"The SB-200 and the 30L1 both operate with a keyed antenna relay and -120 volt bias. Use with modern transceivers require either an internal soft key or a keying interface. "


Those are good points.  The AD5X QSK mod kit handles the soft keying but it would be nice if the circuit board had some space on it for a generic regulated power supply for tube type amps.   That was another thing I wanted to knock around with Phil.  

Then there are the mechanics of the installation and doing it in a 100% reversible manner.

de ah6gi/4

I dropped an email to AD5X about 2 months ago, no reply.

Part of my question, Phil might know the answer to.

He has great technical explanations on his site but he can't know the ins and outs of all rigs.  The problem is that I don't have the test equipment to answer the questions for myself.

For example, the Ten-Tec Jupiter, does it key the antenna relay, wait a few milliseconds, then transmit RF.  On the trailing edge, does it stop transmitting RF then de-activate the antenna relay?

If it does that, then the AD5X signal relays won't be "hot-switched".

The same question applies to other rigs, Elecraft, and so on.  

Phil has identified some rigs that don't have the appropriate timing delays.

de ah6gi/4

Phil, AD5X, has designed a QSK mod kit for the Ameritron ALS-600 and ALS-500 HF Amplifiers, which are 600 and 500 watt output solid state amps.

My read of AD5X's paper is that the relays in his mod kit should handle the output of the SB-200 or 30L-1.

<http://www.ad5x.com/images/Presentations/QSKals500als600.pdf>

The AD5X site: <http://www.ad5x.com/>

I'd like to add QSK to my SB-200 and 30L-1. I would use the amps with either a Ten-Tec Jupiter or a DZKIT Sienna.

The Sienna is a new transceiver that has many excellent CW/QSK features.

Anyone have experience or comments on the AD5X QSK kit?

Anyone know how to order the AD5X kits?

de ah6gi/4

Phil, AD5X, has designed a QSK mod kit for the Ameritron ALS-600 and ALS-500 HF Amplifiers, which are 600 and 500 watt output solid state amps.

My read of AD5X's paper is that the relays in his mod kit should handle the output of the SB-200 or 30L-1.

<http://www.ad5x.com/images/Presentations/QSKals500als600.pdf>

The AD5X site: <http://www.ad5x.com/>

I'd like to add QSK to my SB-200 and 30L-1. I would use the amps with either a Ten-Tec Jupiter or a DZKIT Sienna.

The Sienna is a new transceiver that has many excellent CW/QSK features.

Anyone have experience or comments on the AD5X QSK kit?

Anyone know how to order the AD5X kits?

de ah6gi/4

Thanks for the info and the report on the front panel.

The Sienna is the best thing that's come around for kit-types in decades.

I don't mean this to reflect negatively on Elecraft, which I have no experience with. In fact, Elecraft was one of my options for my "best and final" radio. I was mulling over the K2.  Take a year or so to build it nice.  What fun!

Ditto Ten-Tec.  I'm a fan of Ten-Tec and was about to order their Argonaut V as my main rig.  The Argo-V did just about everything I wanted.  

K2, Argo-V, K2, Argo-V? While I like soldering, the general coverage receiver in the Argo-V tipped the scales.

Then Ten-Tec canceled the Argo-V.

Broken hearted, my next choice was the Jupiter. There is a value rig. It's moose of a radio compared to a K2 or Argo-V but it's got a great rep and amazing features for the price.  CW decoder, type to send Morse, general coverage receiver, software filters, poor man's band scope, ton of power.  It should drive my 30L-1 very nicely, perhaps the AD5X QSK kit will work with the pair.  Wouldn't that be too cool.

So now the DZKIT Sienna roars onto the scene, serious features, build it yourself, build it with exactly the options you want, the "Best and Final".

Meld the 100 watt Sienna with an AD5X updated 30L-1, way cool.  

de ah6gi/4

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=== D Z K I T - possible Sienna Configuration ===
.
.

The INRAD link (INRAD is an eHam.net advertiser) is at:

<http://www.inrad.net/home.php?cat=152>

DZKIT Sienna link:

<http://www.dzkit.com/sienna_main.htm>

I've been thinking and rethinking the options and after I recover from the snowmageddon that hit this area, I'll order the base receiver with these filter upgrades.

Replace standard 15/20 kHz Roofing filter with the 5.6 kHz (6 db points measured by DZKIT) INRAD roofing filter.  

Add Option 207 a 6kHz crystal filter at the 2nd IF for AM, it's not clear how that affects the standard 2.4 kHz 4 pole SSB filter or if the 2.4 kHz filter is NOT in a solder-in slot.

Add IF Filter Package 4, a 5.8kHz Collins mechanical filter at the 3rd IF.  This replaces a solder-in 20 kHz ceramic filter.

It's also not clear how "tight" the effective IF passband can be made by sliding the 2.4 kHz filter against the 5.8 kHz Collins mechanical filter.

de ah6gi/4

.
.
=== More on the D Z K I T - Sienna Filters ===
.
.

The INRAD link (INRAD is an eHam.net advertiser) is at:

<http://www.inrad.net/home.php?cat=152>

The Sienna has amazing filter features.  If you have a filter at 9 mHz and one at 455 kHz, your signals pass through both.  There is a small amount of attenuation but if you look at the Sienna diagram, there is ample IF gain.  

Two 8 pole 1800 kHz filters (one at the 9 mHz IF and one at the 455 IF) works like a 16 pole filter. Reminds me of Signal/One. The skirts are steep, the blow-by is small, this lets you "dig the signals" out.

Even better, you can mix and match the filters.  The stock 2.4 kHz backed up by the optional 5.8 kHz Collins mechanical filter (usable on SSB/CW and AM) can be "slid around", windowed against each other.

I verified that the Sienna has this capability.  With a few filters you effectively have many, many filters.  This is like a DSP radio.  The filters are expensive.  Each filters adds to the overall capabilities.  You don't have to get them all at once. 6 optional filters snap in from the bottom.

For CW ops, the dual 400 Hz filters are a brick wall AND they can windowed to form 380 Hz, 350 Hz, 280 Hz, etc, IF passbands.  

For hard core CW ops, Sienna offers a 250 Hz filter and INRAD has a 125 Hz offering!  The 250 Hz filter is more "brick wall" than making a windowed 250 Hz filter by moving two 400 Hz filters against each other.  

Either a 250 Hz filter or the two 400 Hz crystal filters forming a 250 Hz window, (this is MY UNEDUCATED OPINION UNVERIFIED BY INSTRUMENTED TESTS.) is a better filter than a DSP filter.  DSP radio vendors talk about the filter widths but they say little about ultimate rejection and how "brick wall" their filter solution is.


DZKIT is onto something terrific. (again, my opinion)


I am eager to test Sienna with a modest set of typical filters against a good DSP radio.  Anyone object to calling a Ten-Tec Jupiter a good DSP radio?  I think it has a great reputation.  


Part of the fun of Ham Radio is learning and testing new and old concepts.  I am kinda down on DSP and SDR. I'm an old ham, licensed in 1963, analog radios, many with tubes, most are Round 'n Green.  

de ah6gi/4 The fun is in the doing.

Sienna beats the Harris RF-3200?  

I'm thinking of the base receiver without the front panel but with the 4.5 Roofing filter because it measures at 5.6 kHz, 6 db point, the 6.0 kHz 9 mHz filter, and the 5.8 kHz 455 Collins mechanical filter.

I just checked DZKIT.com, they put up a link to INRAD.net.  INRAD has a full suite of Sienna filters including 125 Hz, 250 Hz, 300 Hz, 400 Hz, 500 Hz, and 1,000 Hz CW filters.  

For AM, the Sienna can be loaded up with 22 poles of filtering.  Talk about a brick wall.  

de ah6gi/4

Thanks Darrell,  your first hand, user experience is a great help.

DZKIT put up more info on their filters.  <http://dzkit.com/filters.htm>

I've always wanted a really good shortwave receiver.  

de ah6gi/4

K8AC,

Thank you VERY much for your comments and your impressions on using the actual Sienna.  

I had noticed that the letters, especially the big numbers on the display seemed odd.  In my day job, I work on software and occasionally user interfaces.  I prefer sans serif fonts such as Verdana and Arial. I don't like little curlies on letters and numbers.

I'd prefer a half space between the mHz and the kHz or a larger 14 than the 235.

14 235.075  

These are not showstoppers for me.

Like you, I can't quite figure out the filter options.  I have a sheet of paper where I've written down the options.

Between the 70 mHz roofing filter which is described as 20 kHz, 4 kHz, or 4.5 kHz depending on where you look on the website, are 2 banks of 4 selectable filters.  One bank is at 9 mHz, the other is at 455 kHz.

I checked with DZKIT and the roofing filter is a nominal 4.5 kHz but the 6 db points are close to 5.0 kHz. This is good for AM work.

The Heathkit SB series had two different AM filters, 3.5 kHz and 5.0 kHz.  The 5.0 Heathkit filter is much sought after by AMers. It was standard on the SB-310 and SB-313.

There seem to be two 455 kHz filter points.  One point is selectable from the front panel. Following the four selectable 455 kHz filters is another position for either a 20 kHz ceramic filter (standard) or a 5.8 kHz Collins mechanical filter (optional).


I really like having all those options but I haven't quite figured out what they all are.

Since DZKIT is working with INRAD and the IF's are on standard frequencies, you could probably get anything you want from INRAD or someone on eBay.

One item I'm mulling over is the standard 70 mHz roofing filter for the FT-1000MP.  I found some websites that describe it as 12 kHz.  If it swaps in, then it might be better for AM SWL work.  12 kHz is wide but the AM SWL'ers seem to like wide AM mechanical filters on the Collins.

About the pizza box look.  I don't mind that.  I was about to order a Ten-Tec Argonaut V but Ten-Tec discontinued it.    The Argonaut V is as flat as they come.

The Sienna caught my eye because it looks like an Argonaut V all grown up with 10 times the features.

Both have real analog meters.  Both have quality general coverage receivers.  QSK, check.  The Argonaut V has a heavy metal main tuning knob as does the Sienna.  

When I saw the DZKIT Sienna ad in the December 2009 QST, I thought, WOW, here it is.

I'm still thinking this over. That's half the fun of a new rig. Checking out the options, knocking around the features with other hams.

One neat thing about the Sienna is that you can build and expand the basic radio.  There're reports on the web of hams doing exactly that.

<http://blog.g4ilo.com/2009/11/tempting-sienna.html>

<http://va3stl.wordpress.com/2008/07/09/the-sienna-a-new-high-performance-kit-hf-transceiver/#comments>

Start with a basic radio, build it up into exactly what you want.  You don't have to do it all at once.  The DZKIT site describes which filters snap in and which require a partial disassembly.

de ah6gi/4

from the QTH.net Premium Receiver list, the term refers to military, government general coverage, signal intercept HF receivers such as the R/390A, the Collins 851S-1, Watkins-Johnson, Racal, the Ten-Tec RX-340.  

Some models of DSP/SDR are certainly Premium Receivers.

Whether a specific radio is a Premium Receiver is one of those fun debates.

The Sherwood enhanced Drakes certainly qualify.  

I think part of it is the "look" and part is the "feel", that's in addition to the raw performance.

de ah6gi/4

Bob K1KPR,

For 45 years, I've wanted a "good" shortwave receiver.  My early ham operating was with an SX-101A, ham bands only.

Then I got a Heath SB-101, also ham bands only.  Going from Hallicrafters soft LC filtering to Heath's harder edged crystal filters was a big change.

About 1980, I broke down and bought an ICOM IC-720A, paid almost $2,000 for it with all the filters, the switching power supply, etc. I finally had my SWL receiver but work and life intervened and I didn't get my radio time.

I still have the 720A and do scan the bands with it. I have a collection of boat anchor rigs.  Some need  work, others are in near new condition.

While the 720A is plenty good enough for my SWL activity, I have the bug to get a real premium receiver, just once.  You know how it is.

Part of the fun is figuring out what the parameters are.  Then it's saving up the spare change or, more realistically, selling off some of the boat anchor herd to finance that one, last radio.

AM SWL listening is up there as a requirement.
Sienna has an optional $155 8 pole 6 kHz filter for 9 mHz.

CW too, that's a must have.  The Sienna has a $270 16 pole 400 Hz filter option.  It's two 8 pole 400 Hz filters.  One at 9 mHz and one at 455 kHz.

The other choice is a $155 8 pole 250 Hz filter at 455 kHz.  I suppose you could front it with half of the 400 Hz option.  Sometimes I like listening to CW with a wide passband, sometimes I like to tighten down.

I'm kinda indifferent to SSB, contest work, DX, so I don't need brick wall SSB filters.  However, I am interested in digital modes like PSK31.

The nice thing about the DZKIT Sienna is that I could start simple, add to the receiver, eventually turn it into a full transceiver.

If I got the contest bug, I could add more filters.

I've tried to map out the filter options on paper and there are so many choices.  It also looks like an incredible number of poles in the receiver chain, like 26 in some configurations.

This thing is all filters, amplifiers, and high-tech mixers.  I've never seen anything like it.

de ah6gi/4

K8AC, how did the Sienna seem to you?  Did you like it?

Was the tuning as smooth as the DZKIT site says?

I don't like digital read outs but the DZKIT site shows an LCD screen with a big analog tuning scale, reminds me of my old SX-101A.

I've been figuring out the filter options and find the options very confusing.  Some parts of the site imply that the 70 mHz roofing filter is a 6 pole 4 kHz INRAD.

That's great for CW and SSB but AM SWL, I'm not so sure about that.

Other parts of the site mention a 4 pole 15kHz "standard" roofing filter, which would be better for AM SWL work but not so good for CW and SSB in contest conditions, not that I do contests.

de ah6gi/4

About Premium Receivers.

Over the years, I've looked at premium receivers.  I remember hearing about the R/390A in the 1960's.  Hams would speak of it with hushed, reverent terms.

From time to time, I've bid on premium receivers on eBay but I've never come close to winning any.  I've followed the discussions on the Internet on premium receivers.


The 851S1, used, is way up there.  So are Watkins-Johnsons, and the Ten-Tec RX-340.  The RX-340 is one beautiful receiver.  

<http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/3757>

Recently I found the DZ Sienna, a premium receiver kit and a ham transceiver kit.

Comparing the Sienna and the Collins 851S-1 and the others, the Sienna has many more features, filters and more filters, and is amazingly configurable. It also comes with fancy, high-tech, mixers and amplifiers.

I am not a true believer of DSP and software filers.  I'm a software guy and my guess is that the way DZKIT cascades their hardware filters, builds a stronger brick wall.  


<http://www.dzkit.com/pdfs/DZKit_blockdiagram.pdf>

<http://www.collinsmuseum.com/851s1b.jpg>


I'd like to get a Sienna but am not certain how to configure it.  It comes with a 20 kHz roofing filter and DZKIT offers an optional 4.5 kHz 70 mHz roofing filter.  Will this constrain the AM audio?  The optional AM filter is 6 kHz.

I saw a comment on the Internet that DZKIT is shipping all receivers with the better roofing filter.

I was just about to order a basic Sienna but then it started snowing which affects my income.

Check out the Sienna and tell me how you would configure it.

de ah6gi/4 still digging out from the snow.

FAR Circuits has a version of the board.  Not as compact as Hendricks.

de ah6gi/4