Ranger Communications RCI-5054DX Product Review page 3

Table 1
Ranger RCI-5054DX, serial number TIY00796
Manufacturer's Claimed Specifications
Frequency coverage: receive and transmit, 50-54 MHz.
Power requirements: 13.8 V dc; current consumption not specified.
Modes of operation: CW, USB, LSB, FM, AM.
Receiver
CW/AM Sensitivity, 10 dB (S+N)/N: 0.5 µV.
FM Sensitivity, 12 dB (S+N)/N: 0.25 µV.
Blocking dynamic range: Not specified.
Two-tone, third-order IMD dynamic range: Not specified.
Third-order intercept: Not specified.
FM adjacent channel rejection: Not specified.
FM two-tone, third-order IMD dynamic range: Not specified.
S-meter sensitivity: Not specified.
Spurious response: IF rejection, 65 dB; image rejection: Not specified.
Squelch sensitivity: Not specified.
Audio power output: 2.5 W, THD and load unspecified.
IF/audio response: Not specified.
Transmitter
Power output: CW, FM, AM, 10 W; SSB, 25 W.
Spurious signal and harmonic suppression: 60 dB.
SSB carrier suppression: 50 dB.
Undesired sideband suppression: Not specified.
Third-order intermodulation distortion (IMD) products:
CW keying characteristics: Not specified.
Transmit-receive turn-around time (PTT release
to 50% of full audio output): Not specified.
Receive-transmit turn-around time ("tx delay"): Not specified.
Composite transmitted noise: Not specified
Size (HWD): 2.4×7.8×10.8 inches; weight, 3.2 lb.
All dynamic range measurements are taken at the ARRL Lab standard spacing of 20 kHz.
1 500-Hz bandwidth filter not available. Bandwidth on CW is approximately 2100 Hz.
2
Intercept points calculated using noise floor method.
small for my tastes. For weak signal
work, I like to manually tune for activity
at the smallest available step size. I'd
consider a larger tuning knob a welcome
enhancement.
The RF power output level and micro-
phone gain; RIT and RF gain; and vol-
ume and squelch are set up as concentric
pairs of rotary controls. A six-position
72 March 2002
mode selector switch stands alone. The
inner and outer knobs of the concentric
sets and the mode selector knob are nice
and big—and that does make them easy
to grip, but there's insufficient space be-
tween them. It's difficult to make adjust-
ments without accidentally changing the
settings of nearby controls. In this in-
stance, I'd gladly trade off some overall
Measured in the ARRL Lab
Receive and transmit, as specified.
Receive, 0.30 A; transmit, 4.6 A, tested at 13.8 V.
As specified.
Receiver Dynamic Testing
Noise floor (MDS) 1 :
50 MHz –135 dBm
AM, 10 dB (S+N)/N, 1-kHz tone, 30% modulation:
0.44 µV
53 MHz
For 12-dB SINAD:
0.16 µV
52 MHz
Blocking dynamic range, 20-kHz spacing:
50 MHz 80 dB
Two-tone, third-order IMD dynamic range:
50 MHz 65 dB
Intercept: 50 MHz, –37 dBm.
20-kHz offset from 52 MHz, 60 dB.
20-kHz channel spacing, 52 MHz: 59 dB.
Maximum indication: 52 µV.
IF rejection: 112 dB; image rejection, 93 dB.
0.34 µV at threshold.
2.3 W at 10% THD into 8 Ω.
Range at –6 dB points, (bandwidth):
CW: 340-2426 Hz (2086 Hz);
USB: 346-2472 Hz (2126 Hz);
LSB: 340-2425 Hz (2085 Hz);
AM: 389-2252 Hz (1863 Hz).
Transmitter Dynamic Testing
AM, FM, CW, typically 10 W; SSB, typically 26 W.
Meets FCC requirements for spectral purity.
50 dB.
37 dB.
See Figure 1.
See Figure 2.
Squelch on, S9 signal, 200 ms.
Unit is not suitable for use on AMTOR.
SSB, 40 ms; FM, 30 ms.
See Figure 3.
knob size for the increase in room be-
tween that would result. Perhaps Ranger
could look into marketing an optional set
of replacement knobs? I'll bet it would
be an extremely popular accessory pack-
age—and not just with owners of this rig,
but for those who have one of the dead-
ringer '2900-series radios as well.
Fourteen pushbuttons are arranged in