Comparison Part 2 … Hilberling PT-8000 in the K9ZW Shack

As mentioned I have arranged to have a very rare radio – a Hilberling PT-800A Transceiver –  in my shack for an a lengthy trial, including some A/B testing against my radios (including the FlexRadio System 6700 and 6300 models).

Hilberling PT-8000 Transceiver

Finally I’ve arrange some time to get some more QSOs on the PT-8000A.

There is no question the PT-8000A delivers the goods.  Compared to other than the FlexRadio System 6×00 series radios it easily waxes my other radios.

There are a couple quirks that sent me back to the PT-8000A’s manual:

• Setting Up Split lacks some of the confirmation of TX frequency that has become customary.  The TX frequency is in the Sub Window and the Split indicator the opposite side of the screen and then an inverse of soft key colors if that menu is showing.  Shooting a frequency into the Sub is not horrible, but again is across the radio ergonomically.
• The PT-8000A’s key touch courtesy tone adjustment/mute is not documented, and I have put in an email requesting instructions on toning this down.
• While no worse than many modern high-end transceivers, I don’t have the operating hands across the radio face quite sorted out, and I’m slow setting things up.  Some things are my foibles, like:
  • I would prefer rotating controls that also have a push control to be a click & stay push-pull rather than a silky smooth momentary push button.  My ideas is if you have tactile feedback, make it persistent and intuitive.
  • I would prefer an indicator at the control, rather than having to look around on the screen for a different shaped & different sequenced indicator.  Make it simple.
  • Seldom manipulated controls could have been made to disappear nearly flush to the faceplate rather than left proud.

Working DX the amazing ability of the Flex-6×00 does dig a bit deeper, but the Hilberling is no slouch.  That the PT-8000A is up an operating in seconds running 200w barefoot is certainly an awesome feature compared to booting hardware & software for an SDR radio with PC of any type.

More as I work across the bands in the next few parts of this comparison.

73

Steve
K9ZW

Comparison Part 1 … Hilberling PT-8000 in the K9ZW Shack

As mentioned I have arranged to have a very rare radio – a Hilberling PT-800A Transceiver –  in my shack for an a lengthy trial, including some A/B testing against my radios (including the FlexRadio System 6700 and 6300 models).

Hilberling PT-8000 Transceiver

The first QSO I made with the transceiver was to W1AW/1 in RI. With travel and work I’ve only a dozen or so contacts with it so far, and the initial impression is of excellence in transceiver design. Everything is first rate – the power supply/speaker and cables are lab equipment grade and supply the 50v DC allowing for 200w performance.

I’ve finally arrange some time to get some more QSOs on the PT-8000A.

Initial impressions – the radio drips of quality.  High grade connectors, small details well executed, use of best available technology – the PT-8000A delivers the goods.

So far the only quirk I haven’t figured out is how to reduce the volume of the courtesy key-touch beeps.

Walking through things – the connectors are high grade N-connectors for antennas, a unusual power-supply to radio connector that looks aerospace in origin, and everything is polished/chromed or finished in the Hilberling Blue finish.  Everything about the PT-8000A reminds me of an upscale European Stereo system – like a Revox or B+O grade build quality.

Using the PT-8000A is much like running any high quality transceiver, with the exception that the menu system is shallower and the precision of adjustments impressive.  I’ve always been frustrated with the 6-7 levels deep menu systems many transceiver deploy, and much prefer the Hilberling style of menus.

The display is awesome – and actually the software at its present level doesn’t really do justice to the high grade display.  The power supply meg-meter is current draw, which is fine but hardly seems the first choice to dedicate such a large bit of front face real estate to display.

Initial SSB reports have been enthusiastically positive, with several QSO partners commenting about the broadcast-like sound quality.

I like the supplied desk mic, as it is clever in appearance and in performance.

More, including some contrasts with the Flex-6700 in the next few parts of this comparison.

73

Steve
K9ZW

Very interesting… Hilberling PT-8000 in the K9ZW Shack

Have arranged to have a very rare radio in my shack for an a lengthy trial, including some A/B testing against my radios (including the FlexRadio System models).

Hiberling PT-8000 Transceiver

The first QSO I made with the transceiver was to W1AW/1 in RI. With travel and work I’ve only a dozen or so contacts with it so far, and the initial impression is of excellence in transceiver design. Everything is first rate – the power supply/speaker and cables are lab equipment grade and supply the 50v DC allowing for 200w performance. More as I get some Qs on the rig.

73

Steve
K9ZW

Dayton 2013 – Friday Report

Been an interesting Hamvention so far.

There are some new products – the IC-7100 successor to the IC-7000 and the TS-990 was being shown.

Interestingly the Kenwood was somehow locked up and the floor team didn’t have a way to reboot it.

My first focus was a visit with Julius at W2IHY where I was having a very serious look at the new line of switch gear.  I’ve always admired the quality of his gear and this new range of products doesn’t disappoint.  http://w2ihy.com will fill you in on the new gear.  I already have a lot of his audio gear and will be adding some of the new line.

A visit at Hilberling found that they fully up and running for the USA market.  Never intended to be “everyman’s transceiver” they have delivered over $1million of these new “uber-radios” so far.

Long chat at FlexRadio Systems and one has to admire their willingness to trickle out radios even while the eagerness and requests to ship are so huge.  It was hard to get up close with the crowd, but i did get some time on their Flex-6700 simulators.  Tim W4TME was kind enough to give me a guided tour of the inside of the visual Flex-6700 – and I obliged by pretending I knew what all that stuff was (actually it is pretty neat and straight forward.)  FlexRadio Systems has put the Flex-5000A on end-of-life status with a when stock is sold, they are all sold noted on their website.  Flex-5000A critical components have become unavailable and it was fairly easy to see their was a product line overlap (a fully loaded Flex-5000A was within five hundred dollars of the new Flex-6500).

Very nicely the FlexRadio Systems team explained to me that when my radio is ready to ship, it will be ready.  Tomorrow is the FlexRadio Systems Dayton Hamvention Dinner where I hope to hear much more.

Over at Alpha the long awaited Alpha-4040 Tuner was being shown in working form.  The tuner looks well worth the wait.  The touchscreen display is awesome!

I was really taken with the dual port VNA (Vector Network Analyzer) at Array Solutions.  This “black box” connects to your PC to create a full test lab doing much more than I can recollect.  Jay (Array Solution’s owner) showed me how to do a TDR (Time Division Reflectometry) examination of a feedline and antenna system (including the VNA even measuring a human hand touching an antenna element), how to do a full in depth coil measurement, and a bunch of stuff I am going to have to brush up on.  This look like my next test gear addition.

The Japanese LUSO tower people took the time to explain their very cool crank-up towers.  Really amazingly serious amateur radio gear.

I was surprised at a couple vendors living the past.  Some of the big name rotor/rotor-controller folk have amazing new technology (Green Heron Engineering is a personal favorite, and they sold me one of their new station control modules) and other are promising to catch up to market norms by adding computer control to their rotor-controllers in perhaps a year….

TenTec was showing off their latest and a new Model 506 “Rebel” QRP transceiver I hadn’t seen before.  Apparently this new radio has the guts of an Arduino running the show – very cool!

More tomorrow!

73

Steve
K9ZW

Hilberling PT-8000 USA Model – Trying to Catch One on the Air

Have been trying since the Dayton Hamvention 2012 to catch a Hilberling PT-8000 user on the air for a QSO. Would love to hear what the radio sounds like.

The announcement that the radio would be available in the USA had appeal to me, but I was surprised that another large price jump was included and the timing was bad if you owed taxes. Caught me with my “radio sock” nowhere near full enough for a PT-8000, and what I had saved for hobby already committed for another radio.

Rumble was that there was at more than one of the three or four available PT-8000s at Dayton sold – heard that Ted W1HFD acquired the first.

Haven’t heard from WV4Y since the few emails when he learned he would have radios to sell, so hoping he found a home for each of the ones he had.

Maybe in a year or so when I get all our family’s young hams through University I can put a PT-8000 in my shack.

73

Steve
K9ZW

Alpha 4040, Yaesu FT dx 3000, Hilberling PT-8000 and….

Lots of other new items at Dayton

Kenwood has their new Flagship in mock-up form. Looked to be a “catch up – me too” transceiver rather than a rig that shouts “KENWOOD!!”

Yaesu has a middle grade “dx series” radio out. Appears to be a price-point filler for the series.

Alpha didn’t have their new tuner in the booth when I stopped and was expecting it to arrive later in the show. Not certain what that was all about.

Hilberling-USA had shack ready radios at the show. I’m hoping to talk with Marcus today.

Array Solutions had the OM line of amps on display Impression is very solid and physically large amps

Attended the DXBanquet last night, and by chace was at a table with W9OP and AA9A from NEWDXA, our local DX club! Didn’t think much of the weak keynote presentation though.

73

Steve
K9ZW