Studying for my Technicians at age 66 :) (Need a new hobby - just retired) The book I have is good but is more test prep than in-depth and I want to understand the terms being used rather than just parroting answers for the test. Great vid - enjoy the history aspect!
Sideband is a fairly complex concept, and I've rarely heard a good explanation of how SSB works that wasn't meandering and touched on areas that weren't really related or relevant. The first thing to know is that in any analog communication you need two characteristics to transmit an audio signal: 1. A way to modulate in transmitting, and demodulate in receiving, the complex wave form(s) produced by the FREQUENCIES of voice and music. And 2. A way to represent the VOLUME or relative loudness (POWER) of that wave form. So , in A.M. the VOLUME of the sounds is produced by the difference between the minimum and maximum amplitude of the carrier which is related to the POWER output of the transmitter; and the FREQUENCIES of the audio transmitted, drive the speed at which the amplitude (POWER) of the carried is changed. So with regard to VOLUME, when you hear a faint A.M. station, or maybe a strong A.M. station with low audio VOLUME, it is because of the relative small difference between amplitude (or POWER level changes) to the RF wave discerned by the receiver. And the audio FREQUENCIES you hear are the result of the audio wave form driving the speed at which the changes in amplitude (POWER) occur. This is why you don't have to be perfectly tuned into an A.M. broadcast, the FREQUENCIES you are hearing are being discerned from the amplitude (POWER) of the carrier frequency, NOT THE frequencies of the sidebands that are created during the audio-RF mixing. On the other hand, with sideband, whether single or double, the amplitude (POWER) of the transmitted wave is what the receiver discerns as VOLUME, and the audio FREQUENCIES ultimately discerned by the receiver are of the actual frequencies created by the mixing of the audio FREQUENCIES and the carrier (the carrier is suppressed in transmission). This is how and why sideband is not like A.M., with sideband, you are actually hearing the changes in the FREQUENCIES produced by the transmitter during the mixing of audio and RF; and this is why you can actually change the pitch of the audio you're hearing by making slight changes to the frequency your receiver is on; that doesn't happen on A.M. This is also why you cannot understand sideband if listening on A.M., your A.M. receiver is discerning amplitude (POWER) changes, but the audio form in the sideband signal is changing frequencies. The reason you can listen to an A.M. signal on sideband, is that A.M. transmitters produce sideband as a natural result of the audio/RF mixing process, but A.M. receivers don't use or need them.
Thanks Louis. I think many trying to read and understand your explanation may not learn from your narrative. Please give some thought to a much shorter explanation. Thank you, JIm Heath W6LG
Another great video with an excellent illustration. Thinking of a carrier itself like an AM carrier… It’s almost like a sandwich; say it’s Bologna, you have the bologna in the middle and a pieces of bread on each side. The bread is each side band and the Bologna is the carrier. Your illustration with the lightbulb was again wonderfully thought up! Jim, thanks for everything you’ve taught me.
Jim, thank you for this superb explanation on SSB and AM. Hope you have completely recuperated from the life-threatning pulmonary attack. From my childhood RF communication by the men in badge always amazed me. I was aware about Ham from my college days but sadly, there was lack of information since it was only for a niche crowd coupled with the prohibitive price of Ham radios. Your excellent channel with unmatched information about the world of Ham has only rekindled my latent desire in amateur radio. I am now 50+ and preparing for the General test in Delhi to qualify for a Ham licence. Your videos have inspired me so much that I have now almost ditched all other social media platforms with a focused mind to join the world of PTT. Please keep the flow of such brilliant videos and do take care of yourself too. Until then, 73
Thank you Jim. This clarified a few things. It’seasier These days tuning in SSB. When I was a young SWL, you hide to tune with a beat frequency oscillator.
Hi Jim. I found your videos by accident but so glad I did. Informative and thoroughly enjoyable with a really relaxed delivery. Thank you for making them. 73 from the UK, de G8NQK.
I am incredibly glad to see you're doing well. I was going to check up on you last night, but figured I didn't want to bother you non-stop with well being checks. :) Now I'm going to watch the video and learn more from your wealth of knowledge! 73 de K8GLX (formerly KE8FDD)
Nice video Jim. Enjoy the history part. It’s truly a great story because out of those early crystal sets like what you showed came the “AM” Radio broadcasts that we know today. just modified. Truly a great video.
Thank you for sharing the history, always interesting and great to know for when I get my license. Have my Foundation License in UK in January. Cannot wait the push the PTT. 73 from London.
Jim, I have no idea what you're talking about but I find you voice very relaxing and I like to put your videos on in the background while I'm doing other things.
Wow, thanks. Do you think some kind of relaxation video or audio would be helpful to some folks? I mean, where I would describe a relaxing scene using soft tones and reduced stress? Just wondering about that. Regards Jim in Rocklin CA.
Nice history on the modes of operation. Thanks for the explanation on why lower side band is used on 40 and 80 and upper is used on 20 and 10. I knew it wasn't an FCC reg, but I was baffled as to why there was a difference. In the video you talked about reinserting the carrier at the receiving end; and of course you did in order to make the signal intelligible, but there was not much fan fare about it. I had hoped that you were going to use an external BFO with a Standard Broadcast band AM/FM radio that happens to also includes some HF frequencies but is not designed for SSB listening. On you Elecraft Tranceiver, the Mode button and the VFO take the place of a BFO knob so there was not much to do about inserting the missing carrier in this demonstration.. Many yrs ago I built a simple BFO in order to listen to SSB with a standard broadcast radio. Hand impedance was a problem when tuning the BFO, and I never resolved the issue. Anyway, I love your videos. Jim, considering all the help you are to people, I hope that you have someone local to help you with any physical activities that have become challenging . Thanks for all you do. 73 Joe KF7POQ
Thank you Jim...and I will not use qsl or ? Personals...and now I will know ssb...and my ham radio will be here tomorrow. Looks like There's quite a Lot to learn. I was going to search for what letters to use for my identification, and ran across your tutorial. Thank you for explaining. Subscribed.
Hi Igor, I miss talking to you and hope we can do that soon. I am not in good shape. I do have good days and bad days. But to be very honest, I am very weak and have no stamina. It has been 2 months and I still cannot drive. My XYL and I went into town for lunch for the first time. When we got home I slept for 3 hours. Let's make a sked on the computer. I would love to talk with you. It would be good medicine. Happy New Year! 73, Jim
Hi Jim, Nice trip down the HF memory lane. Always wondered why voice signals were phone. Your reference to the telephone companies solved that. Have a safe and Happy New Year. 73 WB3BJU
Thanks for another informative video! Learning everyday, I want to get my T license but just feel I need to know more about HAM before I plunge. You are a great help!
Just go for it I didn't know anything about ham just cb and radios for the fire service that's all I knew studied up and took the tech and general in one shot best way to learn is to get on the air the Elmer's are some of the most helpful and patient guys I ever met
Dive in! If there is a local club, join it. The Elmers will be more than happy to help. In tested a well ago and the next night was helping remove antennas and equipment for a member that died. When I get my call sign, I will be joining the club.
A very good explanation. I used CB here in England in the 1980's. I could get about a quarter of a mile on a car turn signal 4 Watt bulb soldered into a PL259 plug. When the government legalized CB on FM, there were a million or more still using their illegal AM CB sets, replicating the battle you describe of AM verses SSB.
Thank you so much for this video. I have had some very simple questions that never got answered before this video, such as AM vrs CW. I should have know that one with my back ground.
Great explanation of what SSB is, I had it all wrong. Just started studying and it’s the same old thing: the more I know, the more I know how much I don’t know.
Sidebands never made sense to me until I learned about mixing/hetereodyning. The am modulator behaves like a simple mixer in that it mixes the baseband signal with the rf generated from the pll or oscillator. When you mix two AC waveforms you end up with multiple new frequencies in the output and the undesired is filtered out. You end up with freq1 + freq2 and freq1 - freq2 primarily as well as the originals and all permutations of the fundamentals. This is why AM has sidebands, its a result of the baseband mixing with the RF carrier.
Jim that was an excellent video. I learned in brief a lot on how those modes got their names an origins of the same. Happy New Year to you and family. Un abrazo from El Salvador, YS Country. 73! Roberto, YS1RS.
Thanks for your explanation. I am thinking of an even more visual to explain the concept, through a real time fast fourier transform. I wonder whether modulating the amplitude (i.e. multiplying for a sinusoid in the time domain) can be easily grasped as a shift in the frequency domain. I will do some experiment for a kind of interactive presentation.
I am used to think about SSB different way. Voice feed to double mixer with phase shift of 90 degrees. After the mixer, there is sum that should be cut with low pass filter. To get 90 degrees, I am using logic gates and four times the frequency. By dividing by 2 and again by 2 + XOR gate, getting the right frequency that can be switched between 90 degrees lead or 90 degrees lag (USB vs. LSB). Prior to mixing, it is always good to use 300 Hz high pass filter and after mixing 3 kHz low pass filter. Carrier is automatically subtracted by nature of mixing with double balanced mixers. One sideband is automatically subtracted by nature of double mixers (two mixers in parallel). SDR receivers use the same principle to get IQ (In phase/Quadrature) signals. IQ signal, for example 1 MHz, to channels (~stereo), each is shifted 90 degrees. By reversing process with dual mixer and another 90 degrees oscillator, one can get 2 MHz bandwidth with two 1 MHz feedlines. Just make good filtering to avoid IQ spike (where two signals overlaps in the center). If you swap IQ channels, you may get the same frequency range, but this time higher frequency is to the left, lower to the right. 73
I once read a book on these types of waves and tried to do a mental exercise in my head visualizing the waves. Your video was better than my mental exercise and didn't turn me into a vegetable for a few hours.
Being a vegetable is not good. I did that today and became a vegetable after taking some new medications. I slept off and on most of the day. Being a vegetable is being not productive and wasting the whole darn day. So, I am up now and working on a video about an amplifier I just purchased. Thanks and 73 from only half awake Jim!
@@ham-radio I know exactly what you mean. I've never been the type to sleep in much. I'm just taking the first steps into amateur radio, just got my first cross needle swr meter yesterday, I'm sure the digital ones are better but this one just reminds me of better days. 73 to you as well!
Yes, that is something that I always wanted to do. I did one voice over and then went on to work for a large company. I marvel at the skill of some voice actors. There is some amazing talent. I hope to hear you on 20 meters soon. 73, Jim W6LG
What can i say....your my teacher ;). i learn a lot of your information jim, good to know more detailed stories about our hobby...great video. Another thing Jim.....your looking so great again on this video. good to see that!. Well...for my last couple of hours in this year....73s and HNY 2017 Sascha de PD9Z
Thanks my friend. I listened to you today on 20 meters working the East coast and mid West. You got up to S7 and I waited for your signal to improve more. But then conditions went down quickly and I lost you in the noise/QRM. So HNY to you and your family. I'll try again tomorrow on 20 meters. I won't wait so long this time. 73, Jim
Jim....yes ofcourse...signals did really a big fading today from the states. i will call on 20m again tommorow. Now after i checked your video i must take my sleep and dream about our radiowaves ;) 73s...hope i hear you tommorow.
your demonstration of the difference between AM and SSB with the light bulb was illuminating (no pun). thanks to you I now have a working understanding of the differences between AM and SSB. kind regards,
Is this where the name 'phone' came from in the HAM bands? I always assumed it was due to it being a voice transmission, but I never knew the phone company used it for voice transmissions in the early days.
What would be a good receiver -radio setup to keep in touch with family members for emergency situations? Looking at about a 70 miles max range. Something that would be easy and perhaps portable if needed. Any recommendations of units would be appreciated.
Thank you very much! That is very kind of you to write. I have several new videos in the works. I have moved after 40 years to a new location and have been building the RUclips/RadioRoom. I am very disabled and it has been a slow process. Thanks again and stay tuned! 73, Jim
It's much easier to see what these modes look like when you're using an SDR radio with the spectrum scope. When you transmit on the IC-7300, you can see the carrier the modulation. 73 de KE0STO
If you are trying to setup a base station but live in an apartment (second floor) with no balcony or anything....anyone have any good recommendations for setting up an antenna to get out a good distance on SSB?
You were transmitting into a house light bulb? Then Rx into a unit w/ an antenna? is this not to hit the receiver so hard? I use to "Peak n Tweak" Cobra 148's and 29's , but I used a daisy chain of 12v push and twist automobile lights to absorb the wattage . Any help on this would be great! Oh and BTW your bench is awesome! Oh, so is So. Lake Tahoe where I use to live. Keep key'n up and stay treetop tall my friend... M. Collins, Out.
Hi Jim and All. Great explanation of SSB; always enjoy your videos. But, I do have a question to everyone and, excuse my ignorance. But, if one removes the main carrier and, one of the side bands, while in SSB mode, how is the signal transmitted? If there is no carrier, how is the information sent into well, space? What is the vehicle for sending the information? I'm aware that the carrier is produced at the receiver for demodulating but, how is the signal carried to the receiver. Thanks! Jim
Good question! Think of the signal being 10kHz wide. You and I chop off half of that with some kind of digital filter. There was energy in the entire 10kHz. Now after the filter there is a linear amplifier in the box. Let's say next you and I remove the carrier that is 1 kHz wider. There is still 4 hKz of RF. Now let's say that we remove even more by chopping off 1.3kHz;There is still lots of energy; RF energy. Now let's filter the bottom 200 cycles or Hz. Now we have 200 to 2700 Hertz. That still can be very good audio. Does any of that make sense? 73 Jim
Think of them as all being different modes of transmission/reception. Each has a specific requirement. In SSB mode you can receive CW. AM would have a tone full time due to the carrier. FM would not sound good and be very difficult to understand. Try it and see how it sounds to you. 73, Jim
Can an “SSB” circuit be created to be used for pitch shifting for voice effects? I’m new to ham but I tinker with electronics and sound effects just for fun and wonder if that’s possible. Would something like a low power transmitter being fed into a receiver or what you did, into a dummy load be sufficient? Or is there a way to use the same principle without using Transmitter/receiver circuits?
Yes. But I think it would be lots easier to do that digitally with some of the free software available like Audacity. I would search for phase shifting and pitch shifting audio. Thanks, Jim W6LG
Jim W6LG Thing is I have used audacity's pitch shifting plugins and sometimes they're okay, but there are artifacts in the audio at times. They way I hear ssb voice sometimes sounds like when you run your voice through a ring-modulator, although not exactly. I hear that effect more in the low end. Maybe if I have two tracks one ring modded and the other not and roll the highs off the modded and the low off the unmodded maybe it will bring a similar effect...
Since WW2 surplus equipment was mentioned, here's a question: Why was modulated CW (MCW, A2) popular at that time? I've been watching American WW2 training videos and a lot of the equipment at the time had CW, MCW and Phone settings. Was the possibility to receive MCW without a BFO the only reason? 73 de YU1NKA
To the best of my knowledge, yes, because of the old unstable cheap receivers could receive an MCW signal and without a BFO and some stability they would not have been able to receive a CW signal 73 K0UA
What is the makeup of amateurs broadcasting LSB, USB, and AM? Is one so much more favored that I should only buy receivers geared to that method? (Such as eschewing AM?) Thanks.
Hi, I have never been on CB. I was licensed in 1964 as a ham and CB stuff was not popular. Technically, SSB is a mode. Other modes includes CW, AM, Digital, FM and some others. If you are interested in talking long distances then get licensed as a ham. The next few years will be lots of fun. Being able to go to change bands with changing conditions will make talking around the world possible. Regards, Jim
Just asmsll question about removing the Carrier to geht more Space in the band. I thought the Carrier was abcolutlely necessary in Order to Transmitter a für distances . How can the only ssb be alle to Carry the Signal at a Long distance. FOR A SHORT ANSWER I ‚d be grateful.t.u.
Can amateur radio signals (ham) come through on a SW full spectrum radio such as radiwow or tecsun pl-310 without SSB or BFO due to an overload of signal . Can it be filtered through even without 455 mhrtz? Does ham radio pass through the signals that are not using it?
Jim, (others), as a new HAM Tech. How can I start using SSB. I want to be more exposure and more OSO's on Satellites and further than a few miles from my QTH, (not including repeaters).
My best advice is that you must upgrade to General and then Extra. Get on HF and talk to the world. You might want to try 20 meters for now. As the sunspots improve 15 meters will start to get good around the world. At the peak of the cycle, 10 meters will be an amazing band. So, to answer you question, upgrade to HF. 73, Jim W6LG
Great video Jim, I have a question for you. I am in Ohio and 20 meter has not been good for DX. All of a sudden the last few nights we are getting India, the far east, and some super contacts on 40 meter. I thought 40 was more local, 1000 miles, not world wide. any info would be great...keep up the great work, love the videos. KB8YBG - JIM
Actually, 40 meters is frequently a worldwide band at night. The usual rule of thumb is that frequencies less than about 10 MHz are better at night and frequencies greater than 10 MHz are better during the day. Of course, solar activity and other things that affect the ionosphere cause a lot of variability in exactly what frequencies support DX at any given time. K7HKR
Наука
Studying for my Technicians at age 66 :) (Need a new hobby - just retired) The book I have is good but is more test prep than in-depth and I want to understand the terms being used rather than just parroting answers for the test. Great vid - enjoy the history aspect!
Me too!, taking the Technician test Nov 20 and I just turned 60 on the 6th- Good luck!
Sir, thank you for taking the time to explain this. As a new ham I wanted to better understand what SSB was.
I already had a good general understanding of SSB, yet, I did not know about its history and origins. Thankyou for your time, cheers :-)
I had no Idea as well... I love talking over SSB. Great clip on the history and usage of it.
Sideband is a fairly complex concept, and I've rarely heard a good explanation of how SSB works that wasn't meandering and touched on areas that weren't really related or relevant. The first thing to know is that in any analog communication you need two characteristics to transmit an audio signal:
1. A way to modulate in transmitting, and demodulate in receiving, the complex wave form(s) produced by the FREQUENCIES of voice and music.
And
2. A way to represent the VOLUME or relative loudness (POWER) of that wave form.
So , in A.M. the VOLUME of the sounds is produced by the difference between the minimum and maximum amplitude of the carrier which is related to the POWER output of the transmitter; and the FREQUENCIES of the audio transmitted, drive the speed at which the amplitude (POWER) of the carried is changed. So with regard to VOLUME, when you hear a faint A.M. station, or maybe a strong A.M. station with low audio VOLUME, it is because of the relative small difference between amplitude (or POWER level changes) to the RF wave discerned by the receiver. And the audio FREQUENCIES you hear are the result of the audio wave form driving the speed at which the changes in amplitude (POWER) occur. This is why you don't have to be perfectly tuned into an A.M. broadcast, the FREQUENCIES you are hearing are being discerned from the amplitude (POWER) of the carrier frequency, NOT THE frequencies of the sidebands that are created during the audio-RF mixing.
On the other hand, with sideband, whether single or double, the amplitude (POWER) of the transmitted wave is what the receiver discerns as VOLUME, and the audio FREQUENCIES ultimately discerned by the receiver are of the actual frequencies created by the mixing of the audio FREQUENCIES and the carrier (the carrier is suppressed in transmission). This is how and why sideband is not like A.M., with sideband, you are actually hearing the changes in the FREQUENCIES produced by the transmitter during the mixing of audio and RF; and this is why you can actually change the pitch of the audio you're hearing by making slight changes to the frequency your receiver is on; that doesn't happen on A.M. This is also why you cannot understand sideband if listening on A.M., your A.M. receiver is discerning amplitude (POWER) changes, but the audio form in the sideband signal is changing frequencies. The reason you can listen to an A.M. signal on sideband, is that A.M. transmitters produce sideband as a natural result of the audio/RF mixing process, but A.M. receivers don't use or need them.
Thanks Louis. I think many trying to read and understand your explanation may not learn from your narrative. Please give some thought to a much shorter explanation. Thank you, JIm Heath W6LG
Wow. Thanks Jim . I'm a 62 yr old newbie, but I actually understood that. Thanks for all the great vids I'm a fan. Hope to go for the Tech in March.
Shake hand, Dan, me 62 years old newbie too...passed my exam exactly 2 weeks ago. haha ...
You have a easy, relaxed presentation style which makes the topic more enjoyable.
Another great video with an excellent illustration. Thinking of a carrier itself like an AM carrier… It’s almost like a sandwich; say it’s Bologna, you have the bologna in the middle and a pieces of bread on each side. The bread is each side band and the Bologna is the carrier.
Your illustration with the lightbulb was again wonderfully thought up! Jim, thanks for everything you’ve taught me.
Jim, thank you for this superb explanation on SSB and AM. Hope you have completely recuperated from the life-threatning pulmonary attack. From my childhood RF communication by the men in badge always amazed me. I was aware about Ham from my college days but sadly, there was lack of information since it was only for a niche crowd coupled with the prohibitive price of Ham radios. Your excellent channel with unmatched information about the world of Ham has only rekindled my latent desire in amateur radio. I am now 50+ and preparing for the General test in Delhi to qualify for a Ham licence. Your videos have inspired me so much that I have now almost ditched all other social media platforms with a focused mind to join the world of PTT.
Please keep the flow of such brilliant videos and do take care of yourself too. Until then, 73
Awesome video! Thank you Jim. I now have better understanding of SSB and its relation to AM.
Excellent presentation and representation of the efficiency of AM compared to CW - great visual aid 💡👍
Great video Jim. Look forward to many more in the new year! 73
Very informative video, thanks for producing the great content Elmer.
Thank you Jim. This clarified a few things. It’seasier These days tuning in SSB. When I was a young SWL, you hide to tune with a beat frequency oscillator.
Another great video. Always learn something new! Glad to see you with a new one and keep up the great work!
Thanks Jim! 73,Jim W6LG
Hi Jim. I found your videos by accident but so glad I did. Informative and thoroughly enjoyable with a really relaxed delivery. Thank you for making them. 73 from the UK, de G8NQK.
I am incredibly glad to see you're doing well. I was going to check up on you last night, but figured I didn't want to bother you non-stop with well being checks. :) Now I'm going to watch the video and learn more from your wealth of knowledge! 73 de K8GLX (formerly KE8FDD)
Nice video Jim. Enjoy the history part. It’s truly a great story because out of those early crystal sets like what you showed came the “AM” Radio broadcasts that we know today. just modified. Truly a great video.
Thank you for sharing the history, always interesting and great to know for when I get my license. Have my Foundation License in UK in January. Cannot wait the push the PTT. 73 from London.
Love the light bulb. Thanks.
Jim, I have no idea what you're talking about but I find you voice very relaxing and I like to put your videos on in the background while I'm doing other things.
Wow, thanks. Do you think some kind of relaxation video or audio would be helpful to some folks? I mean, where I would describe a relaxing scene using soft tones and reduced stress? Just wondering about that. Regards Jim in Rocklin CA.
Nice history on the modes of operation. Thanks for the explanation on why lower side band is used on 40 and 80 and upper is used on 20 and 10. I knew it wasn't an FCC reg, but I was baffled as to why there was a difference. In the video you talked about reinserting the carrier at the receiving end; and of course you did in order to make the signal intelligible, but there was not much fan fare about it. I had hoped that you were going to use an external BFO with a Standard Broadcast band AM/FM radio that happens to also includes some HF frequencies but is not designed for SSB listening. On you Elecraft Tranceiver, the Mode button and the VFO take the place of a BFO knob so there was not much to do about inserting the missing carrier in this demonstration.. Many yrs ago I built a simple BFO in order to listen to SSB with a standard broadcast radio. Hand impedance was a problem when tuning the BFO, and I never resolved the issue. Anyway, I love your videos. Jim, considering all the help you are to people, I hope that you have someone local to help you with any physical activities that have become challenging . Thanks for all you do. 73 Joe KF7POQ
Hi Jim love your video the last piece of the video was the best talking about the old-time days thank you
Good first time explanation of SSB!
Thank you Jim...and I will not use qsl or ? Personals...and now I will know ssb...and my ham radio will be here tomorrow. Looks like There's quite a Lot to learn. I was going to search for what letters to use for my identification, and ran across your tutorial. Thank you for explaining. Subscribed.
Great explanation and I added this as a resource to my latest video as well as to my playlist on HF and SSB.
Amazing demonstrations. Thank you!
Thanks for the live demo of SSB!
you are awesome in your presentations Jim 😀
Well done! Be happy, be safe, stay grounded.....
Jim, so nice to see you in a good shape. Happy New Year to you. Wish you good health.
Hi Igor,
I miss talking to you and hope we can do that soon. I am not in good shape. I do have good days and bad days. But to be very honest, I am very weak and have no stamina. It has been 2 months and I still cannot drive. My XYL and I went into town for lunch for the first time. When we got home I slept for 3 hours. Let's make a sked on the computer. I would love to talk with you. It would be good medicine. Happy New Year! 73, Jim
Very clear and easy to understand 73's W6LG.
Hi Jim,
Nice trip down the HF memory lane. Always wondered why voice signals were phone. Your reference to the telephone companies solved that. Have a safe and Happy New Year. 73 WB3BJU
FINALLY! I get it. Thank you!
Excellent ! Informative video . Greetings from India .
Nice explanation and demonstration. That helped me quite a bit to understand the mode.
That's great John. Glad to hear it helped. 73, Jim W6LG
Thanks for making a potentially difficult topic easier to understand. 73's, Bill AA8VA
Thanks for another informative video! Learning everyday, I want to get my T license but just feel I need to know more about HAM before I plunge. You are a great help!
Just go for it I didn't know anything about ham just cb and radios for the fire service that's all I knew studied up and took the tech and general in one shot best way to learn is to get on the air the Elmer's are some of the most helpful and patient guys I ever met
Dive in! If there is a local club, join it. The Elmers will be more than happy to help. In tested a well ago and the next night was helping remove antennas and equipment for a member that died. When I get my call sign, I will be joining the club.
A very good explanation.
I used CB here in England in the 1980's. I could get about a quarter of a mile on a car turn signal 4 Watt bulb soldered into a PL259 plug.
When the government legalized CB on FM, there were a million or more still using their illegal AM CB sets, replicating the battle you describe of AM verses SSB.
Great Videos im new on ham radios and anytime i see your videos and see everything you know i like it more and more
I knew the tech but it was made much clearer by this video, thank you. 73
Thank you so much for this video. I have had some very simple questions that never got answered before this video, such as AM vrs CW. I should have know that one with my back ground.
Thanks, that made things much more clear.
Thank you! Finally, I get it!
Clear as mud. W6LG explains it fine - it's just a bit complicated. Good video.
Great explanation of what SSB is, I had it all wrong. Just started studying and it’s the same old thing: the more I know, the more I know how much I don’t know.
Great video mate, thanks very much for sharing.
Sidebands never made sense to me until I learned about mixing/hetereodyning. The am modulator behaves like a simple mixer in that it mixes the baseband signal with the rf generated from the pll or oscillator. When you mix two AC waveforms you end up with multiple new frequencies in the output and the undesired is filtered out. You end up with freq1 + freq2 and freq1 - freq2 primarily as well as the originals and all permutations of the fundamentals. This is why AM has sidebands, its a result of the baseband mixing with the RF carrier.
Thanks I was just trying to learn a little for the test but now I have a grasp of theory.
Jim that was an excellent video. I learned in brief a lot on how those modes got their names an origins of the same.
Happy New Year to you and family. Un abrazo from El Salvador, YS Country. 73! Roberto, YS1RS.
Thank Roberto! Hope to hear you on 20mb sometime soon. 73, Jim W6LG
Great video, thanks for sharing.
Awesome demo video. Thanks.
Thanks for your explanation. I am thinking of an even more visual to explain the concept, through a real time fast fourier transform. I wonder whether modulating the amplitude (i.e. multiplying for a sinusoid in the time domain) can be easily grasped as a shift in the frequency domain. I will do some experiment for a kind of interactive presentation.
Many thanks for the excellent and interesting video. I'm a new ham and enjoy all your posts.
4 years old and still being used. thanks finally got it.
Fascinating, thanks Jim.
Thanks Greg. It is nice of you to write. 73, Jim W6LG
Thank you! This video was very informative and I appreciated and enjoyed the history lesson as well!
I am used to think about SSB different way. Voice feed to double mixer with phase shift of 90 degrees. After the mixer, there is sum that should be cut with low pass filter. To get 90 degrees, I am using logic gates and four times the frequency. By dividing by 2 and again by 2 + XOR gate, getting the right frequency that can be switched between 90 degrees lead or 90 degrees lag (USB vs. LSB). Prior to mixing, it is always good to use 300 Hz high pass filter and after mixing 3 kHz low pass filter. Carrier is automatically subtracted by nature of mixing with double balanced mixers. One sideband is automatically subtracted by nature of double mixers (two mixers in parallel). SDR receivers use the same principle to get IQ (In phase/Quadrature) signals. IQ signal, for example 1 MHz, to channels (~stereo), each is shifted 90 degrees. By reversing process with dual mixer and another 90 degrees oscillator, one can get 2 MHz bandwidth with two 1 MHz feedlines. Just make good filtering to avoid IQ spike (where two signals overlaps in the center). If you swap IQ channels, you may get the same frequency range, but this time higher frequency is to the left, lower to the right. 73
I once read a book on these types of waves and tried to do a mental exercise in my head visualizing the waves. Your video was better than my mental exercise and didn't turn me into a vegetable for a few hours.
Being a vegetable is not good. I did that today and became a vegetable after taking some new medications. I slept off and on most of the day. Being a vegetable is being not productive and wasting the whole darn day. So, I am up now and working on a video about an amplifier I just purchased. Thanks and 73 from only half awake Jim!
@@ham-radio I know exactly what you mean. I've never been the type to sleep in much. I'm just taking the first steps into amateur radio, just got my first cross needle swr meter yesterday, I'm sure the digital ones are better but this one just reminds me of better days. 73 to you as well!
At 10:45 'After all I am transmitting into a lightbulb.' - Now there is a sentence that has never been uttered in the history of mankind.
you’ve blown my mind.
You are looking good Jim. Happy New Year to all. Hope to 20 meter with you soon. 73
This was very cool. Great for us thick heads!
Jim - Thank you for your excellent videos, as a former radio DJ I also like your great voice! George w0xs
Yes, that is something that I always wanted to do. I did one voice over and then went on to work for a large company. I marvel at the skill of some voice actors. There is some amazing talent. I hope to hear you on 20 meters soon. 73, Jim W6LG
Greywolf3 hi
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What can i say....your my teacher ;). i learn a lot of your information jim, good to know more detailed stories about our hobby...great video.
Another thing Jim.....your looking so great again on this video. good to see that!.
Well...for my last couple of hours in this year....73s and HNY 2017
Sascha de PD9Z
Thanks my friend. I listened to you today on 20 meters working the East coast and mid West. You got up to S7 and I waited for your signal to improve more. But then conditions went down quickly and I lost you in the noise/QRM. So HNY to you and your family. I'll try again tomorrow on 20 meters. I won't wait so long this time. 73, Jim
Jim....yes ofcourse...signals did really a big fading today from the states. i will call on 20m again tommorow. Now after i checked your video i must take my sleep and dream about our radiowaves ;) 73s...hope i hear you tommorow.
YOU GOT THAT RIGHT AS WE ALSO DO. PEACE OUT
Thank you JIm, this is a very helpful video.73, KD0TOT.
your demonstration of the difference between AM and SSB with the light bulb was illuminating (no pun). thanks to you I now have a working understanding of the differences between AM and SSB. kind regards,
Excellent. Thank you. 73, Jim W6LG licensed in 1963
Love the video buddy!
Glad you enjoyed it! 73, Jim
Is this where the name 'phone' came from in the HAM bands? I always assumed it was due to it being a voice transmission, but I never knew the phone company used it for voice transmissions in the early days.
Great video and nice information
Great video Jim...enjoyed qso couple weeks ago.....Happy New Year....73 de N8NTX
Hi Jim I enjoyed your video and the demostration of it. 73's Don KC9DFK
What would be a good receiver -radio setup to keep in touch with family members for emergency situations? Looking at about a 70 miles max range. Something that would be easy and perhaps portable if needed. Any recommendations of units would be appreciated.
Excellent job W5GKY
Amazing work. So clear now. You are really good at explaining simply. Subscribed.
Thank you very much! That is very kind of you to write. I have several new videos in the works. I have moved after 40 years to a new location and have been building the RUclips/RadioRoom. I am very disabled and it has been a slow process. Thanks again and stay tuned! 73, Jim
Always very informative. I just need to get off my donkey and buy a HF radio. Thank you.
It's much easier to see what these modes look like when you're using an SDR radio with the spectrum scope. When you transmit on the IC-7300, you can see the carrier the modulation.
73 de KE0STO
Web sdr for those not equiped with rigs so cool
Jim w6lg I like your utube videos are awesome
If you are trying to setup a base station but live in an apartment (second floor) with no balcony or anything....anyone have any good recommendations for setting up an antenna to get out a good distance on SSB?
You were transmitting into a house light bulb? Then Rx into a unit w/ an antenna? is this not to hit the receiver so hard?
I use to "Peak n Tweak" Cobra 148's and 29's , but I used a daisy chain of 12v push and twist automobile lights to absorb the wattage .
Any help on this would be great! Oh and BTW your bench is awesome! Oh, so is So. Lake Tahoe where I use to live.
Keep key'n up and stay treetop tall my friend...
M. Collins, Out.
it's rob from Australia like video it great
Hi Jim and All. Great explanation of SSB; always enjoy your videos. But, I do have a question to everyone and, excuse my ignorance. But, if one removes the main carrier and, one of the side bands, while in SSB mode, how is the signal transmitted? If there is no carrier, how is the information sent into well, space? What is the vehicle for sending the information? I'm aware that the carrier is produced at the receiver for demodulating but, how is the signal carried to the receiver. Thanks! Jim
Good question! Think of the signal being 10kHz wide. You and I chop off half of that with some kind of digital filter. There was energy in the entire 10kHz. Now after the filter there is a linear amplifier in the box. Let's say next you and I remove the carrier that is 1 kHz wider. There is still 4 hKz of RF. Now let's say that we remove even more by chopping off 1.3kHz;There is still lots of energy; RF energy. Now let's filter the bottom 200 cycles or Hz. Now we have 200 to 2700 Hertz. That still can be very good audio. Does any of that make sense? 73 Jim
Good video, thanks! 73
What power supply would you suggest for my galaxy dx98vhp without breaking the bank. Thanks
Thank you.
Thanks Jim. Good video. Does SSB work on CW FM and SW apart from AM ? I'm a bit confused....
Think of them as all being different modes of transmission/reception. Each has a specific requirement. In SSB mode you can receive CW. AM would have a tone full time due to the carrier. FM would not sound good and be very difficult to understand. Try it and see how it sounds to you. 73, Jim
Thank you sir
Can an “SSB” circuit be created to be used for pitch shifting for voice effects? I’m new to ham but I tinker with electronics and sound effects just for fun and wonder if that’s possible. Would something like a low power transmitter being fed into a receiver or what you did, into a dummy load be sufficient? Or is there a way to use the same principle without using Transmitter/receiver circuits?
Yes. But I think it would be lots easier to do that digitally with some of the free software available like Audacity. I would search for phase shifting and pitch shifting audio. Thanks, Jim W6LG
Jim W6LG
Thing is I have used audacity's pitch shifting plugins and sometimes they're okay, but there are artifacts in the audio at times. They way I hear ssb voice sometimes sounds like when you run your voice through a ring-modulator, although not exactly. I hear that effect more in the low end. Maybe if I have two tracks one ring modded and the other not and roll the highs off the modded and the low off the unmodded maybe it will bring a similar effect...
What if the radio only has 5khz step's? Would it miss a lot of stations out. I'm getting a Sony icf-7600 and there's only 5khz incremental step's.
Since WW2 surplus equipment was mentioned, here's a question: Why was modulated CW (MCW, A2) popular at that time? I've been watching American WW2 training videos and a lot of the equipment at the time had CW, MCW and Phone settings. Was the possibility to receive MCW without a BFO the only reason? 73 de YU1NKA
To the best of my knowledge, yes, because of the old unstable cheap receivers could receive an MCW signal and without a BFO and some stability they would not have been able to receive a CW signal 73 K0UA
Jim can a general class operator use usb on 20 and 40 meters or are we just restricted to the LSB mode
Hi Marvin, It is just convention at this point. So USB or LSB, it does not matter as long as the transmitted signal is within the band. 73, Jim W6LG
What is the makeup of amateurs broadcasting LSB, USB, and AM? Is one so much more favored that I should only buy receivers geared to that method? (Such as eschewing AM?) Thanks.
Which portable antennas are suggested for CB with SSB (Skip mode)?
Hi, I have never been on CB. I was licensed in 1964 as a ham and CB stuff was not popular. Technically, SSB is a mode. Other modes includes CW, AM, Digital, FM and some others. If you are interested in talking long distances then get licensed as a ham. The next few years will be lots of fun. Being able to go to change bands with changing conditions will make talking around the world possible. Regards, Jim
Red Leader, standing by!
Just asmsll question about removing the Carrier to geht more Space in the band. I thought the Carrier was abcolutlely necessary in Order to Transmitter a für distances . How can the only ssb be alle to Carry the Signal at a Long distance. FOR A SHORT ANSWER I ‚d be grateful.t.u.
Now I understand.
Interesting, Informative. KK7T.
Can amateur radio signals (ham) come through on a SW full spectrum radio such as radiwow or tecsun pl-310 without SSB or BFO due to an overload of signal . Can it be filtered through even without 455 mhrtz? Does ham radio pass through the signals that are not using it?
The short answer is no. The receiver, no matter the I.F. must have the LSSB and USSB modes. Jim
Jim, (others), as a new HAM Tech. How can I start using SSB. I want to be more exposure and more OSO's on Satellites and further than a few miles from my QTH, (not including repeaters).
My best advice is that you must upgrade to General and then Extra. Get on HF and talk to the world. You might want to try 20 meters for now. As the sunspots improve 15 meters will start to get good around the world. At the peak of the cycle, 10 meters will be an amazing band. So, to answer you question, upgrade to HF. 73, Jim W6LG
Great video Jim, I have a question for you. I am in Ohio and 20 meter has not been good for DX. All of a sudden the last few nights we are getting India, the far east, and some super contacts on 40 meter. I thought 40 was more local, 1000 miles, not world wide. any info would be great...keep up the great work, love the videos.
KB8YBG - JIM
Actually, 40 meters is frequently a worldwide band at night. The usual rule of thumb is that frequencies less than about 10 MHz are better at night and frequencies greater than 10 MHz are better during the day. Of course, solar activity and other things that affect the ionosphere cause a lot of variability in exactly what frequencies support DX at any given time. K7HKR
Can a single frequecy be used in AM and in SSB mode both by two different stations simultaneously?
Yes it can. 73, Jim W6LG
@@ham-radio bt how its possible? The signal must be interferring as frequency is same