Instruction manual

54 April 2012 ARRL – the national association for Amateur Radio www.arrl.org
Table 2
ICOM IC-9100, serial number 02001053
ARRL Lab Two-Tone IMD Testing (500 Hz DSP bandwidth, 3 kHz roofing filter)
‡
Measured Measured Calculated
Band/Preamp Spacing Input Level IMD Level IMD DR IP3
3.5 MHz/Off 20 kHz –26 dBm –134 dBm 108 dB +28 dBm
–13 dBm –97 dBm +29 dBm
14 MHz/Off 20 kHz –25 dBm –133 dBm 108 dB +29 dBm
–13 dBm –97 dBm +29 dBm
0 dBm –63 dBm +32 dBm
14 MHz/1 20 kHz –35 dBm –141 dBm 106 dB +18 dBm
–20 dBm –97 dBm +19 dBm
14 MHz/2 20 kHz –42 dBm –143 dBm 101 dB +9 dBm
–27 dBm –97 dBm +8 dBm
14 MHz/Off 5 kHz –37 dBm –133 dBm 96 dB +11 dBm
–26 dBm –97 dBm +10 dBm
0 dBm –23 dBm +12 dBm
14 MHz/Off 2 kHz –46 dBm –133 dBm 87 dB –2 dBm
–31 dBm –97 dBm +2 dBm
0 dBm –18 dBm +9 dBm
50 MHz/Off 20 kHz –20 dBm –130 dBm 110 dB +35 dBm
–13 dBm –97 dBm +29 dBm
144 MHz/2 20 kHz –47 dBm –143 dBm 96 dB +1 dBm
–34 dBm –97 dBm –2 dBm
430 MHz/2 20 kHz –50 dBm –144 dBm 94 dB –3 dBm
–36 dBm –97 dBm –5 dBm
‡
ARRL Product Review testing now includes Two-Tone IMD results at several signal levels. on the first
line in each group. The “IP3” column is the calculated third-order intercept point. Intercept points were
determined using –97 dBm reference. Receiver IMD not measured at 1296 MHz due to lack of third
signal generator capable of operation above 1 GHz.
Window on the World
The main receiver’s frequency and settings
appear in the top half of the commodious
monochrome display, the sub receiver’s
frequency and settings in the bottom half.
Only one-half of the display can handle
transmit frequency readout and settings. The
receivers’ frequency readouts are sizeable
and extremely easy to see from across the
room. Display contrast and brightness are
adjustable via a menu.
I found it difficult to read the rather light “dot
matrix” type text presented in the menu area
along the bottom of the display. Its limita-
tions were especially noticeable while
decoding RTTY signals using the built-in
decoder. Selecting the desired first IF filter
via this menu can be a bit tricky, too, as this
involves pressing and holding a button to step
through the choices. These filters sure are
nice to have, though; I’d suggest setting these
up to defaults by mode.
Since IC-9100 users are more likely to be
using the main and sub receivers in tandem,
the tiny (but clearer and darker) legends on
the display screen may be hard to see. In
some cases, these too-subtle readouts provide
the only means of knowing a particular
feature is enabled. In a few cases I had to
toggle the feature on and off, to see where
Key Measurements
Summary
pr067
80 M
20 M
Dynamic range and intercept
values with preamp off.
Intercept values were determined
using -97 dBm reference
Key:
*
Off Scale
-20
-70
,

TX
Transmit 9th-order IMD (dB)
-64
-20
-35
TX
,

Transmit 3rd-Order IMD (dB)
-29
-40 +30
,

2
2 kHz 3rd-Order Intercept (dBm)
2
-40
+35
,

20
20 kHz 3rd-Order Intercept (dBm)
29
29
50
110
,

2
2 kHz 3rd-Order Dynamic Range (dB)
87
50
110
,

20
108
108
20 kHz 3rd-Order Dynamic Range (dB)
70
140
111
111
2 kHz Blocking Gain Compression (dB)
2
%*
70
140
142*
141*
20 kHz Blocking Gain Compression (dB)
20
%*
60
140
101
20 kHz Reciprocal Mixing Dynamic Range
20
50
60
140
77
2 kHz Reciprocal Mixing Dynamic Range
2
50
See the digital edition and the
QST-in-Depth website (www.arrl.
org/qst-in-depth) for the VHF/UHF
measurements summary.
something appeared or vanished.
Let’s Do the Numbers!
The IC-9100 delivers the same competent
performance we experienced with the ’7410
on HF and 50 MHz and more than merely
commendable performance on VHF and
UHF. It is that latter capability that anyone
considering the purchase of an IC-9100
should care about; if not, the IC-7410 might
be a better option.
While sensitivity is an important receiver
performance metric, all of today’s amateur
transceivers hear well. This shifts the focus to
dynamic range as a more significant param-
eter.
Dynamic range numbers, in general, quantify
a receiver’s ability to perceive weak signals in
the vicinity of strong signals (see sidebar,
“Reciprocal Mixing Testing: What Is It?”
which explains the subtleties of the various
shades of dynamic range). How does the
IC-9100 stack up in those higher reaches of
the Amateur Radio spectrum? Quite well, as
it turns out. A two tone, third order IMD DR
number of 100 dB or greater (at 20 kHz
spacing) once was considered the hallmark of
a quality HF receiver. The IC-9100 tops that
benchmark at 50 MHz by 10 dB and it comes
pretty close at 144 MHz and at 430 MHz.