Swann CUBIC ASTRO 102 BX Service Manual page 169

Cublc Astro 102BXA HF Transce;ver Serlal No. 659
As specified, plus additional coverage above
and below each band: 1378·2106 kHZ"
3379·4106 kHz; 6879·7606 kHz; 13,878'.
14,606 kHz; 20,878-21,606 kHz; 27,878·
30,106 kHz.
As stated.
Measured in ARRL Lab
Noise floor (MOS)
BOm 20m
dBm: -125 -129
Blocking OR(dB):
Two-tone, third-order:
IMOOR(dB): 90 84
Third-order input
intercept (dBm): -10 -3
:!:
1 kHz.
160 m
=
85; 80 m
=
65; 40 m
=
55;
20 m
=
50; 15 m
=
50; 10 m = 75.
Receiver dynamics measured with optional
300·Hz crystal lilter installed:
KENWOOD TR-9000 MULTIMODE
144-MHz TRANSCEIVER
·unmeasured - noise limited.
'0. Sumner, "Survey ol Amaleur Radio, 1980,"
QST, March 1981" pp 11·18
o
If you read lhe survey article in March 1981
QST
carefully, you may have been surprised
10 tearn how much activily was reporled on
"vhf/uhf, a-m/cw/ssb." Of lhe survey
respondenls aClive in Amaleur Radio, 18070
said lhey averaged al leasl an hour of such ac-
livilY per week. For comparison wilh ol her
vhf/uhf figures, lhe percenlage for fm was
48070, for "olher modes" 3070 and for salellile
communicalions (where cw and ssb are also
used), 2070. Numbcrs like lhal make il easy 10
undersland why new vhf Iransceivers wilh
mullimode capabilily keep popping up in lhe
markelplace. (Less easy 10 undersland is why
Japanese manufaclurers have lolally
dominaled lhis parlicular markel, bul lha!'s
anolher story.) Not surprisingly, 2 meIers has
been lhe most popular band for lhe vhf
mullimode rigs, as il has bcen for fm rigs.
In lhe pasl, lhese multimode Iransceivers
generally could be characlerized in lwo ways:
wh el her lhey were designed primarily for fm or
for ssb. and whether lhey were designed
primarily wilh fixed sIal ion or mobile opera-
lion in mind. If a rig is inlended mainly for ssb,
il will give lhe operator a "feeI" vcry similar
10
a convemional high-frequency transeeiver;
if
for fm, il wiJl have the features you have eomc
10 look for in a sophislicaled fm rig - case of
select ion of Ihc most frcquenlly uscd dmnnc\s,
Harmonie suppression: 45 dB below peak power.
Manufacrurer's Claimed Specificarions
Frequency coverage: 160,80,40,20, 15, 10 meters.
Receiver sensitivity: 10 dB S
+
N/N,
0.35 ,..V typ.
Operating modes: Cw and ssb.
Readout: Digital (red LEDs).
Resolution: 100 Hz. 25 kHz per 360' turn ol tuning knob.
Backlash: Not specilied. Ni!.
Power requirements: 12·14 volts de, negative ground, As stated.
20·A peak.
Transmitter rl power output: 100-W PEP into 5O-ohm
80/40
m
=
125 W;
20/15
m
=
108 W;
load at 13.5 V de. 10 m
=
100 W.
Transmitter third-order IMD: Not specified. Approximately - 28 dB (worst case) on
20 m (see photo).
Approximately 49 dB (worst case), 10 m'
(see photo).
Approximately 50 dB (worst case), 10 m
(see photo).
80 Hz trom cold start to one hour later.
Not measured.
Spurious suppression: 55 dB below peak power.
Frequency stability: Not specified.
Receiver audio output power: Greater than 3 W
into a 4-ohm load.
RIT range: Not specilied.
S'meter sensitivity (,.V/S9): Not specilied.
8-pole filters are in use. The ssb fil1ers have a
bandwidth of 2.4 kHz, and lhe shape faclor is
1.4, refercnced 10 the 6- and 100-dB poinls on
lhe response curve.
Olher Features
The IransmilIer is raled al 100 walls OUlpul
for peak ssb and cw. Power OUlpul is limiled 10
lhis level by lhe ale circuit. Available OUlpul
power is 100070 of lh is amount wilh VSWR
values up 10 1.7: I al 50 ohms. 1l drops' 10 60070
when lhe VSWR is 3:1. During an open or
shorl condilion lhe faclor is 25070 (equivalent
vollage). A built-in VSWR sensor causes lhe
foregoing shuldown power amounls 10 proleel
lhe PA Iransislors from damage.
Mobile operalion is possible from lhe
aUlomolive dc-voltage syslem. The safe
operaling range is specified as 10 10 15 volts dc.
Apart from lhe fairly large dimensions of lhe
Aslro 102, il is weil suiled 10 mobile use
because il employs broadband luning in lhe
receiver and IransmilIer seclions. Only minor
adjuslmenls are neeessary wh en changing
bands. The receiver is a singJe-conversion lype
wilh a 9-MHz i-I. Five weak birdies wcre noled
in lhe receiver luning range.
Those wishing 10 have full RTTY capabilily,
plus indusion of lhe WARC-sanelioned 10-.
J8- and 24-MIl7. amaleur bands, may want
10
eonsider purchasing lhe Astro IOJBXA
transcciver. The 102 and 103 modcls arC ot her-
wisc idcmical. Priee dass: $1200. Manufae-
lured by Cuhie Communiealions, In..:., 305
Airport Rd .. Ol'eansidc" CA 92054. -
Doug
DeMow. WIFB
Size (HWO):
6-3/8
x
14·114
x
13-1/4
in.
Weight:
23-112
lb.
Color: Not specilied.
'mm
=
in. x 25.4, kg
=
Ib x 0.454.
jusling lhc varia bie passband conlrol 10 lhe
eounterdodwise end of ils range.
Cw offs":l is 800 Hz. In lhe sharp ew mode
(JOO-HI a..:c·..:ssory filler installcd), thv' ew filler
is operatcd in s..:ri..:s wilh one of the two 8-pole
ssh filters. This greatly reduces wideband noise
from the i-f amplifiers and provides an ap-
par..:nl improvcrncnt in overall rc..:civcr signal-
lo-nois..: ratio. During ssn operalion lhe lwo
Fig. 4 - Cw keying wavelorm ol the Astro 102
with the select ion switch in the "soft" keying
position. The upper trace is the actual key
closure; lower trace is the rl output envelope.
Each horizont al division is 5 ms. This
wavelorm is essentially click·lree.
Fig. 3 - Cw keying wavelorm ol the Astro 102
with the select ion switch in the "hard" keying
position. The upper trace is the actual key
closure; lower trace is the rl output envelope.
Each horizontal division is 5 ms. This
wavelorm will generate key clicks.
Fig. 2 - Spectral display of the Astro 102BXA
output during transmitter two·tone IMD test.
Third-order produets are 28 dB bel ow PEP, and
lifth-order produets are 39 dB down. Vertical
divisions are each 10 dB; horizont al divisions
are each 1 kHz. The transceiver was being
operated at rated input power on 14 MHz.
...
December 1981 49