I’ve been thinking about this for a while and finally tried it.
I attached an alligator clip to the AM-801 [window antenna mount] so it could be used to connect a counterpoise. Turns out alligator clips (at least the Mueller version I had lying around) have a toothy clip part at one end and a banana jack or socket at the other end. I didn’t want to go down the Google rabbit hole to find out if this is standard on all alligator clips. The clip also has a 6-32 threaded hole between the two ends so I drilled a clearance hole (using a #28 drill) in the AM-801 near the edge and attached the clip with a stubby 6-32 screw.
My trusty automatic center punch apparently failed to make a significant impression in the AM-801 so my drill bit wandered somewhat and the resulting hole was not exactly where I wanted it but I was still able to connect the alligator clip.
73,
Gordon KF5JWL
Thanks, Gordon! That’s a clever addition to the AM-801. Thank you for sharing it with us.
An easily accessible, multi-function button on the IC-705’s “back rim” gives a great improvement over the stock noise reduction. (ICOM, with all your resources, why can’t you design a DSP NR circuit that works as well as BHI’s? )
I admit it! I’m in love with BHI Ltd.’s DSP noise reduction accessories. I’ve owned most of their popular models like the DSP Desktop Speaker, and have installed BHI low-level audio modules in six different receivers and transceivers.
How is it that an audio-based DSP noise reduction accessory can be so effective? Only BHI knows, but they clearly have top-notch algorithms that rival the best of noise reduction circuits in contemporary Yaesu transceivers. (Personal bias alert: I find Yaesu’s approach to noise reduction (“DNR” in Yaesu-speak) to be quite superior to ICOM’s, and this is what got me thinking about improving the transceiver with an internal BHI NEDSP1901-KBD module in the first place.)
The noise reduction feature in the IC-705 and its IC-7300 base station counterpart is merely “OK” in my opinion, but the addition of BHI’s NR makes a significant difference in S/N and intelligibility of signals. It’s simple enough to use an external BHI product and connect it to your rig’s speaker or headphone’s audio path, but it adds wiring and complexity. The ICOM IC-705 modification described in this article is a neat, clean, internal solution needing no external wiring or power supply.
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