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Reviews For: PATCOMM PC16000

Category: Transceivers: HF Amateur HF+6M+VHF+UHF models - non QRP <5W

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Review Summary For : PATCOMM PC16000
Reviews: 5MSRP: 1350
Description:
Full Featured HF Transceiver with Auto CW & RTTY Encode/Decode
Product is not in production
More Info:
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0053.6
DK3QN Rating: 2002-10-26
a 'different' rig Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Hi,

I think, G4VGO has described the PC16K pretty well. Therefore I would only like to add a few comments.

I own the PC-16000E (the European version with the 'CE' approval) since 1.5 years now. I bought it thru PATCOMMS European distributor in the Netherlands.

To me, this rig has many 'emotional' aspects:

It so different to the the other brand manufacturers' (Asian origin) rigs:

- large footprint but small height
- resulting in a very different front panel appearance
- fancy keys (?)
- CW and RTTY features

I use it side by side with some other rigs. Next to it is a FT-1000D. Thus, I can do some frequent side-by-side comparison between the two rigs.

Talking RTTY:

It is a nice feature to have the RTTY capability built-in. You can check RTTY activities on the bands without the need to switch on you PC and boot Windows etc.
The RTTY feature is good enough to catch the rare DX fellow before the pile-up has ever started!

Talking CW:

This RIG really can go QSK. With my FT-1K-D I cannot stand the relays chattering around. There, it's like a hit on the head if I ever need to go QSK.

One thing I didn't get along with was the internal keyer:
the characters were rather shortened. As I cannot get along with anything else than Curtis Mode A at higher speeds, I have to use my external keyer anyway, which totally cured the problem.

The receiver holds up quite nicely under European band conditions. I don't have any problems with intermodulation effects on my multiband trapped dipole.

Although the 500 Hz filter is quite ok for average CW traffic, I would rather have a 300 Hz or so filter installed in the 455 Kc IF. Patcomm does not offer such an option. I will try to exchange the filter at my own risk.

The documentation is rather sub-standard. E.g. there is no schematics or block diagram included in the documentation.

All in all I am quite pleased with the radio. It certainly deserves attention from fellows that value the 'extra' feeling when operating a Patcomm PC-16K.

73, Klaus, DK3QN


G4VGO Rating: 2001-06-18
Getting Closer! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have the 16000A, latest production, and have been giving it a work out on 160m CW. Out of the box, it played just as advertized. I needed a rig to take on my travels, replacing my TS870, so I gave PatComm a try. The variable tuning rate was the first plus I noticed, it makes rapid QSY and then slow tuning for weak signals DX a breeze.

As far as the receiver, I had read the QST test results, and the previous reviews here on eHam. I was hoping the problems had been cleared up. In short, all but one nagging headache and a small annoyance seem to have been taken care of. More on that later.

The 500 Hz and 2.4 KHz mechanical filters, along with the brickwall DSP filters keep the passband pretty clean. Unlike my TS870, there is a narrow filter ahead of the DSP that is sharp enough to take care of most of the adjacent frequency signals. The best filter setting for tuning the band is the 1.8 KHz bandwidth (with the 2.4 Collins Mechanical upstream). Then, when something sounds interesting, a quick switch to 500 Hz (with the narrower Collins filter ahead of the DSP) makes it easy to zero in.....then there is the 250 Hz DSP position that is really sharp, with nearly vertical skirts.....and no ringing.

I was pleased with the radio's receiver. The manual notch was very effective also. I don't operate SSB, so the auto notch wasn't used in anger. At 1.8 KHz the de-noise function helps quite a bit on the very noisey 160m band.

Transmit was very clean in QSK, almost as good as Ten Tec.....but not quite. The internal keyer with more memories and capacity that the average operator will ever need is a real plus. BUT, one of the minuses is that it is only possible to use the memories with the keyboard, not without. (This makes it necessary for one more bit of equipment in the suitcase) That was one of my beefs.

The SWR/Power meter is handy, and accurate. The CW and RTTY decode is OK to play with, I don't need the CW function, and am not interested in RTTY.

The panel layout is good, and it took less time to get used to it than the 870 or the FT1000D for that matter. Operation from the keyboard takes a bit of getting used to, but is something that grows on you the more you do it. I bought a small IBM keyboard to take up less desk space.

My B-I-G issue is the birdie/sprog/image that lands right smack on 1.824, in the CW portion of 160m (my only band). I emailed PatComm, and got a very helpful reply, with the following explanation:

"This is a harmonic of the BFO (4 x 456 khz = 1.824
Mhz) while it is a strong signal there it can be moved by moving the IF shift
control since this control will move the 455 khz BFO and the 45.455 Mhz 2nd
LO simultaneously. This should allow you to move the spur off of a station
that may be in that spot. I am sorry for the inconvienience of this but
unfortunately it is a by product of the Synthesizer/ IF freq scheme of the
radio."

So, with a twist of the IF shift (a very effective one at that) the birdie moved around a bit, so the only sprog I noticed was less of a problem.

In summary:

It is worth the money, better value than other rigs in the price range, and the folks at PatComm LISTEN....and reply, and help.... MFJ should take a lesson from this.

Now, the two ready-made rig manufacturers in the USA that are left are both strong on service, strong on product, and I would buy another PatComm radio as I am impressed.

A five would indicate the birdie at 1.824 was not there....but this is a strong 4!



K4JRB Rating: 2000-02-15
Still a work in progress Time Owned: unknown months.
The PatComm 16000 is the latest version from this USA (New York/Long Island) firm. A German ham bought a PC 1600 originally and finally got the transceiver upgraded to the 16000. At first it was full of birdies and even with the upgrade there were birdies and 160 performance was poor.

The PC 16000A is the latest version and altho there are some improvements the biggest need is to be able to hook it to a PC Monitor or even a big dumb terminal. If you arwe going to copy digital infomation (RTTY, CW)itshould be on a bigger screen and the small built in display should show the freq and operating info.

PatComm has also introduced a smaller version, but most feel this distracts from the 16000 which could be the premier ham transceiver. It has its faults, but for the price and features its a great rig. It still a WIP but even ICOM and Yaesu
fall into this trap (at least lately).

Dave Thompson K4JRB
FORMER_K0PD Rating: 2000-02-15
my patcomm is the new 16000a Time Owned: unknown months.
Just wanted to follow up on my previous review of my patcomm.I failed to mention that mine is the new updated version the 16000A.Also after operating radio now going on for 1 month i can stand behind my original assessment that gave as to my thought's about the radio.I would like to describe some difference's between the 16000 and the new A model.The A model has a larger window and they changed the old cb looking meter to a larger easier to view meter.They also moved the mic jack and head phone and cw jack's to the left side of radio and regrouped the ibm key's where they are much better organized.The speaker has much better fidelity and personally i have felt no need to connect an external speaker.Over all the radio has a much larger frontal appearance than the old 16000 and more colorfull.I am using a yaesu md1 mic which required no rewiring and set rf pwr and mic gain as was suggested in manual and have had every one tell me my audio is outstanding.And withthe rtty demodulator i've had no problem coping rtty or cw on the screen.The filtering in the radio has been very good along with the dsp denoiser and auto notch along with the if shift i've found the recieve very good with a relative low noise floor.The attenuater work's mre like a very hot pre-amp so i do leave the attenuation switch in the on position and have had no problem hearing.So let me end this by saying i am very pleased with this radio.


----------------------
Earlier 4-star review posted by FORMER_K0PD on 2000-01-26

Hi i know how hard it is to find a review on the patcomm 16000 so i am going to give my view evev though it's not a very technical review.First let me say you'll search high and low before before you will find more helpfull people than frank and crew at patcomm.When i first purschased radio it had a problem and after contacting patcomm they immediately gave it there full attention.Radio was sent to them and was back in a week with a phone call from them checking to be sure there was nothing missed before they returned radio.Now as for how it work's" i would say definately as advertised.The only reason i did not give it a 5 star is because general coverage starts at 1500 rather than 100.BUT i will give it a 4.9.The radio is just a absolute best ham buy in my book's for the money.My advice is try one you'll like it.
Larry K0PD
AB7RG Rating: 2000-02-14
Not up to par... Time Owned: unknown months.

Well time for me to start adding some of my reviews on Amateur equipment that I either own or have owned in the past five years of being an Amateur. You name it, I've probably owned it.

I ordered a Patcomm PC-16000 and when it arrived I was not at all impressed with the quality of the radio. The speaker had a tiny tinny audio sound to it and rattled a lot. The front panel of the rig is layed out fairly decent, but the quality of the overall fit and finish was not at all impressive. Also, the receive was not up to par with any other HF rig that I have owned. The radio is fairly complex until you get to know all of the functions. The display is hard to read as well. I think that this radio needs more refinenment to be considered a contender. I sent mine back in a couple of weeks after having it. The reason why I'm giving it 3 stars instead of 1 is that it has potential, and the customer service was very good. They have a chance, but it'll take some pretty big improvments for this radio to be up to par in my opinion.