Yes, it really is just baseband audio into an SSB transmitter. And some of the new rigs that run that process audio through A/D converters to digitize if for DSP are just asking for trouble.
I guess I'm an "old fart", but I suspect that a 12AX7 triode audio preamp, with its 3/2 power-law transfer characteristic and perhaps 150 volts on its plates will withstand a bit of overdrive with a lot less harmonic distortion than an A/D converter operating from 3- 5 volts and driven beyond its range into saturation where it produces hard, "brick-wall" limiting! Not all things are best done digitally! I suspect that some of these "digital" modes are improperly adjusted, resulting in excessive audio drive into the SSB transmitters. AND if the transmitter is using IF DSP and/or I/Q modulation for sideband selection, there are more opportunities for spurious outputs. FWIW Good to turn down the drive in the audio inputs of the SSB transmitters! 73, Charlie, K4OTV -----Original Message----- From: Topband [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Tom W8JI Sent: Thursday, January 02, 2014 12:14 PM To: [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: Re: Topband: Digial mode spurious issues > I have been using WSJT since 2001 and cringe every time I hear it > called a "QRP mode". I want to put this to rest with just a few more comments. While we call these digital modes, they are really baseband audio transmissions run through SSB transmitters. They are subject to all the dynamic range problems and limitations of SSB transmitters processing the same types of audio tones. The usual "cure" offered for the poor or limited performance of the SSB systems that process the encoded audio is to turn the power down. That doesn't always work to eliminate problems, plus low power obviously limits the potential range. This stuff is really all just an audio signal processed by a SSB rig. That's why it can go into the SSB transmitter! SSB transmitters are just not that good, and that is why these systems create adjacent channel problems and will always create problems. They should be off someplace out of the way of weak CW signals, not nestled up against weak signal CW areas. A receiver cannot filter out transmitter flaws, no matter what some might claim or imagine. If a spurious signal is right on top of a weak station, it is on top of it. These are just the hard, cold, facts of life. It's just disappointing we have no technical people who think things through before picking frequencies for "new modes". 73 Tom _________________ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband _________________ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
