Re: Sotabeams speech compressor
OK so, my ssb mic gain is now 50, without compressor my ALC shows no bars, with compressor it shows 3 bars. Power meter, set to PEP not AVG no compressor shows 1.5w with 5w on a whistle but with compressor shows 4w with 5w on a whistle.
Say @ 4dB extra.?
Using a kiwisdr in Germany without compressor showed no signal on waterfall but very very faint audio, not enough to copy. With compressor there was a trace on the waterfall and audio was stronger, clear and copyable. This was from an efrw in gloucestershire back garden in inverted L highest point 6m. Next doors house is currently encased in scaffolding and tin sheets so my signal was probably not very good.
Looks promising, next time I'll be on top of gloucestershires highest point with a full sized dipole.
Pot settings inside compressor are as set from factory, halfway through adjustment.?
Andy
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Re: Sotabeams speech compressor
A compressor will increase average loudness and thus power, but readability is reduced as it is increased and beyond a point very much. Those with hearing impairments may find readability reduced more. In practice 3W to 4.5W isn't much increase in range, so compressor may not help much compared to so simply adding a 20W PA, which on average with uncompressed SSB might look like 10W.
A peak reading power meter gives a better idea of power and a DX signal report of readability. Almost all power meters will give an average, not even RMS, with speech.
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Re: Witch DSP Filter is Better? BHI or Sotabeams?
I had the laserbeam filter unit installed in my 817nd for a while. It does work but has a couple of annoying side effects. Well, at least mine did.
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First, the metering for signal strength is thrown way off. Not the end of the world, but a bit nippy.
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Second, and most annoyingly, the filter creates ghost images of strong signals. These were a couple of kHz away from the actual signal. I can't remember the exact offset but it was a pain in the hoop to constantly flip the filter in and out of line to see if I was listening to a real signal or an image. This could partially be worked around by using the IF Shift on the radio.? The filter was installed exactly as per the instructions. I am very comfortable working with surface mount components and have confidence in my work. I even removed and re-installed it in case there was some hidden issue with my work but that made zero difference.?
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The second issue was annoying enough for me to eventually remove the filter and throw it in the bin. I approached sotabeams about the issue at the time but they were less than energetic in their response.
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I eventually managed to source a 500Hz Collins mechanical filter for a VERY reasonable price and use that in the radio. The difference is night and day!
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Given the current cost of mechanical filters, I'd go for the BHI option.?
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This is just my experience and I'm sure others are happy with the laserbeam. It is cheap after all.?
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Cheers,?
Ronan
MM0IVR?
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Re: Witch DSP Filter is Better? BHI or Sotabeams?
Another option is the external 4StatesQRP HI-PER-MITE audio CW filter kit . ?This filter ?is 200 Hz wide and has no ringing - a truly ?amazing 4 pole filter with 3 low pass filters and 1 high pass filter cascaded together. ??
All background hiss is essentially eliminated when the filter is engaged. ?
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Google ‘HI-PER-MITE’ for more info including an audio demo of this CW audio filter in action.
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Re: Witch DSP Filter is Better? BHI or Sotabeams?
Hi Mike, check YouTube, I think he has an or mor Videos See under ?Sotabeams FT-817“ I hope this helps for your search on YouTube.
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73 de Martin, HB3YDM
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Re: Witch DSP Filter is Better? BHI or Sotabeams?
How difficult to install the Sotabeam unit? Mike Davis WA1MAD
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On Mar 8, 2025, at 3:26?AM, K6AEF via groups.io <contactfire425@...> wrote:
? I have no experience with the BHI filter, however I installed the sotabeams filter in my 817 and it's great.
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All filter switching is controlled from the buttons on the radio. You do have to move the speaker over slightly inside the housing to make space for the module though.
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Re: Sotabeams speech compressor
Hi all,
My mic gain is 50 ssb mic.
With the compressor switched off and radio set to 5w and a 12v car battery operating into a dummy load an external power meter shows peaks of 2.5 to 3.5w. With compressor switched on peaks are 4 to 5w.
Tried listening to my audio on my ft450d with a piece of wire stuck into the antenna socket but too much distortion and feedback. So I will be using an online websdr to listen to the audio.
P1 and P2, I tried adjusting them but due to not being able to hear clearly I reset them as delivered, the top just pops off the case to access them.
I did notice that the ALC on the 817 increase a lot when compressor switched on.
Will report back after further testing.?
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Re: Sotabeams speech compressor
Hi Andy,
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I have the same speech compressor from Sotabeams, just out of interest what mic gain setting do you have the FT 817 at with the speech compressor switched on?
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Thanks
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Phil 2E0GUK
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Re: Witch DSP Filter is Better? BHI or Sotabeams?
I have no experience with the BHI filter, however I installed the sotabeams filter in my 817 and it's great.
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All filter switching is controlled from the buttons on the radio. You do have to move the speaker over slightly inside the housing to make space for the module though.
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Re: Sotabeams speech compressor
Hi Andi, I don't quite understand how to adjust P2? I haven't read the manual yet, because I thought it was a plug and play product, so you have to adjust the voice a bit as I understood you? I wonder how long it will take until I have everything I need to go up the mountain.?
?I have an Ft817ND with Z-817 tuner and then the sorabeams filter and the sprach amplifier and I'm still thinking about whether I'll also install the parrot microphone. Let's see. Thanks to all of you for your help and tips. Now I just need a good antenna solution, I have long wires with splitters, I just need to mark the length and then I only need a single wire, what do you think? At the moment I still have the beginner's license as HB3 (i.e. DO for Germany) I am not yet allowed to use any bands.
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73 Martin?
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Re: Sotabeams speech compressor
Thanks for your feedback Andy.?
I tested in ssb an FT-817 with a external swr/wattmeter and was very surprised to see no more than 2.5w even with ssb mic gain set to 95 and shouting into the mic !
I better understand now why such compressor been developped… HI?
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73 Ben?
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Re: Witch DSP Filter is Better? BHI or Sotabeams?
I assume you read this.
Mike WA1MAD
Hi guys,
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I would like to install a DSP filter, who can tell me where the advantages and disadvantages are between the sotabeams filter LASERBEAM-817(FTFM-100) and the BHI filter NEDSP1901-KBD. Is it possible to operate the sotabeams filter from the outside, whereas the BHI filter requires two holes to be drilled.?
Vy 73 de Martin HB3YDM
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Re: CAT Display with an CAT Splitter for FT-817ND and others?
Thanks Clyde, it may only be an 817 thing. I've used it ok but am leary to do so.
Mike WA1MAD
On Fri, Mar 7, 2025, 3:46?PM Clyde Lambert via <clyde.lambert= [email protected]> wrote: I have used the Android app Pocket ExTx Pro for 3 years now and have never had a problem or bricked my radios.
Clyde KC7BJE?
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Re: CAT Display with an CAT Splitter for FT-817ND and others?
I have used the Android app Pocket ExTx Pro for 3 years now and have never had a problem or bricked my radios.
Clyde KC7BJE?
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Witch DSP Filter is Better? BHI or Sotabeams?
Hi guys,
?
I would like to install a DSP filter, who can tell me where the advantages and disadvantages are between the sotabeams filter LASERBEAM-817(FTFM-100) and the BHI filter NEDSP1901-KBD. Is it possible to operate the sotabeams filter from the outside, whereas the BHI filter requires two holes to be drilled.?
Vy 73 de Martin HB3YDM
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Re: CAT Display with an CAT Splitter for FT-817ND and others?
I t's very easy to build up an interface between?2 different baud rates with a raspberry pico (a few dollars) because it has 2 uart. So you can set up the FT817 at the slower baud rate and interface the two peripherals.
Maybe you can also set up the highest baud rate if there is no high traffic at 4800 baud.
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Pietro I2OIM
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Re: CAT Display with an CAT Splitter for FT-817ND and others?
Hi again Martin, understood. I also have used an bluetooth Android app called pocket rxtx lite. It is a very nice program but I am leery of using it much since reading that it can possibly brick the radio, or somehow write to the eprom and mess things up…and Yaesu will not fix it.? Mike Davis WA1MAD
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On Mar 7, 2025, at 4:09?AM, Martin HB3YDM <hb3ydm@...> wrote:
? Hi @michael Davis
?Hi, unfortunately I don't think much of cloned firmware, I'd rather stick with the original even if it's a bit more expensive than the other one. I hope that I'll get more support if I have problems than with cloned products. ? ? I will now order the original CAT display as my Z-817 is already on its way, and will report on my experience with the interaction of the components. LDG told me that interaction should be possible.
My experiences with cloned electronics in general are more on the negative side, in the processing and also with the required regulations, CE is not the same as CE ??
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Vy 73 de Martin HB3YDM?
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Re: CAT Display with an CAT Splitter for FT-817ND and others?
Hi @michael Davis
?Hi, unfortunately I don't think much of cloned firmware, I'd rather stick with the original even if it's a bit more expensive than the other one. I hope that I'll get more support if I have problems than with cloned products. ? ? I will now order the original CAT display as my Z-817 is already on its way, and will report on my experience with the interaction of the components. LDG told me that interaction should be possible.
My experiences with cloned electronics in general are more on the negative side, in the processing and also with the required regulations, CE is not the same as CE ??
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Vy 73 de Martin HB3YDM?
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Sotabeams speech compressor
Now that better weather is hopefully not too far away I have put together a grab bag of kit for portable working.
I have a Ft817nd and a ft818 for /p use, the 817, z817 plus a couple of wire antennas and patch leads all fit in a padded dog treat pouch, ideal. However it can be difficult getting contacts especially if a couple of stations call at the same time as you.
I also have a sotabeams inline speech compressor, first time I used it was an eye opener. Usually I have to repeat my callsign as the other stations miss a letter or two and ask for a repeat, sometimes more than once if my signal is low. With the speech compressor though I had no repeats asked for last week, 5w from a linked dipole in inverted V in back garden worked all over EU and into Russia. I? was heard first call and received good audio reports, switching the compressor off? and there is a definite drop in signal.?This was with the compressor in as delivered configuration, this weekend I will use another rig to monitor my audio and adjust mic gain on 817 plus P2 on the compressor board to set it to my voice.
Really good addition to my portable setup along with my K1EL K16 keyer.
Andy
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Re: CAT Display with an CAT Splitter for FT-817ND and others?
Hi Martin, I’m using the Chinese clone on my FT817, non ND w the Z817 LDG tuner. It works well, but the difference in baud rate requires a change for each device. That may be the case for any type of hookup. I watched Chris’s youtube video, but I’m not computer savvy enough to know what conflicts you may run in to. Good luck
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M0RON
Mike EI9FEB
Ham Radio
Martin HB3YDM
K6AEF
Clyde Lambert
Pietro Molina
Michael Davis