161 lines
7.0 KiB
Plaintext
161 lines
7.0 KiB
Plaintext
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>From: PJML@ibma.nerc-wallingford.ac.uk ("Pete Lucas, NCS-TLC, Holbrook House, Swindon")
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>Newsgroups: rec.ham-radio
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>Subject: AOR AR1000 Reviewed.
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>Message-ID: <10.Jan.91.09:39:41.GMT.#9391@UK.AC.NWL.IA>
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>Date: 10 Jan 91 09:38:32 GMT
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>Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
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>Organization: The Internet
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>Lines: 151
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AOR AR1000
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~~~~~~~~~~
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PORTABLE SCANNING RECEIVER
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Introduction.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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This is a review of the AOR AR1000 portable scanner (which is similar,
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if not identical to, the Fairmate HP100E). Comments and opinions in this
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review are those of the author.
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Description.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~
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The AR1000 is a small hand-held scanner covering the frequency range
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8 to 600MHz and 805-1300MHz in two bands. Reception modes are AM, FM
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and WFM, selectable independently of the receive frequency. Scanning
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steps can be programmed from 5 to 995KHz in 5 or 12.5KHz steps.
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10 banks of memory are provided, each with 100 locations.
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Power is supplied either from four internal 'AA' cells (Nicads are
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supplied) or external 11-15V DC supply.
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In Use.
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~~~~~~~
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As supplied the AR1000 comes with each bank of channels pre-programmed,
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this being as follows:
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BANK USE RANGE STEP MODE
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~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~
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1 VHF Air 118-138MHz 25KHz AM
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2 UHF Air 225-400MHz 50KHz AM
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3 PMR LO (*) 71-87MHz 12.5 AM
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4 PMR HI 165-174MHz 12.5 NFM
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5 BAND3 (*) 174.5-225MHz 12.5 NFM
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6 MARINE 156-163MHz 25KHz NFM
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7 HAM VHF 144-146MHz 12.5 NFM
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8 HAM UHF 433-435MHz 25KHz NFM
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9 C-MOBILE 890-905MHz 12.5 NFM
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0 C-BASE 935-950MHz 12.5 NFM
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(*) note that in Europe, 71-87MHz is used for private mobile radio
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and 174-225MHz is for trunked mobile radio services.
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Each bank can be scanned separately, or in groups (so, for example,,
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you can limit scanning to banks 1 and 2 when you are at an airshow, or
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banks 7 and 8 when at a ham meet). Lockout is available to prevent the
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scanner halting on certain frequencies - note that this is not an
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automatic 'skip blank carriers' mode liks certain other scanners,
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instead you have to let it stop on a blank carrier and then hit the LOCKOUT
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button so it does not stop on that frequency next time round).
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Up to 100 lockouts can be set per bank.
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It is possible to reprogram the bank limits if you do not like
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what is supplied, although the front panel comes engraved with the
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designations given above...
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In search mode, the speed is approx. 35 steps/second. Frequencies
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found in search mode can be stored in the relevant memory location
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by pressing ENTER followed by the (3-digit) memory location you
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want to store to. Note that there is no way to store a frequency
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you have found in 'the next free memory location'.
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When scanning memorised channels, the rate is approx. 18 channels
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per second.
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When searching, the direction of search can be altered by using the
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UP/DOWN keys (default is to search from low frequency to high but this
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can be reversed). There is a knob on top of the radio which can be used
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to search manually; this is very useful for fine-tuning (for example if
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searching with the radio set to 5KHz steps it will often stop off
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frequency when it detects a strong signal - the knob can be used to
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accurately centre the tuning).
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Knob-operation is also possible to step through memory channels in either
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direction.
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When stepping through memory chanels, pressing the MANUAL key then allows
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you to step up or down either side of the memorised frequency in
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whatever increments you choose. You can also change modes when in
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MANUAL mode.
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Any memory channel can be allocated as a priority frequency, which is
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sampled every 2 seconds.
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Practical Use
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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In practice, the RX is extremely sensitive - it receives fully quieting
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signals from a cellular base-station over 2 miles away *without an
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antenna*. Using an external dual-5/8 collinear for 2 meters does result
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in slight intermodulation (this is to be expected - i am line of sight to
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a paging TX and a FM broadcast mast) but the manufacturers have conveniently
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fitted a 20dB attenuator, invoked by pressing a button, which removes
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the problem. I can use this receiver in RF-hostile environments with little
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or no desensitisation; it is superb in comparison with the Icom IC-R1
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which desensed with just a 1/4-wave whip.... I can even use the
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AR1000 with its supplied 'stubby' rubber antenna to listen to local FM
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broadcast stations whilst working 2-meter packet, with no ill effects.
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Its *usable* sensitivity is far better than the IC-R1 in a practical sort
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of world. I do not have a lab to test 'ultimate' sensitivity but in
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comparison with a borrowed TH77E, the AR1000 stood up well - it could
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hear anything the '77 could.
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Clearly, front-end filtering *CAN* be made tight without sacrificing
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sensitivity or frequency coverage.
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Adjacent-channel selectivity is good, bearing in mind the amount of
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12.5KHz channelling in use. Only on a couple of occasions has there
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been any adjacent-channel interference noted.
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Now to the bad points.... the 'If only's. You knew it couldnt ALL be good!!!
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Controls - well, the 'keyboard lock' is done through a key that has a
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raised lip round it to prevent it being pressed accidentally. If you
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are wearing gloves, it is impossible to press!
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Secondly, there is a display illumination key - when pressed, you get
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7 seconds of display light... not long enough to enter a frequency!
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The display light is just that - a display light. In the dark
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you have to guess which keys are which, using touch.
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Holding the 'display light' key down doesnt achieve anything, as the light
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still goes out after 7 seconds. If you are trying to enter a frequency
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in the dark, wearing gloves, you have problems. I would prefer the
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'keyboard lock' and 'display light' functions to be done via small
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slide-switches, like on my old Regency.
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Thirdly, power & batteries. The Nicads last about 4 hours with reasonable
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audio volume. No, its not 'nicad memory' thats getting me, as i have
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tried several sets of cells. If the radio had been made bigger, and used
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'C' cells rather than 'AA' then it would have been better....
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The external power jack is on the side of the radio, making the use
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of a 'drop in' charger impossible. Easy recharging in a mobile environment
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is therefore not possible.
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Now if only the manufacturers had seen fit to install contact studs on
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the base of the radio.......
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Finally, the last real gripe; when operating on the HF bands, it is
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usually impossible to tune a broadcast station accurately when you only
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have 5KHz steps available. a 1KHz or 0.5KHz step size would make life
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so much nicer.
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Conclusions
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~~~~~~~~~~~
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Overall, I like it! The resistance to spurious intermodulation effects and
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superb sensitivity make up for the minor niggles regarding the keypad
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and illumination/lock controls. Now if they only made it take bigger
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nicads, designed a 'drop-in' charge facility, and gave it 0.5KHz scanner
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steps, it would be ideal.
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Pete Lucas PJML@UK.AC.NWL.IA G6WBJ@GB7SDN.GBR.EU
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