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| Reviews Summary for Sherwood Engineering SE-3 Synchronous Detector |
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Reviews: 6
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Average rating: 5.0/5
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MSRP: $549.00
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Description: High-Fidelity Phase-Locked AM Product Detector
Eliminates Selective-Fade Distortion and Garbling on Shortwave and Broadcast reception. Able to Receive One Sideband at a Time to Minimize Interference
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More info: http://www.sherweng.com/indepth.html
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KB9IV
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 7, 2008 16:53
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Something Special
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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The 2nd one I've owned. Sounds and Works Fantastic on a Collins R390A, NRD535D.
Can't wait for the upcommig version......Thanks Bob.
73 Bill KB8IV
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KBH669
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 25, 2007 13:55
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The ultimate Sync. Detector
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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This little box is the most important piece of equipment in my shack next to the receiver itself. If it wasn't for the SE-3, DXing for faint AM broadcast wouldn't be the same along with the fantastic audio quality these units provide for hour after hour listening.
I use my SE-3 for all AM duties and especially Dxing - this is where it earns it's weight in gold. The ability to grab a carrier and move off frequency as far as 3.4khz to produce audible copy is key to snagging weak signals. I have yet to come across anything that can outdo the Sherwood unit for Sync. ability.
I use my SE-3 in a couple of different configurations: For regular program listening, I set my radio to AM mode and use it as a typical Sync. Detector and love the way it locks onto a signal and can eliminate flutter; BUT, for hearing weak AM signals, I actually use it with my receiver set to CW mode instead. This is one of the coolest things about the SE-3 - even though it's supposed to be used in AM mode only, it doesn't care where it gets it's carrier to lock onto as long as there's one to begin with. This opens up a lot of opportunities to experiment with different approaches for audio recovery using the BFO, PBT & Notch in various configurations along with off tuning of the SE-3. The only thing I have to be careful of in this application is not to notch out the carrier itself, but otherwise it makes for the ultimate AM signal recovery tool!
Sorry, forgot to mention that I'm using it with an RX-340
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JUSTICE
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 11, 2006 20:27
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Simply Amazing!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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When I was a teenager in 1984 I bought a copy of the WRTH and kept rereading the article about using a Drake R7 with this new product called the SE-3 Synchronous Detector. I was using a multiband portable then and really loved this SWL hobby, and couldn't help wishing I had this ultimate setup.
Fast forward 15 years to 1999 when I actually had some real money to spend. I was able to find an R7 with a full rack of voice filters, and just had to get an SE-3 to hear if it really was what I hoped for.
Yes, it was.
If you listen to music on shortwave and get frustrated by the distortion from selective fading, where one sideband drops out of synch for even a fraction of a second, you'll love what this unit will do. Listening to news reports with selective fading can be annoying as well, and the improvement from the SE-3 will be very welcome.
DXing is greatly improved, as the speech heard from a weak signal becomes noticably clearer, and the SE-3 will hold a lock on it as long as the transmitter is still on the air (or until the sun wreaks havoc on the ionosphere).
I've never used the internal sych detector on any Drake radio, any JRC or the AR7030, so I can't compare it to those, but I have used the Sony ICF-7600GR, Grundig Satellit 700 and AR3030. Comparing the SE-3 to the synchs on portables probably isn't fair, so I won't. I will say that the AR3030, which is a great receiver all by itself, would benefit enormously from the SE-3, as its own synch detector is practically useless.
Sherwood's website has a list of receivers which can be used with it, most with either a modification and/or external converter box. The Kenwood R-5000 and the Icom R70/71 would be perfect candidates for this synch detector, as would any JRC receiver. As one reviewer earlier wrote, they can modify other radios as well. Aside from a really good antenna setup and excellent IF filters, the SE-3 would be the best thing you can do to improve your SWL and DXing.
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EI6IZ
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 11, 2006 15:15
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Fantastic
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I bought one of these units based on various reviews I had read on line. The Audio sample on the sherwood engineering site is a nice example of what this unit can do with a reasonable signal.
For me the interest lies with tropical band BC dxing with some mediumave (AM) BC Dxing. Reviews elsewhere lead me to believe that this unit would be a big help with this type of dxing too.
I am not disappointed with the results, this thing seems to be able to stay locked even the merest hint of a carrier. I also have an AOR AR 7030 in my shack but the SE-3 Sync detector is in a different league altogether.
On nice signals it produces wonderful sounding audio reproduction. On terrible signals it still locks and stays locked and the results are far better than the ECSS method I have been using to extract useable audio from weak tropical band stations
I am using the SE-3 with a Racal RA 3702. This set has a 1.4 Mhz IF and Sherwood engineering had to build a down-converter to shift this to the 455 Khz IF frequency that the sync detector is designed to use. This took a while since this was an IF frequency that Sherwood engineering had never built for before but the end results are nothing short of superb
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JTRM7
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 31, 2004 18:31
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Must have accessory
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I initially bought one of these units for an Icom R75. The performance has been outstanding not only as a synchronous detector, but as an audio enhancer. The site at www.sherweng.com has, as the previous review states, audio samples of the SE-3 in action as well as interface information. Very simple to operate; amazing results. Any AM signal you can hear it will lock on.
I like this product so much I am voting with my wallet and buying another one for use with a Drake R8A.
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K7FD
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 15, 2004 19:58
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Sherwood Engr SE-3...very nice!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Results with the SE-3 have been excellent. Mine is interfaced to a Ten Tec RX-340, primarily used to receive AM transmissions. The Sherwood Engineering website gives an indepth product description, including 'before/after' audio clips and a technical overview.
There is a bit of technique to put it 'in gear' but once you master a few simple steps, you'll find yourself listening to hi-fidelty AM shortwave broadcasts. After tuning in a station in the receiver's AM mode, a toggle is thrown on the SE-3 to activate and lock in with a high-level synchronous detection scheme. The circuitry in the SE-3 does this much better than the stock Ten Tec RX-340 S.A.M. mode and the improvement in solid reception is easily heard.
Rob at Sherwood Engineering was very helpful answering my initial questions regarding the SE-3. The workmanship is of highest quality...& shipment packaging was almost unbelievably good.
73 John K7FD
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