Audio quality venting

[VE3AJM]

Don,

I may be the only guy that has commented so far, that has actually heard you on the air. I hear you best when you are running the DX-60 tx and the amp on 3725. You are generally 20 over S9 here since you made the antenna changes. Its communications quality audio which is FB for me. Its not the audio that I would want to use myself, but we all have our preferences.

It sounds like you might be getting some more critical? reports from other stations on the air. Are they trying to turn you to the other/their side or something? whatever that means I wouldn't take it personally or get upset or tied up in knots about it. It may be hard not to. More often than not these reports are given with the best of intentions from guys that don't know who you are and vice versa, or what you are trying to do/accomplish there with your rigs. And on AM remember, most guys will give you a signal report, and an audio report from their point of view. That's just the way it is. You just have to roll with it.

Use the gear you have there and have fun.

Al VE3AJM

[WD8BIL]

Al is right. Run the way you want. Most groups will mention it for a while but eventually just live and let!

[ka4koe]

W1AEX's routine takes probably 5 minutes. Tops.

[w3jn]

"this is Apache #4 with D-104 #6, how do I sound NOW?"

Actually heard on the air (or a close version thereof)

[WQ9E]

"this is Apache #4 with D-104 #6, how do I sound NOW?"

Actually heard on the air (or a close version thereof)

JN,

That was the perfect opportunity for you to go into audiophile mode in providing a critique:

"that combination warmed up your lower middle tones but the higher frequencies seem to have lost some of their liquidity.  Have you considered using an oxygen free copper microphone cord?  That will add some much needed separation between your vowels and consonants"

[W9HW]

 While I love full rich sounding audio, I am in no way turned off by restricted audio either. I was and am attracted to the
mode for it's audio potential. That being said, I'm also attracted to the relaxed style of operation, the very intelligent
people and the potential to work on and breath new life into gear from a bygone era within the mode. For me, operating
this gear is much more fulfilling and QSO's are enjoyable for what the op at the other end has to say and not how he sounds.
To each his own. Enjoy the hobby!

73' Dave W9HW...

[W7TFO]

For me, it is just what the rig I'm receiving sounds like, no more nor less. 

Once it leaves your QSA, I wouldn't initiate comment unless there was an obvious problem.

All rigs are different, that is what makes them unique.  Or at least, most of them are unique.

A couple classics have a 'sound' all their own, neither good nor bad.

73DG

[K1JJ]

Just an observation:  

There is a tendency for hams (and people in general) to seek out and hang with others who are using similar gear, techniques or ideas.   This is a good thang.

Especially with technical people... hanging with buddies who are striving for the same things, whether it be hi-fi audio, special antennas, restoring boatanchors, BC transmittters, mil gear, etc. is a natural.

So it's not surprising when we see like-minded groups cluster together on the air and guys who are into different gear feel alienated.  And sometimes members of the group can become snooty to outsiders. It happens sometimes.  I remember a time at Dayton when it was over-crowded - and a bunch of us AMers got seated at a table full of QRP guys. After the initial conversation, it was like oil and water trying to mix the conversation and it ended up becoming segregated to each group.  

Just seek out your current interests, find like-minded hams and have more fun. We can't be all thangs to all hams - or feel bad if we don't fit in without first paying our dues in experience and knowledge to the particular nitche of interest.

T

[ka4koe]

Yep, I've run into that snootiness more than once. I just brush it off. I don't take anyone's word as gospel. As an engineer, I'm in the habit of researching everything prior to settling on a course of action. I'll get 3 or 4 sources, be it written or verbal, and compare. Then you test your best options and go from that point. The truth is somewhere in-between most times. I've had folks get worked up as I didn't treat their utterings as "holy writ".

I look at it all as a chance to learn and keep sharp. I also have a helluva lotta fun in the process. After all, WHY do we do this in the first place?

We've all started at square one in our endeavors. Just because I haven't been using AM since I was licensed does not justify haughtiness. I'd say that AM'ers, of all the groups I've mixed with, appear to have the highest percentage of helpful and genuinely nice folks.

Plus the audio really, REALLY sounds nice on a set of BIG speakers in the Mad Scientist Lab/Shack 'O Doom.

Be safe and keep those heaters lit.

FEELEEP

[WU2D]

Geeze and I thought that this thread was going to be about blower noise...

[KA2DZT]

Yep, I've run into that snootiness more than once. I just brush it off. I don't take anyone's word as gospel. As an engineer, I'm in the habit of researching everything prior to settling on a course of action. I'll get 3 or 4 sources, be it written or verbal, and compare. Then you test your best options and go from that point. The truth is somewhere in-between most times. I've had folks get worked up as I didn't treat their utterings as "holy writ".

I look at it all as a chance to learn and keep sharp. I also have a helluva lotta fun in the process. After all, WHY do we do this in the first place?

We've all started at square one in our endeavors. Just because I haven't been using AM since I was licensed does not justify haughtiness. I'd say that AM'ers, of all the groups I've mixed with, appear to have the highest percentage of helpful and genuinely nice folks.

Plus the audio really, REALLY sounds nice on a set of BIG speakers in the Mad Scientist Lab/Shack 'O Doom.

Be safe and keep those heaters lit.

FEELEEP

Hey, who are you calling nice folks??

I take exception to that.

Fred

[W3RSW]

A very popular topic this. 

-Probably nine tenths of most over the air "technical" qso's in a popular mode I know.
We seem to be no exception, heh, heh.

Decent audio, natural voice coupled with a clean signal in somewhat limited bandwidth or as limited as possible is to be commended.  Brick wall analog filters with square wave cutoff characteristics generate their own trash products.  Gentle roll-off circuits preferred. SDR cutoffs are simply amazing, both in transmit and especially receive.  Also some users need to be aware of just how sensitive their receivers are to very low DBm signals carrying out past normal pass-band expectations.

There are lots of AGC issues in a QSO, particularly in a roundtable where one setting doesn't work for all in eliminating background noise, pumping, attack jumps, etc.  AM is nice in this respect if all the signals are strong enough to approach quieting.  That's why  that PW guy in a roundtable is encouraged to use his carbon mike or D104.

Been said many times on this board that AM fidelity before the pinched down 1960's SSB copycat era, say with a Collins 32v's, etc. whereby a lot of lows around 100hz were allowed to pass along with some presence rise out to 3kHz was pretty nice.

As a last receiving end observation, Older ears not only have high frequency cut-off but are easily driven into distortion.  Turning down the gain actually improves the perceived audio.

[w1vtp]

I try never to give out unsolicited audio reports.  If asked for an audio quality report, I offer to make a recording and email it to the requesting station.  If the person is a reasonable, gentleman or lady that's enough for me for a pleasant conversation.  I agree that giving out yellowy reports that have not been solicited should not be done.

One should know that his station is being operated with good engineering practice be it homebrewed or commercially built and that he is capable of monitoring whatever he is transmitting.

I like the suggestions found on this page on good amateur radio practice.

http://campus.murraystate.edu/org/msuarc/goodoperatingpractices.htm

Al

[ka2pbo]

I have to agree with Bill, W1AC  ... I wasn't blessed with a James Earl Jones voice either. But my transmitters reproduce my voice pretty well. I have been told once or twice that I could use a little more low frequency but I would have to have a guest speaker at the mic. I have recorded my voice many times with just audio recording equipment  so I know what its supposed to sound like . I also had someone record me over the air and I was pleased...it sounded just like me!

Remember ; this is a hobby and we are free to  put our time and money into any and all aspects of the hobby. Whatever floats your boat..Big Audio , Military, Homebrew , Contests...its all good . Just have fun with it !

Rick

KA2PBO

[WD8BIL]

I'll talk to you ifn you'll talk to me.(at your own risk of course)

[W2VW]

There's hifi and there's just plain bad. Two different subjects being rolled into one here.

Nice, easy to understand audio is always good. Low percentages of modulation and low signal strength coupled with low average modulation make it difficult on the people trying to copy.

Noise cancelling mics that make every S, T and F sound identical are bad news. I'm listening to someone right now on 10 meter AM who is using one. I can't make out most of what he's saying. There's another guy down the band who is much weaker and I hear his audio just fine.

Many plastic radios with very peaky frequency response will over modulate at 1 khz while only modulating 50% at 2.2 khz.

Tetrode modulators in old transmitters with wobbly screen supplies, no inverse feedback, dried out capacitors and 4:1 modulation transformer impedance ratios can be difficult to listen to at strong signal levels and impossible to hear at weak signal levels.

The good news is just about every type of transmitter that can be heard on amateur AM can be setup for easier to use more effective sound.

Hifi is a different animal altogether. Not everyone cares about that.