Yaesu_VL-1000_Quadra_review_QST_2002.pdf

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1、 Copyright 2001 by the American Radio Relay League Inc. All rights reserved. Product Review eavesdrop on military/civilian HF flight-following traffic and long-haul maritime ship-to-shore transmissions; monitor tactical FM frequencies used by fire, police, EMS and the US government; tune through mos

2、t of the ham bandsand lots more. If a radio signal exists some- where between 150 kHz and 1500 MHz, chances are you can receive it using the WiNRADiO system. The cellular tele- phone frequencies are blocked, of course. (We certainly wouldnt want to violate the Electronic Communications Privacy Act o

3、f 1986, would we?) Installation and Set Up The WR-1550i package includes a cir- WiNRADiO WR-1550i Computer-Based Communications Receiver cuit card (the actual receiver unit), a 3.5- inch floppy installation disk, an indoor “test” antenna, a Users Guide and war- ranty information. The installation in

4、- structions are very concise and made the job of getting this radio up and running the proverbial “walk in the park.” Installation of the card was totally uneventful. The hardest part was getting the darned cover off the computer cabi- net! I had two unused ISA expansion slots, so I put the card in

5、to the bottom- most slot. The factory default jumper set- ting for the I/O address (180) worked fine. I chose not to jumper the audio out- put of the radio card into the line input of my soundcard. Instead, I just plugged my computer speaker system directly into the single 1/8-inch phono jack on the

6、 back of the board. Just a few minutes after I had the com- puter case buttoned back up, I had the indoor test antenna connected to its BNC terminal, the speakers plugged in and the software loaded. I ran the indoor antenna over to my shack window and connected the end to a long-wire antenna I have

7、up outside. A second or two after I double- clicked on the new WiNRADiO icon on my computer screen the speakers came alive with signals! There was some slight interference generated by my computer (as might be expected with this tempo- rary indoor/outdoor antenna lashup) but it was not objectionable

8、. I have a confession to make. Im yet another one of those guys who dont like to spend a whole lot of time wading through the detailed operating instruc- tions found in most manuals. I save that exercise for those times when I really cant figure out how a feature works. Ive discovered that a little

9、hands-on experi- ence can substitute for page upon page of text. The WiNRADiO receiver presented few challenges. It took me about 15 min- utes of mousing around on the virtual front panel to master nearly all of the nuances of this receiver. To say that the layout of the controls and the organiza- t

10、ion of the drop-down menus make oper- ating this rig easy would be an understate- ment. If youve got a little common sense, a bit of computer savvy and some basic radio operating knowledgeyoull quickly master this rig. The Users Guide outlines all of the various control operations in excruciat- ing

11、detail, but a quick glance at the un- cluttered front panel that appears on the monitor screen will immediately convey From January 2002 QST ARRL Table 1 WiNRADiO WR-1550i, serial number 107620 Manufacturers Claimed SpecificationsMeasured in the ARRL Lab Frequency coverage: 0.15-1500 MHz (cell block

12、ed).0.15-1600 MHz, cell blocked.1 Modes of operation: FM, WFM, AM, USB, LSB, CW.As specified. Size (HWD): 4.50.711.4 inches; weight, 20.2 oz. CW/SSB sensitivity (10 dB S/N): 0.5-1.8 MHz,Noise floor (MDS): 1.0 MHz, 101 dBm; 3.5 MHz, 132 dBm; 2.0 V; 1.8-30 MHz, 0.3 V; 30-1000 MHz, 14 MHz, 128 dBm; 50

13、MHz, 118 dBm; 144 MHz, 113 dBm; 0.3 V; 1000-1500 MHz, 0.4 V. 222 MHz, 124 dBm; 432 MHz, 120 dBm; 902 MHz, 120 dBm; 1240 MHz, 114 dBm. AM sensitivity (10 dB S/N): 0.5-1.8 MHz,AM narrow, test signal modulated 30% with a 1-kHz tone, 10.0 V; 1.8-30 MHz, 1.0 V; 30-1000 MHz, 10 dB (S+N)/N: 1.0 MHz, 20 V;

14、3.8 MHz, 0.6 V; 1.5 V; 1000-1500 MHz, 1.9 V. 53 MHz, 2.6 V; 120 MHz, 2.3 V; 146 MHz, 2.5 V; 440 MHz, 1.8 V. FM narrow sensitivity (12 dB SINAD): 0.5-1.8 MHz,FM narrow, 12 dB SINAD: 29 MHz, 0.75 V; 52 MHz, 1.1 V; 2.5 V; 1.8-30 MHz, 0.4 V; 30-1000 MHz, 146 MHz, 0.83 V; 222 MHz, 0.44 V; 440 MHz, 0.69 V

15、; 0.4 V; 1000-1500 MHz, 0.6 V. 906 MHz, 0.84 V; 1296 MHz, 1.7 V. FM wide sensitivity (12 dB SINAD): 30-1000 MHz,100 MHz, 6.1 V. 1.5 V; 1000-1500 MHz, 2.5 V. Blocking dynamic range: Not specified.CW mode: 3.8 MHz, 49 dB; 14 MHz, 45 dB; 50 MHz, 35 dB; 144 MHz, 34 dB; 222 MHz, 52 dB; 432 MHz, 26 dB; 90

16、2 MHz, 26 dB; 1240 MHz, 39 dB. Two-tone, third-order IMD dynamic range: Not specified.CW mode dynamic range and third-order intercept point FrequencyDynamicIntercept Point2 (MHz) Range (dB) (dBm) 3.85353 145053 505043 14451*36 4325143 902n/a3n/a3 12404940 Second-order intercept point: Not specified.

17、14 dBm. FM adjacent channel rejection: Not specified.20 kHz channel spacing: 29 MHz, 45 dB; 52 MHz, 46 dB; 146 MHz, 33 dB; 440 MHz, 37 dB; 906 MHz, 53 dB; 1296 MHz, 41 dB. FM two-tone, third-order IMD dynamic range: Not specified.20 kHz channel spacing: 29 MHz, 45 dB*; 52 MHz, 46 dB*; 146 MHz, 33 dB

18、*; 440 MHz, 37 dB*; 906 MHz, 48 dB; 1296 MHz, 41 dB*; 10 MHz channel spacing: 52 MHz, 59 dB; 146 MHz, 67 dB; 440 MHz, 55 dB. Squelch sensitivity (threshold): Not specified.At threshold: SSB, 14 MHz, 25 V; FM, 29 MHz, 1.1 V; 52 MHz, 0.62 V; 146 MHz, 1.3 V; 440 MHz, 0.43 V; 906 MHz, 0.42 V; 1296 MHz,

19、1.4 V. S-meter sensitivity: Not specified.“45” indication4: 14 MHz, 23 V; 50 MHz, 97 V; 144 MHz, 266 V; 430 MHz, 85 V; 902 MHz, 14 V; 1240 MHz, 26 V. Audio output: 0.2 W into 8 (THD not specified).0.21 W into 8 at 12% THD.5 IF/audio response: Not specified.Range at 6 dB points (bandwidth): CW: 102-2

20、127 Hz (2025 Hz); USB: 385-2294 Hz (1909 Hz); LSB: 119- 2234 Hz (2115 Hz); AM: 96-1249 Hz (1153 Hz). Spurious and image rejection: Not specified.IF rejection: 14 MHz, 96 dB; 144 MHz, 58 dB; 430 MHz, 44 dB; 902 MHz, 35 dB; 1240 MHz, 14 dB; image rejection: 14 MHz, 75 dB; 144 MHz, 87 dB; 430 MHz, 4 dB

21、; 902 MHz, 0 dB; 1240 MHz, 18 dB. Except as noted, all dynamic range measurements were taken using the ARRL Lab standard spacing of 20 kHz. *Measurement was noise limited at the value shown. 1Sensitivity degrades below 0.5 MHz. Cell blocked 869-895 MHz. 2Intercept points were determined by noise flo

22、or reference. 3Could not be measured due to blocking response. 4Meter reads in “dB above the noise floor” according to manufacturer. Using the quasi-standard of 6 dB per S-unit, S9 equals 45 dB. The meter can be calibrated through software (see text). 5Output at 10% THD was 20 mW. From January 2002

23、QST ARRL a good sense of its simplicity (see Figure 1). A Tour of the Controls The main tuning “knob” is located di- rectly below the digital frequency dis- playthe most prominent feature on the virtual front panel. Placing the cursor on top of the tuning knob and holding down the left mouse button

24、varies the frequency either up or down, depending upon the position of the cursor on the knob. You can also punch in frequencies directly with the number keys on your computer keyboard. (Nearly all of the radios con- trols can be alternatively operated using keyboard commands.) There are four tuning

25、 step configura- tions available: fixed, auto, memory and duplex. “Fixed Stepping” is useful when tuning AM/FM broadcast stations and other “channelized” radio services. “Auto Stepping” is an enhanced form of fixed stepping where the step size and receive mode is directly dependent upon the spe- cif

26、ic frequency range youre tuning. (You set this up by typing information into a table in a submenu. Its a very simple operation.) “Memory Stepping ” is used to move through the stored memory fre- quencies. “Duplex Stepping” makes the task of jumping between the two sides of a duplex communication a s

27、nap. The receive mode is selected by click- ing on one of six buttons located in a group to the left of the main tuning knob. Volume and squelch are controlled by two sets of up/down arrow buttons on the far right side of the front panel. Their rela- tive levels are shown numerically, and theres eve

28、n a handy MUTE button that can instantly silence the receiver. Sensitivity is controlled by a pair of buttons located immediately to the left of the digital frequency display. The “DX” setting provides maximum sensitivity; the “local” setting activates an 18-dB attenu- ator thats helpful in cases of

29、 interference, intermod or overload. Directly under the digital frequency readout is an alphanumeric comment field that displays text that relates to the tuned frequency. When the radio is in the VFO mode, for example, tuning the re- ceiver anywhere between 14 and 14.35 MHz will bring up the message

30、 “Ama- teur Band (20-metre).” Programmed memories are capable of displaying any desired textup to 34 characters in lengthin this same field. Sampling the Spectrum The first time you power it on, the WiNRADiO receiver comes up on 10 MHz. The memories are empty and the tuning step rate is 5 kHz. WWV o

31、n 10 MHz can occasionally be a bit diffi- cult to hear in my neck of the woods. I moved up to 15 and then 20 MHz by changing the step size from 5 kHz to 1 MHz and clicking the mouse on the up/ down arrow buttons to the right of the fre- quency display. Hey! This is really simple. All of the IF filte

32、rs in the radio are preset for their respective modes. These are fixedthe user cannot vary the bandwidthand this can lead to some frustration when youre trying to separate signals on a crowded band. IF/BFO shift is available in the SSB/CW modes. Some form of external active audio filtering, with not

33、ch, would be a great enhance- ment. In the SSB/CW modes the BFO can be adjusted in 5-Hz steps up to 3000 Hz above or below the displayed frequency. As with most of the functions on this vir- tual receiver, the shift value is controlled by using up/down arrow buttons. A RESET button immediately retur

34、ns the offset to the default value. It was time for a visit to the HF short- wave broadcast portion of the spectrum the frequencies around 5.9, 7.2 and 9.5 MHz are known to be popular shortwave watering holes. Grab the mouseclick, click, clickand there it isBBC World Service on 5.975 MHz. WOW! This

35、is neat! A few more clicks of the mouse and Im listening to Deutsche WelleThe Voice of Germanyon 9.515 MHz. Oh, Im beginning to fall for this little rig! I tried an old shortwave listeners trick. I switched the receiver into the SSB mode and tuned in an AM shortwave broadcaster. This interference-fi

36、ghting technique is commonly known as ECSS (for Exalted Carrier Selectable Side- band). The idea is to isolate either the upper or lower sideband portion of the AM signal within the narrower filter used in the SSB modes. This can reduce inter- ference from nearby stations. I found this effective in

37、several instances. Our local police department commu- nicates on 154.485 MHz, so I moved from Figure 1The virtual front panel of the WiNRADiO WR-1500i communications receiver. Dont let its simple appearance fool youthis receiver is packed with sophisticated capabilities. Figure 2The 1550is RF Spectr

38、um Scope can sweep through a range of frequencies and generate a graph of relative signal strength. The mouse cursor can be used to instantly tune the receiver to interesting “peaks.” From January 2002 QST ARRL the HF to the VHF portion of the radio spectrum to give that a listen. Setting the squelc

39、h is as simple as clicking on the pair of arrow buttons that increase and decrease the squelch sensitivity. A bar graph relative signal strength meter calibrated in dBon the lower right hand portion of the front panel is a welcome tuning aid. By watching the peak signal, its easy to adjust the squel

40、ch threshold to a level where it will mute the receiver and still maintain good sensitivity. This meter functions in all modes. Calibration softwareCalibration Editoris avail- able for download free from the WiNRADiO Web site. This will allow you to recalibrate the meter indication in- dependently f

41、or each mode. Since I dont keep my handheld scan- ner in the shack, I decided to load up a few of the local VHF/UHF “action band” frequencies into the memories. A click of the S (store) button in the MEMORY con- trol group brings up a submenu titled: “Store Frequency Into Memory.” Its a simple matte

42、r to write the currently se- lected VFO frequency, mode and squelch settings into one of the WiNRADiOs memory positions, and you can assign the memory to one of 16 memory groups. A memory channel lockout feature, for locking a specific memory out of a memory scan, is available. Serious scanner liste

43、ners will be de- lighted to hear that optional software is available that will allow this receiver to follow trunked communications. Infor- mation on the WiNRADiO Web page in- dicates that the radio can track Motorola SmartNet and MPT1327 systems. You can store up to 1000 frequencies in each memory

44、file, and the number of memory files that you can retain is only limited by the available space on your computers hard drive. You access memo- ries by clicking on the R (recall) button. This evokes the “Recall a Frequency from Memory” submenu. Highlight the desired memory in the list, click the mous

45、e on it and the radio instantly tunes to that fre- quency. Another optional software pack- ageDatabase Managerexpands the station information retained in the memory files, allows you to sort through the memory data, and lets you import fre- quency lists from other sources. You can scan through the m

46、emories or a specific range of frequencies by using the buttons in the SCANNER button group. You can even set up frequencies or ranges of frequencies to exclude from a VFO scan. “Immediate Scanning” is quick and simple. Just select the step size and then click on the left/right arrow buttons in this

47、 group and the receiver tuning will take off in whichever direction you se- lected, stopping on active channels. “Frequency Range Scanning” is ac- complished by using the scanning options menu and entering the start/stop frequen- cies, the step size, the mode and the squelch settings into a table. Y

48、ou can even select an “AutoStore” mode that will au- tomatically write active frequencies di- rectly into memories. “Memory Scan” scans the frequencies that are programmed into the memories. The “Scanner Options” dialog box allows you to select a variety of scanning set- tings including the scan rat

49、e, pause/stop on active frequencies, the delay time, etc. All in all, the WiNRADiOs scanning abilities are very impressive. Another neat feature is the RF Spec- trum Scope (see Figure 2). Activate this feature and the receiver will sweep a se- lected frequency range and generate a graph of signal strength versus frequency. Once youve captured a trace, you hold down the mouse button and drag the cur- sor up and down the trace to tune around, or double click on a portion of the trace to tune to the closest signal peak. This is very handy