturers?
I don't know if you can call it a "top-of-the-line" rig, but the R-8500
from ICOM, a DC-to-daylight receiver, is astoundingly stable and accurate.
One of my two was dead-on at 15 MHz. The other one was extremely close
to dead-on. I don't recall the specified precision, but it certainly wasn't
that good!
Now, 7 years after purchase, they both are a few Hz off at 15 MHz, but less
than 10 Hz -- even less than 5 Hz -- off.
Interestingly enough, this rig has no crystal oven, just a TCXO. The '8500
is a mix of the superb and the mediocre; a front-end like a brick wall, great
phase noise, and crappy filter widths and shape factors.
I ask this because I wonder if one would see any
practical difference between a rig that was slaved to a GPS time standard
and accurate to less than 1 Hz, and, say, an Omni VI that was accurate to
within 30 Hz (and didn't drift during transmit).
Would many people think it a good deal to spend about $100 to $160 (higher
if a TXCO was needed) to get under 5 Hz accuracy with their Omni VI... or a
little more to get the ability to add a 10 Mhz reference?
I bought two. One because I'm picky about such things, the other for
radio astronomy.
If I were transmitting on HF, and, say, a regular participant in HF
nets, I probably would want the best accuracy I could get. Doubly so
if I were HF net control.
Eric
- jgc
John Clifford KD7KGX
Heathkit HW-9 WARC/HFT-9/HM-9
Elecraft K2 #1678 /KSB2/KIO2/KBT2/KAT2/KNB2/KAF2/KPA100
Ten-Tec Omni VI/Opt1
Alinco DR-605TQ
Icom T90A
email: kd7kgx@arrl.net
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