[amsat-bb] RTSystems has Software for Kenwood TH-D74a

[Jeff]

Hi Patrick, Well I’m glad there is filtering added to the  SSB frontend. I remember trying to use a TH-F6a to RX FO-20/29 years ago and the RX bandwidth was a show stopper. The recording option sounds like a real plus for portable ops... 

73 Jeff kb2m

From: Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 
Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2016 1:18 PM
To: Jeff ; amsat-bb at amsat.org 
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] RTSystems has Software for Kenwood TH-D74a

Hi Jeff!


With the TH-D74, you get new features for receive filters. For SSB,

the high-cut value has possible options between 2.2 to 3.0 kHz. For CW

bandwidth, it can be specified values between 0.3 and 2.0 kHz. On 

AM, the high-cut value can be between 3.0 and 7.5 kHz. This is, I 

think, the sort of filtering that the TH-F6A sorely lacked. 

Having this filtering makes the TH-D74's all-mode receiver work

reasonably well, especially as an SSB receiver for satellite 

downlinks. I am comfortable with using my TH-D74A as an SSB 

receiver in place of one of my FT-817NDs or an SDR receiver.  


The TH-D74 also has an audio recording function, when a microSD

card is plugged into the radio. I used that to make recordings 

of different passes I worked (FM, SSB, packet), and also testing

a Bluetooth headset with this radio. I posted those recordings

in the "TH-D74A" folder at http://dropbox.wd9ewk.net/ . If you want

to hear recordings from SSB satellites specifically, please

let me know and I can get you those file names. 


I think Kenwood missed the mark a bit with this radio, not designing

it to have the cross-band full-duplex capability of the TH-D72

and TH-D7. Since the TH-D74A also operates on the 222 MHz band, it

is possible that Kenwood's engineers based the TH-D74 on the design

of the TH-F6A, but with lots of improvements and new features 

that weren't possible with the older radio. 


73!







Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK

http://www.wd9ewk.net/

Twitter: @WD9EWK







On Sun, Dec 4, 2016 at 5:55 PM, Jeff <kb2m at comcast.net> wrote:

  Does it still have the 6k  something + wide SSB frontend like  the 10+ year old TH-F6a? I read Patrick's post about it and I don't remember any Kenwood rep at Dayton say it would do full duplex. I think Kenwood really missed the boat on this one.

  73 Jeff kb2m