Mines barely a week in service at an apartment with very limited antenna options...I AM STILL STUDYING (IE: PLAYING WITH, THE VARIOUS CONTROL APPLICATIONS, AND THINK some of them might meet your needs. The one I use daily is in beta, linked to a logging database package I rely on from Bob Sillet at:
http://www.sillett.us.eu.org/swlog/
OTHER FREEWARE control applications: (the LAST one is FEE WARE)
http://www.qsl.net/ab9b/KF5OJ/index.html
http://www.tufox.com/jim/rx320/
http://www.tufox.com/jim/rx320/
http://www.ilgradio.com/gnpdb/
http://www.apptd.com/rx320.htm
FINEWARE PACKAGE:
Download the Software
radio320prog.zip - The program EXE and supporting files. Version 0.51. About 587K.
radio320datafine.zip - Sample databases from Mark Fine. About 33K.
radio320datailg.zip - Sample databases from ILG Radio. About 410K.
http://www.dxtra.com/ (FEE ware)
;>) Yodar More STUFF!
----Original Message Follows---- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [HCDX] new toy: Ten-Tec RX-320D Date: Sat, 28 Jun 2003 20:44:56 -0400
I recently purchased a Ten-Tec RX-320D computer- controlled "black box" receiver. This compact unit, described at "http://www.tentec.com/TT320.htm", runs off a 15 VDC wall-wart and connects to a PC through a serial port control cable. If audio is to be transferred to the PC's sound card, a separate audio cable is connected for that. Alternately, you can connect headphones or a speaker directly to the radio.
The supplied software provides a simple-to-use graphical user interface. One cool feature is the spectrum chart, much like the old Heath panadapters or a rudimentary version of spectrum analyzers used in professional test and measurement labs.
There were a few things I wanted to do that I couldn't figure out. Apparently a recording function is not integrated into the software. I wanted to record MP3 or WAV files straight from the receiver software without having to open up other software. Another thing I want to do is have the receiver take in an Excel or tab-delimited text file of times and frequencies for unattended "robot" DXing / recording. Maybe DXers, on their own, have developed C/C++ or Visual Basic code that can do exactly what I want. This would be to record desired frequencies at specified times / dates and also put out a data file consisting of signal strength readings. I could use the receiver as a propagation analyzer or spectrum occupancy study aid. Nick Hall-Patch has done this successfully with another receiver. Conceivably, software could be structured to make decisions such as "If you find this, then go look for that, otherwise go to a different test to decide what to do next". Such disciplined scanning would simulate the actions of a real-life DXer at the dials. Who knows what goodies you might find in the morning on your PC in the MP3 and data summary files if you have this capability ?
All this said, how did the receiver perform ? On its built-in whip antenna, a lot of PC, TV, and other house-based hash & oddball buzzy carriers were noted. On a real antenna, fortunately, all that went away. Reception was quite similar to the Drake R8A without its preamplifier engaged. Since I was using a Flag antenna with fairly low output, some daytimers receivable on the R8A (such as CHTN- 720) were in the noise floor on the RX-320D. With a less efficient antenna such as a Pennant or Flag, an extra 10 dB of low-noise preamplification would be a great thing. Since this radio is touted more for shortwave than medium wave, sensitivity was probably ratcheted down a bit since SW antennas tend to be much more efficient and closer to a resonant length.
I did not note any spurs / intermods, not bad since 50 kW WRKO-680 is less than 3 miles / 5 km away. Even 1360 (=680*2), a perennial overload channel here, had clear WLYN instead of the WRKO overload that my car radio gets. With a bigger antenna, or an amplified one, I might not be quite as lucky.
The fast AGC setting didn't seem quite fast enough for quick adjustments of loop, phaser, or variable termination resistance derived nulls. There's a bit of lag time on the PC screen "S-meter".
The IF filter selections were good and they seemed effective. I would have liked DSP based continuously-variable bandwidth, but what can you expect for $300 ? It will be interesting to set this up during a decent opening and bag some TA's with it.
Its need for the laptop and a +15V supply probably means that I won't be using it in the car on mini-DXpeditions to the seashore. Running this arrangement in a dark, cramped, and (often) cold vehicle doesn't seem likely.
Use on a house-based DXpedition (e.g. Cappahayden, Grayland, Chamberlain, Miscou Island, or Sheigra) could be worthwhile however. I'm not sure what the airport security people would make of the little black box. Having the radio integrated to the laptop can be a good thing since logging programs, Geoclock, Euro-MWLog and Pacific Log PDF's could all be accessed. John Bryant, Nick Hall-Patch, and the rest of the Grayland crew have certainly proved this.
The D model is supposed to be usable to decode DRM broadcasts. For a review of an earlier version see "http://www.anarc.org/naswa/issues/1298/equip1298.html".
Once I get the unattended recording schemes worked out, I'll be having a lot of fun with this radio.
Mark Connelly, WA1ION - Billerica, MA
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THE INFORMATION IN THIS ARTICLE IS FREE. It may be copied, distributed and/or modified under the conditions set down in the Design Science License published by Michael Stutz at http://dsl.org/copyleft/dsl.txt