Intentionally Transmitting Non Flat SSB Audio ?

I agree with WS4B. If they are looking for great sounding audio why mess with SSB at all. Just run AM and enjoy. You don't have to have thousands of dollars of extra equipment either. I don't see how messing with a mode designed for low bandwith effcient transmissions, like SSB, makes much sense. Personally I've never had a problem with the audio on SSB, because I understand it is designed to be more effcient than AM. I love the way AM sounds though, but trying to force that kind of audio quality into SSB signal seems almost counter productive to the reason the mode exists. Maybe I'm wrong, but to me AM seems a much better route to go than ESSB.

 

I am not against ESSB, in prnciple.
I think Amateur Radio is a place for experimentation.
However, when that experimentation creates interference because of excessive IMD; then it seems like you could also justify experimenting with Class C RF power amplifiers on HF SSB and AM phone, or better yet, lets try modulated CODAR!

W8MLD has put this in the best perspective on this thread.

 

Class C with pulse width modulation can sound great on AM but unfortunately can also be very broad banded. SSB was designed as a mode that only contains the necessary components of the speech envelope that contain information. You could certainly try experimenting with Class C but the result will be the same if you are looking for High Fidelity, broad bandwidth.

Single Sideband is AM and the upper or lower sideband of a 6 KHZ wide AM signal is going to be 3 KHZ wide plus distortion. A 2.8 KHZ bandwidth seems to be optimum for speech.

The FAA uses USB on all overseas flights and they do not modify or broaden the signal. They use a 2.5 KHZ bandwidth and are required to have fidelity between 300 and 2450 KHZ because that's where the maximum information is. They don't care about sounding good, they care about about maximum intelligibility and that is all they care about.

 

Exactly. ever heard CODAR? now THAT's bandwidth!

 

Chris:

Yes I run my FT-102 on AM, and I humbly feel it sounds wonderful. I only say that as I get frequent compliments from other AMers who have been around the block a heck of a lot longer than me. We might be able to work each other via groundwave, as I am in Palmetto.

I do not have any personal experience hearing an 850 on AM, but I must say I have heard the 940 and TS-2000 on AM and they both sound very good!

To answer your other question, while this is not carved in stone you may want to check out:

1885, 3675, 3805, 3875-3885, 7285-7295, 14286 (evenings), 21.425-21.440, and 29.000 to 29.200.

7160 is used often, however I rarely hear much on there here in Florida. Lastly check your e-mail as I am sending you two MP3s of me on the FT-102 on AM as recorded with a Flex 5000.

 

So what's the point in modifying audio on a mode that doesn't have the frequency response for it? The mode won't support it, the radios' response isn't made for it, and when it gets pushed too hard, I can't understand it.

I could open the audio up on my TS-570 right now, but I'm not interested in splattering all over the band. Some of these so called 'modifications' come at a price. You sacrifice something....Almost always.

 

Now by no means am I even remotely as experienced as many ops here, but to me, the terms "SSB" and "high fidelity audio" don't belong together at all.. I agree with the idea that for SSB the xmtr should have flat audio and the rcvr should do the EQing.

 

all i care about is if the guy im talking to can understand me. and we can have a qso.

 

I can usually make a station transmitting a clean, unmodified SSB Signal sound splendid on my end through my studio monitors with minimum EQ. For instance, I had over 1/2 of the 20 meter Maritime Mobile Net Guys sounding like Walter Cronkite JR's with little effort. But, when I get on an ESSB Frequency, I can make one or maybe 2 of them sound spectacular, and the rest sound like Mud Reincarnated.

 

Exactly, there is no point. This has been proved over and over but there are some who still just don't get it and continue to splatter all over the place.