I've got my ft-950 few days ago....all is going OK but the SSB rx audio seems to be to low and too much low-pass filtered. I've tried a pair of external speakers without relevant results. It sounds to fat on basses....played also with rx setting menu ...nothing to say. Has anyone tested it......? 73's de Claudio IT9JCB
For an RF expert you sure are quick to judge before looking and trying. There are only a thousand different ways to set it.
On Receive it sounds ok to me, not much differance than the PROIII sitting beside it.
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FROM REFLECTOR
I have done a lot of testing with the FT-2000 parametriq equalizer.
Hopefully the FT-950 equalizer is identical in setup.
Try these settings:
These have been tested using the MD-100 microphone and gave great
results. This settings gave a rather "broad" ragchew SSB TX audio.
These also works great with the MH-31b8 original hand mic.
Menu 064 (SSB TX bandwidth): 1-30 (100-3000 Hz). Setting at 2-28 (200-
2800 Hz) gives a bandwidth of 2600Hz and makes you sound more
narrow/sharp (better for DX ?).
Parametriq EQ (withouth PROC)
Menu 091 : 100
Menu 092 : +6
Menu 093 : 3
Menu 094 : 1000
Menu 095 : -5
Menu 096 : 5
Menu 097 : 3200
Menu 098 : +10
Menu 099 : 1
Parametriq EQ (with PROC)
Menu 100 : 100
Menu 101 : -10
Menu 102 : 6 to 8
Menu 103 : 800
Menu 104 : 0 to -3
Menu 105 : 8
Menu 106 : 2400 to 2600
Menu 107 : +10
Menu 108 : 1
Menu 109 (PROC GAIN): try 25% NOTE !! distorts badly if turned up too
much !! Use the monitor function and headphones to hear at which level
distortion starts.
IMPORTANT ! Don't forget to push and hold MENU for 2 seconds to exit
menu and store new settings !
Mic gain at 11 - 12'o clock (watch the ALC-level)
Using PROC really cuts throug in noisy band conditions. This is mostly
because of the difference in parametriq equalizer settings.
VERY IMPORTANT !
Distance to MD-100 : around 15-20 cm. (6-8 inches).
Please set all controls underneath the MD-100 in the OFF/THRUE
position.
Distance to MH-31b8 : around 8-10cm. (3-4 inches) any closer than 2
inches will create breathing noise (very unpleasant).
Other menu settings :
Menu 036 : A3E mic gain (AM) : 90
Menu 056 : F3E mic gain (FM) : 25
Thanks to K3EY for useful infos...the proposed menu setting regards only the tx side, I've also found similar settings on mine.
Unfortunately there are NO settings for which concern the rx side response, only agc decay time. 73's Claudio
I just got my 950 and honestly, don't notice that issue, but try adjusting the SHIFT or any of the other IF filtering settings.
First impression of radio (still have a long way to "learn" this radio):
1. NB doesn't seem to really help much if at all.
2. DNR is so-so but then again, so are the others out there for really cutting out noise, etc.
3. Selectivity (i.e. roofing filter selection, etc.) doesn't seem to be there, nor do controls such as Roofing Filters have much effect on QRN.
4. Radio is easy to navigate if you don't require the menu items.
5. Sounds good, a bit confusing on the "block diagram" display. Just give me a simple "Filter 1 or Filter 2, etc" selection indication.
6. Miss the analog meter.
7. Back panel well marked.
8. Knobs and general ergonomics seems very nice.
Just my first hour or so with this radio.
__________________
Chris
ARRL Life Member
#1 DXCC
20 WPM Extra (It ain't that hard!)
So far, I'm pleased. Of course I'm a new operator so how could I know anything, right?
I'm still experimenting with the menus and really like the tweakability. The only one I've done adjusting with the most is the contour in trying to pull out weak signals in the noise. It works well for me. The more I dig into the menus as a use this radio, the more I like it.
Be careful with the speech processor. I have mine set at 40. I believe the default setting is 50.
Seems like if you don't like the FT2000, you won't like the 950 either.
With all the bitching about this radio in the 950 yahoo group, you'd think that ebay would be flooded with these for sale.
Sad that there is just no making some folks happy. They piss and moan when something costs so much (IC7800), and still do the same when something doesn't cost much but doesn't perform like a million bucks (FT857/897/450/950).
gosh i am so glad i don't have to work with all those menus on my ts-520s. i can just turn it on and speak and it didn't cost me a arm and leg for it. must be nice to buy a new radio and spend all your time trying to make it sound good on transmitt and recieve. some guys have all the fun.
Ok guys, this is my "first month" report about the FT-950.
First of all I've to say that I'm a bit surprised (and disappointed too..) about the K3EY and K9XR comments: yes I'm an engineer, I could judge a rig simply looking to its block diagram but I use also my hears to do it and if a say that it sounds bad on Rx (=receive, yes) I mean that I'm using my hears as instrument.
Hereafter the Pros and Cons:
Pros (in order of importance):
- the radio look is very good as well as the general level of construction:everything knobs, display, connectors etc etc. is as for higher class products.
- value for money (I payed it about 1350.00 euros) is outstanding.
- the DSP works very well on transmission: audio quality is excellent even using the original MH-31 micro and properly adjusting the built-in parametric equalizer.
- The RF section of the receiver (means IMD, birdies, noise etc ) is very good, at same level of higher class rigs like IC756proIII and others, and probably it's a bit better because it 's possible to select between three roofing filters instead of one with 15 KHz bandwidth. This results in a very quiet receiver.
Cons (in order of importance):
- there is (at time, depending on the who is speaking into the micro) a strong AGC attack distortion on receive: audible clipping is present clearly especially if you use the contour control as boost (plus) instead of notch (minus). Other peoples have reported this problem in their eHam reviews.
- speech processor works very bad and cannot practically used: too much distortion.
- the receive audio is too much filtered and smoothed for me (checked also by switching A/B to my TS-140S same ext speaker SP20). I've solved the problem connecting the packet audio out to an external amp.
- No dedicated TX power control knob: it's very tedious to play with menu each time you have the adjust power out.
- low PEP power: the CW power is as for others rigs ~100W, while the PEP is a bit lower, my TS140S has 130W PEP while FT-950 has just 100W.
- DNR: for me it does not work at all, the noise is killed but the artifact on the cleaned signal is too much for me. Listen at Icom DNR....
I would like to point out that the reported Cons refers to the DSP section and they could be easily fixed by a new software version eventually provided by Yaesu after receiving feedback reports form users. In any case I would suggest this rig to everyone wants an honest DSP rig without spending a fortune for it. For the moment my 950 still stands in my desk....
Ok guys, this is my "first month" report about the FT-950.
First of all I've to say that I'm a bit surprised (and disappointed too..) about the K3EY and K9XR comments: yes I'm an engineer, I could judge a rig simply looking to its block diagram but I use also my hears to do it and if a say that it sounds bad on Rx (=receive, yes) I mean that I'm using my hears as instrument.
Hereafter the Pros and Cons:
Pros (in order of importance):
- the radio look is very good as well as the general level of construction:everything knobs, display, connectors etc etc. is as for higher class products.
- value for money (I payed it about 1350.00 euros) is outstanding.
- the DSP works very well on transmission: audio quality is excellent even using the original MH-31 micro and properly adjusting the built-in parametric equalizer.
- The RF section of the receiver (means IMD, birdies, noise etc ) is very good, at same level of higher class rigs like IC756proIII and others, and probably it's a bit better because it 's possible to select between three roofing filters instead of one with 15 KHz bandwidth. This results in a very quiet receiver.
Cons (in order of importance):
- there is (at time, depending on the who is speaking into the micro) a strong AGC attack distortion on receive: audible clipping is present clearly especially if you use the contour control as boost (plus) instead of notch (minus). Other peoples have reported this problem in their eHam reviews.
- speech processor works very bad and cannot practically used: too much distortion.
- the receive audio is too much filtered and smoothed for me (checked also by switching A/B to my TS-140S same ext speaker SP20). I've solved the problem connecting the packet audio out to an external amp.
- No dedicated TX power control knob: it's very tedious to play with menu each time you have the adjust power out.
- low PEP power: the CW power is as for others rigs ~100W, while the PEP is a bit lower, my TS140S has 130W PEP while FT-950 has just 100W.
- DNR: for me it does not work at all, the noise is killed but the artifact on the cleaned signal is too much for me. Listen at Icom DNR....
I would like to point out that the reported Cons refers to the DSP section and they could be easily fixed by a new software version eventually provided by Yaesu after receiving feedback reports form users. In any case I would suggest this rig to everyone wants an honest DSP rig without spending a fortune for it. For the moment my 950 still stands in my desk....
73s
IT9JCB
I am sorry if I offended you. I did not direct any bad will toward you. I just did not care for the way he attacked your oppinion. He then quoted a big list of transmitter settings that had nothing to do with the receiver settings.
I think he got pretty defensive about the comments on a radio that he had just gotten.
By the way he must be a little confused or something because about a week after his post he got rid of the FT-950. Maybe he never learned to use it properly, I don't really know.
We appreciate your support.
problems with good recieve
Linear Mode
