"SIDEBAND

AND,

OREO'S....."




Regarding Single-Sideband, life is like a cookie; more specifically, an "Oreo". I'll use a CB channel, as it makes for an easier comparison. So we all know the CB's have 40 channels right? and every radio currently on the market has "AM", some have "AM", "LSB", and "USB" (which stand for Lower and Upper sideband). Our Oreo cookie is the CB channel (as seen in the picture below).


AM, uses the whole cookie, thus your power output is spread from one wafer to the other (not really efficient for maximum signal strength). But hey - lots of folks like to use AM (Amplitude Modulation), and not just truckers. If you own an old Browning, AM is almost always the preferred way to go. Because you're using the whole cookie (channel) it's harder to sound off frequency, although in the "Olden Days" of crystal rigs, it wasn't uncommon to run across someone who sounded a bit fuzzy and you would use your "Delta Tune" to try and clear up some of the fuzziness. Some tube radios just loved to wander, and wander.........



The Delta Tuner merely adjusted your receiver more towards one of the cookie wafers than the other, and as long as the other fellow wasn't having serious issues, this worked just fine.

SSB, or "Single Sideband", takes the same output power you had on AM, only this time is concentrates it onto one wafer, and one wafer only. So one wafer is lower sideband, and the other one, upper sideband.




As you can imagine, your signal, now on only one part of that Oreo is more powerful than it was when spread out across the whole cookie. That's the magic of Sideband!!

Another benefit of SSB is lower noise into your receiver. Noise, much like your output power is spread along the whole cookie, and when you end up using one wafer, you get less noise. As for tuning in the other station your sideband rig has a "Clarifier" which varies the frequency so that the other station doesn't sound so much like Donald Duck!! The FCC, for some dumb reason, decided the clarifier would be active on the receive only. This worked out fine if it was just two stations in a QSO, but add a couple more and it would be very likely you would spend most of your time "Clarifying". Of course most second-hand SSB radios have it modified so that it tracts both receive and transmit. (ed.- Illegal, yet.....practical).



BENEFITS: Concentrated power output making the most of your output so you can be heard better, and a lower noise level making it easier to hear stations off in the distance. Single-Sideband is a win-win mode of operation.

I know that I have this on my website somewhere, but I thought it's always good to post a refresher for the benefit of someone with questions.

SWAN LAKE

Since I've been living closer to the big city I've been able to take in some of the finer "ARTS" of Houston. Recently, Robin surprised me with a trip to the ballet to see "Swan Lake". This was 3 hours long (including two intermissions) and we had wonderful seats (after moving slightly to get out of the way of Mr. Big-head, Bobble-head that is).




It's not the first Ballet we've been to, certainly not the last, and I've very happy to (at last) finally be able to sample the finer arts with someone who wants to share that experience with me. The 3 hour length went by so fast, I could have sworn it was only half of that; but I think it seemed that way because of two facts:

1. It was a really good ballet
2. And I had a wonderful companion to share it with
   

Thus ends another entry into Woody's world of everything!

73

WOODY

"STANDARD DISCLAIMER"

This is my standard disclaimer regarding the selling of my radio collection. While the ad reads CB GAZETTE, it has nothing to do with me, and the while the "WE are selling" implies I'm on board with it, I'm not. She has the legal right to sell my stuff, however I am not involved and any complaints should not be directed to me, or, damage my honest reputation in the selling of radios. I'm not upset by the legal selling, just the inference that I am involved. End of Disclaimer.