Last summer I posted a YouTube video of a comparison between my IC-7000 and IC-9100. Just listening to some VHF FM chatting going on; I thought I'd see what the difference between the 2 rigs would be - I re-cabled the antenna's to an Alpha Delta switch and was able to switch between them. That's it, pretty simple.
YouTube Video
When I switched between the 2 rigs, I was pleased with the apparent sensitivity of the 9100 compared to the 7000. The night was somewhat quiet and there was very little background noise anyway; but still - the 9100 S-Meter was reading S-5 or so with the 7000 having no S-Meter movement.
The interesting thing is that I received a number of comments/e-mails/suggestions that I turn the 7000's pre-amp ON in order to have a "fair comparison" between the 2 rigs. Adam Farson (AB4OJ) has a FAQ which mentions the S-Meter is calibrated accurately when the Pre-Amp is ON. Page 148 of the 7000 manual states "Sensitivity (at pre-amp ON)" - which I never noticed at all before this event occurred...
Anyway, I suppose I need to give it a try and see what the difference is - I'm also wondering if the 7000 actually has a 2m/70cm pre-amp built in. It's on thing to turn on a setting, but it's another for the setting to do something useful. The 2m/70cm/1.2ghz pre-amp setting for the 9100 is designed to power an external pre-amp - doesn't do anything for the VHF+ bands at all.
Showing posts with label IC-9100. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IC-9100. Show all posts
Friday, February 15, 2013
Saturday, January 5, 2013
My 1st circuit design and implementation :)
I've decided to build a GPS receiver for my ICOM IC-9100. No particular reason other than I was looking for an electronics project and this one seemed to have enough complexity (which would be VERY little to others, but a LOT for me!) to make it interesting and fun.
I created an account on Circuit Lab and designed my 1st circuit. Actually, I really designed it on a sheet of paper and after editing, and editing, and editing... I decided to look for an online way of designing a circuit - I Googled circuit design and Circuit Lab popped up - I created an account and started. It seems pretty simple, which is exactly what I'm looking for right now.
Here is the schematic of my 1st design:
As you can see, the LED is lit and the voltages are all pretty much right where they are supposed to be! I'm pretty excited - this is the first time that I actually designed a circuit with a voltage regulator, couple of capacitors, and an LED. AND it WORKS!!! Woo Hoo!!!
73 de KJ4WLH
I created an account on Circuit Lab and designed my 1st circuit. Actually, I really designed it on a sheet of paper and after editing, and editing, and editing... I decided to look for an online way of designing a circuit - I Googled circuit design and Circuit Lab popped up - I created an account and started. It seems pretty simple, which is exactly what I'm looking for right now.
Here is the schematic of my 1st design:
I needed a circuit that would take a 12 - 14vDC source and transform it to 5vDC. I'm planning on using a Garmin 18x LVC, which needs about 100mA @ 5vDC. Since I had most of the components already figured out, I thought that I'd add an LED - you know, just for fun! So, I did :)
Here's my breadboard pic:
73 de KJ4WLH
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
6m loop problem - BIOLOGICAL!!!
Wow, I guess I just live and learn...
I few weeks, perhaps months now I suppose, my 6m loop stopped being resonant on 50.125. Really weird - I mean, it looked fine and was hanging right where it had been for a while and I hadn't done ANYTHING with it except use it. I really didn't understand what was going on.
So, last weekend I dropped the antenna and tried to re-adjust it so that it would be resonant (again!) on 50.125 +/-. It was really strange; I'd tune/adjust it, raise it up 20' or so, think that I'd just about got it and then it would change on me. It was really frustrating. So, I adjusted it "one last time" and hauled it up into the air.
Wouldn't you know; it wouldn't tune on my 9100! My 7600 would tune it up, but that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. I used my antenna analyzer and it was around 3:1 match!!! WHAT??!!?? ARGHH!!
(In case you haven't followed my rants recently, I've have a bad run of radio luck...)
Time passes... And now it's this afternoon - beautiful day and I have about an hour to kill until my next activity kicks up; sounds like a good time to take a look at the 6m loop problem. So, I dropped the antenna again, got out the M2 6m loop PDF and adjusted all the parts to the specs in the PDF. HOWEVER, when I was banging on the metal trying to shift parts around, ants started crawling out of the aluminum tubing! A LOT of ANTS - I mean, tons!!! How strange? Anyway, I kept on making noise and gave them a little while to clear out.
I went back later and it seemed like they'd moved on - I guess most of them did anyway. So I hauled the antenna back up in the air and guess what - 1.2:1 match :)
My "moral of the story is this", there is always a reason - it just might be stranger than what you think it is!
73 de KJ4WLH
I few weeks, perhaps months now I suppose, my 6m loop stopped being resonant on 50.125. Really weird - I mean, it looked fine and was hanging right where it had been for a while and I hadn't done ANYTHING with it except use it. I really didn't understand what was going on.
So, last weekend I dropped the antenna and tried to re-adjust it so that it would be resonant (again!) on 50.125 +/-. It was really strange; I'd tune/adjust it, raise it up 20' or so, think that I'd just about got it and then it would change on me. It was really frustrating. So, I adjusted it "one last time" and hauled it up into the air.
Wouldn't you know; it wouldn't tune on my 9100! My 7600 would tune it up, but that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. I used my antenna analyzer and it was around 3:1 match!!! WHAT??!!?? ARGHH!!
(In case you haven't followed my rants recently, I've have a bad run of radio luck...)
Time passes... And now it's this afternoon - beautiful day and I have about an hour to kill until my next activity kicks up; sounds like a good time to take a look at the 6m loop problem. So, I dropped the antenna again, got out the M2 6m loop PDF and adjusted all the parts to the specs in the PDF. HOWEVER, when I was banging on the metal trying to shift parts around, ants started crawling out of the aluminum tubing! A LOT of ANTS - I mean, tons!!! How strange? Anyway, I kept on making noise and gave them a little while to clear out.
I went back later and it seemed like they'd moved on - I guess most of them did anyway. So I hauled the antenna back up in the air and guess what - 1.2:1 match :)
My "moral of the story is this", there is always a reason - it just might be stranger than what you think it is!
73 de KJ4WLH
Saturday, September 1, 2012
My IC-9100's cousin is back!
What seems like a really long time ago, but I guess it wasn't, I had an Icom IC-7600. I sure loved that rig. It was what I called my 1st really nice rig. My previous were good, but I purchased them with the intent of just learning what I like and dislike; then selling them and moving along.
When Icom released the IC-9100, I knew that the rig was for me. There are just so few VHF+ multi-mode (SSB/CW) rigs available and it also covered HF. So, the IC-9100 came on home. For a few months I didn't do anything with the IC-7600 and since there were a couple of problems with that: 1 - it's not cheap, and 2 - I can't abide having gear that I don't use; I put it up for sale.
Problem was, I missed it. A lot! As much as I like the IC-9100, I really, really liked the IC-7600.
A buddy of mine "upgraded" his QTH with a IC-7800 and now he had a IC-7600 just "sitting around." I knew his pain :), though, not in quite the same manner - an IC-9100 is NOT a IC-7800!!! So, he decided to put it up for sale a few months ago. I have to say, I've thought about it almost any time I think about Ham radio. His price was very reasonable and I know how he takes care of his gear - so that part was pretty easy; no concerns about equipment condition...
Well, last week while talking with him, I just decided to see if he still had the rig and Yep. He still did... Now he doesn't :)
So, I casually call the rigs "cousins" and the pair of them are working well in my shack. I must say, I really do enjoy working HF & 6m on the IC-7600 - it's just a joy!
73 de KJ4WLH
When Icom released the IC-9100, I knew that the rig was for me. There are just so few VHF+ multi-mode (SSB/CW) rigs available and it also covered HF. So, the IC-9100 came on home. For a few months I didn't do anything with the IC-7600 and since there were a couple of problems with that: 1 - it's not cheap, and 2 - I can't abide having gear that I don't use; I put it up for sale.
Problem was, I missed it. A lot! As much as I like the IC-9100, I really, really liked the IC-7600.
A buddy of mine "upgraded" his QTH with a IC-7800 and now he had a IC-7600 just "sitting around." I knew his pain :), though, not in quite the same manner - an IC-9100 is NOT a IC-7800!!! So, he decided to put it up for sale a few months ago. I have to say, I've thought about it almost any time I think about Ham radio. His price was very reasonable and I know how he takes care of his gear - so that part was pretty easy; no concerns about equipment condition...
Well, last week while talking with him, I just decided to see if he still had the rig and Yep. He still did... Now he doesn't :)
So, I casually call the rigs "cousins" and the pair of them are working well in my shack. I must say, I really do enjoy working HF & 6m on the IC-7600 - it's just a joy!
73 de KJ4WLH
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Icom IC-7000 vs IC-9100 receive comparison
Here's a link to my YouTube comparison.
I was messing around in my shack and got around to doing a side by side comparison of my IC-7000 and IC-9100. I was curious as to how well or different each transceiver was - the video showed it pretty well.
I was listening to a simplex conversation, the IC-7000 showed no s-meter reading and the IC-9100 show S5 +/-. Unbelievable!
73 de KJ4WLH
I was messing around in my shack and got around to doing a side by side comparison of my IC-7000 and IC-9100. I was curious as to how well or different each transceiver was - the video showed it pretty well.
I was listening to a simplex conversation, the IC-7000 showed no s-meter reading and the IC-9100 show S5 +/-. Unbelievable!
73 de KJ4WLH
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