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TRIED THE MIDFI THING. NOT WORTH IT. BUT?
- Thread starter Sonar
- Start date
I would sleep on that for a while before you hack up a radio like that. Why do you like those sonars? Because they are modified audio monsters, or because they are a rare radio that overlap tubes and 40 channels? Just my 2 cents. A hi-fi cobra 29 would stomp all over a direct injected sonar.
My 'direct inject" comment was geared towards the Uniden radio, external "rack gear" on a tube radio will present different challenges because of the high voltages used in the radio (and modulation transformer frequency response limitations); it's something I've never played with before. {here is some basic info though} But I bet with or two component value changes that Sonar radio will sound "phat" and pleasing (if it is not already).
I've got to say, the "distortion" I hear from my E.F. Johnson Messenger is pleasing to the ear, and warm sounding although the "audio frequency response" is severely limited; it is a different experience compared to the transistorized radios, a more "fuzzy" one.
I've got to say, the "distortion" I hear from my E.F. Johnson Messenger is pleasing to the ear, and warm sounding although the "audio frequency response" is severely limited; it is a different experience compared to the transistorized radios, a more "fuzzy" one.
Direct injecting or adding and mmm to one of these sonars is the last thing that I would consider. I would have to do a lot of research in order to find out if not only the modification but what's needed as far as adjusting and equipment that it will take in order to make sure the radio is sounding like it should on the other end. My attachment to sonars is twofold. One, it was the first tube radio I ever owned, and the second reason is that the sonar radio Corporation was located just miles from my childhood home in Brooklyn New York. I own several of the fs23's and 3023's. But it's the 2340's I enjoy the most. As I mentioned above it was the first tube radio I ever owned, and brought to me by a friend who actually went out of his way to find one for me, and when he did finally locate one it was me he thought of first before offering it to anybody else. I paid only what the girl who was selling it wanted ($175) got me the 2340, the unamplified d104, a 100 watt mobile linear, and the power supply to run it. The bottom rig in that picture is the one that I am speaking about. That was in 1982. My friend Artie Windjammer is no longer with us, but that radio and the memory of the day he knocked on my door with it is. What I'm going to do is just give that interface a 1/4" male, and a 1/4" input. Thanks make the sonar compatible with the sonar, Behringer 802, and shore sm58. I have to take the interface out of the closet and give it a look-over, but I believe I will have the option to use the unamplified d104 or the sm58. I will check them both out after the interface is modified to accept the quarter inch plug, and see which one sounds better if at all. If it doesn't improve the sonars audio I will most likely disconnected put it in the box, and see vit in the event I ever decide to use that ft-950 I have. I know that the Behringer equipment isn't specifically built for transmitting use, but I have send many YouTube videos of operators using that brand of mixer/equalizer along with their HF transceivers. Thanks for the replies. 73's
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Agree 100%, a nice clean classic isn't a radio I would consider a candidate for excessive modification.
Now I'm not familiar with Sonars and I'm definitely not a tech so take this with a grain of salt:
To my ears some of the older radios have a much nicer audio than the newer stuff, they seem to let enough highs and lows in to have a more natural sound without going to extremes. With later radios and especially SSB rigs it seems that selectivity and efficiency became more of a priority and as such more effort was put into filtering out all those highs and lows. Now I wouldn't expect FM broadcast audio from it but I think plugging that box into the mic jack on an unmodified Sonar just to see what happens is a worthwhile endeavor.
My fs2340 sound very nice with the Demco turned up at around 11 o'clock.
Upon my initial setup I just turned the gain knob on the Demco up until I saw just a little bit of forward swing, and then I turned it up just a bit more.
If I hear some skip coming in I will usually turn the dent go up to 12 o'clock.
I think the the difference from 11 to 12 o'clock on the Demco gives me that little extra I need in order for those out in skipland to hear me.
I'm going to get that interface out to my tech within the next week or so. I'll definitely inform all of you guys who have advised me on the decision of whether to use these three add-ons on the sonar as soon as I hook it up and get some reports. I can listen to it on my Madison, I don't think that's the ideal way to set up the mixer, but it's all I've got, and as we all know this is basically small frie stuff. I'm not expecting anything to dramatically change, but if I could actually dial in on some audio that's just a bit better than it is now I guess it would have been worth it, and I will set it and forget it. I've got some space on the bottom shelf and that's where I'll leave the Barringer. I remember having it hooked up to the Madison. I turned those knobs Every Witch Way for 3 days and even though some said it sounded much better with it than without it I just didn't think it was worth the space that it took up. I don't know if all chicken banders are as I am but damn, I couldn't stop turning those three knobs. I'm sure a few locals will help me to decide if it's worth leaving that stuff inline or to put it back in the closet. Thanks.. 73
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