ICOM IC-718 Issue, and a Fix

[Bow]

ESSB... GROAN> Narrow the filters, give it some more treble, a little compression,and go work some DX.

Posts like this are a big part of the reason why I never pursued a ham license, when I read this what I hear is "You do not enjoy the hobby in the same way that I do therefore the way that you enjoy the hobby is wrong".

Post like that are why I haven't been on the Ham Bands in 5 years...

My license is up for renewal next year, but I might let it expire... I think it is funny how Ham ops thing ESSB is the worst thing ever, but Contesting is OK? no thanks...

 

[StrangeBrew]

Don't let them win, renew that license and keep on making them airwaves sound good.

 

[vkrules]

Bloody hell who said ESSB is the worst thing ever, Or mentioned contesting!.Glad You fixed the radio. Enjoy talking to your mates down the road on ESSB.

 

[vkrules]

ESSB is great for local rag chew but still sounds like crap on low signal work and crowded bands!

 

[StrangeBrew]

ESSB can be a polarizing subject sometimes, it's hard to mention it without unintentionally reopening old wounds/arguments.

Seems to me as though ESSB gives you a blank slate, how good or bad you sound depends on what you choose to put on that slate.

 

[Bow]

Bloody hell who said ESSB is the worst thing ever, Or mentioned contesting!.Glad You fixed the radio. Enjoy talking to your mates down the road on ESSB.

You are right, sometimes I make it Down The Road, usually at night... However, other times I only get to England, Spain, Brazil, Cook Islands, American Samoa, New Zealand, Australia, Curacao Islands, Mexico (Yucatan), Venezuela, Argentina, French Polynesia, Uruguay, Ogsawara Island, Martinique Island, Papua-New Guinea, Western Samoa, Fiji, Scotland, Andorra, Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Marquesas Island, Dominica Island etc...

Yup, it is killing my DX abilities... I'm dying over here...

Hope to Catch you on the Air... I'm one of the guys with 40Hz of low end

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

ESSB gets a bad rap because whether you choose to believe it or not ESSB is inferior to regular SSB bandwidth when it comes to conveying information. It is a FACT that the narrower the bandwidth mode the higher the success rate of getting thru. Having made contacts around the world does not negate that fact. Narrow band digital modes are better than CW which is better than SSB which is better than ESSB which is better than FM etc. It is FACT. ESSB does sound good if the signal is strong but when the signal/noise ratio goes to hell it gets hard to make out. ESSB is very often taken to extreme and occupies a lot of bandwidth and many operators will continues to fire up n the band about 2 KHz away from a QSO in progress and splatter it with QRM while talking to their other ESSB buddy across town without a thought or care about the QRM. I have had that happen many times on the bands. When you complain they usually respond with "Get a better receiver with better filters" The idiots don't seem to realize that no amount of filters will remove interference INSIDE their passband. I suppose that ESSB may possibly have a place on 40 and 80m especially in the daytime for local and regional contacts but nothing higher especially on 20m where the band is often crowded when it is open. Having said all this I do like good audio but I pursue that aspect of the hobby on AM and only on 80m. I spent 22 years in commercial broadcasting so I do know and understand the quest for good audio however good audio does not necessarily mean W-I-D-E audio. My Kenwood TS-820S sounds fantastic on SSB with just the MC-50 microphone and when tuned up on the air properly.

 

[Bow]

agreed,

However, I only run 3.3kHz wide on my 718... so I am not as wide as the guys running the Kenwoods at 6kHz.

But My voice doesn't produce much above 2kHz anyway, but I can get down to 40Hz, and if I i ever did have have issues getting heard, I dump everything below 500Hz to get the DX'er tone, haven't had to do it yet, and I only run 100W.

I just think it is funny how ESSB is always a target for "Wasting Bandwidth", but try to get on the bands during a contest, talk about a waste of bandwidth...

 

[vkrules]

loved Bows fix for his radio ( why this thread caught my attention), Seen the problem a few times,Also like to add keep an eye on those mini coax connectors I have seen some where the coax braid itself has gone black under the crimp and had to be replaced.
I really didn't mean to bring so much attention to the ESSB debate .Like I said earlier I was just replying to Bows Quip about Telephone Audio.
Anyway well said CK!.
Strangebrew I dont think its an open slate at all.You should be aware of the negatives as well as the pluses .ESSB has its limits just like any other mode.

 

[Road Squawker]

I've never understood WHY the ESSB types think it is sooooo great,... they should be forced to listen to their own signals from 2 kc away.

what part of "communication grade audio" do they not understand?

ONLY 3.3Kc wide,... ONLY????

 

[2RT307]

Hey Bow, I definitely hope you renew. I made the mistake of not renewing years ago, and regretted it the rest of my life. I finally got off my lazy butt and passed tech and general a couple of years ago.

I enjoy essb on 40 during the day, and hang with a bunch of guys there when I can (which is not very often). My rig is easily switched to 200-2800 wide for other bands, dx'ing, or when someone jumps in on a close frequency. And I agree with you about contests... I tend to stay off the air (or hang out on the WARC bands) on contest weekends. Mainly because I have found a lot of contest operators to be extremely rude, splattering, and without any regard to a frequency being in use. Nice thing about being a ham is that I can always move to another band if I don't like what I hear!

Glad you fixed your 718, and get that license renewed. Would love to do a sched with you sometime!

73,
Brett

 

[StrangeBrew]

Strangebrew I dont think its an open slate at all.You should be aware of the negatives as well as the pluses .ESSB has its limits just like any other mode.

That's where the "what you choose to put on it" part comes in.