June 1997
69
Digital Displays—The Good
and the Bad
The front panel is attractive and stylish,
but at a cost of a more comprehensive dis-
play of information. The AR7030 sports a
green-backlighted LCD display that can fit
up to 48 characters—numbers, letters, S
meter bar graph and clock time—at any one
time, so it’s a bit limited in what it can show
at any given time. The individual charac-
ters are a bit coarse (ie, not as bold) com-
pared to similar displays on transceivers
we’ve seen. The front panel has an effec-
tive viewing angle of at least 45
°
from head
on, in any direction. In good lighting this
angle increases.
You can program this receiver to do
Table 2
AOR AR7030 Communications Receiver, serial number 100344
Manufacturer’s Specifications
Measured in ARRL Lab
Frequency coverage: 0-32 MHz.
As specified, with usable sensitivity to <20 kHz.
Modes of operation: AM (envelope and synchronous),USB,
As specified.
LSB, CW, DATA, and NBFM.
Power requirements: 15 V dc, 1 A (max).
As specified.
Size (HWD): 3.1
×
9.5
×
7.6 inches; weight, 4.9 lb.
SSB sensitivity, 10 dB (S+N)/N, 2.2-kHz filter:
CW, minimum discernible signal (MDS),
20 kHz, preamp off, 1.9
µ
V, preamp on, 1.4
µ
V;
2.0-kHz IF filter:
100 kHz, preamp off, 0.73
µ
V, preamp on, 0.34
µ
V;
180 kHz, preamp off, –122 dBm, preamp on, –131 dBm;
500 kHz, preamp off, 0.5
µ
V, preamp on, 0.18
µ
V;
500 kHz, preamp off, –123 dBm, preamp on, –133 dBm;
1.0 MHz, preamp off, 0.52
µ
V, preamp on, 0.19
µ
V;
1.0 MHz, preamp off, –123 dBm, preamp on, –132 dBm;
5 MHz, preamp off, 0.5
µ
V, preamp on, 0.19
µ
V;
3.5 MHz, preamp off, –123 dBm, preamp on, –131 dBm;
14 MHz, preamp off, 0.58
µ
V, preamp on, 0.23
µ
V;
14 MHz, preamp off, –121dBm, preamp on, –129 dBm;
28 MHz, preamp off, 0.6
µ
V, preamp on, 0.23
µ
V.
AM sensitivity, 10 dB (S+N)/N, 70% modulation,
AM sensitivity, 5.5-kHz IF filter, 30% modulation:
5.5-kHz IF filter:
3.8 MHz, preamp off, 1.84
µ
V, preamp on, 0.74
µ
V;
500 kHz, preamp off, 0.85
µ
V, preamp on, 0.33
µ
V;
1.0 MHz, preamp off, 1.84
µ
V, preamp on, 0.75
µ
V.
1.0 MHz, preamp off, 0.88
µ
V, preamp on, 0.36
µ
V;
70% modulation:
5 MHz, preamp off, 0.86
µ
V, preamp on, 0.35
µ
V;
1.0 MHz, preamp off, 0.78
µ
V, preamp on, 0.32
µ
V;
14 MHz, preamp off, 1.0
µ
V, preamp on, 0.42
µ
V;
3.8 MHz, preamp off, 0.78
µ
V, preamp on, 0.32
µ
V.
28 MHz, preamp off, 1.0
µ
V, preamp on, 0.40
µ
V;
FM sensitivity, 12-dB SINAD, 1.5-kHz deviation, 10-kHz IF filter:
FM, 12-dB SINAD, 3-kHz deviation, 9.5-kHz IF
28 MHz, preamp off, 1.2
µ
V, preamp on, 0.48
µ
V.
filter: 29 MHz, preamp off, 1.22
µ
V, preamp on, 0.42
µ
V.
Blocking dynamic range: USB mode, 12.7 MHz,
CW mode, 14 MHz, 100-kHz spacing, preamp off,138 dB, preamp on,
2.2-kHz IF filter, 9.3-MHz spacing, preamp off, 137 dB.
135 dB; 20-kHz spacing, preamp off, 126 dB*, preamp on, 121 dB.*
Two-tone, third-order IMD dynamic range:
CW mode dynamic range, 2.0-kHz IF filter:
USB mode, 2.2-kHz IF filter, 10 to 20-kHz spacing,
1.0 MHz, preamp off, 90 dB, preamp on, 96 dB;
preamp off, 100 dB, preamp on, approximately 98 dB.
3.5 MHz, preamp off, 94 dB, preamp on, 98 dB;
14.0 MHz, preamp off, 97 dB, preamp on, 97 dB.
Third-order intercept: Preamp off, +27 dBm, preamp on,
1.0 MHz, preamp off, +13.9 dBm, preamp on, +12.5 dBm;
approxi17 dBm.
3.5 MHz, preamp off, +19.9 dBm, preamp on, +18.7 dBm;
14.0 MHz, preamp off, +28.1 dBm; preamp on, +22.0 dBm.
†
Second-order intercept point: Preamp off, +85 dBm.
Preamp off, +74 dBm; preamp on, +48 dBm.
FM adjacent channel selectivity: Not specified.
29 MHz, preamp off, 87 dB; preamp on, 88 dB.
FM two-tone third-order dynamic range: Not specified.
29 MHz, preamp off, 87 dB*; preamp on, 88 dB.*
IF/audio response: Not specified.
Range at –6 dB points, (bandwidth):
CW, 2.0-kHz filter, 57-1934 Hz (1877 Hz);
USB, 5.5-kHz filter, 346-5826 Hz (5480 Hz);
LSB, 5.5-kHz filter, 101-5581 Hz (5480 Hz);
USB, 2.0-kHz filter, 179-2469 Hz (2290 Hz);
LSB, 2.0-kHz filter, 217-2517 Hz (2300 Hz);
AM, 5.5-kHz filter, 56-2805 Hz (2749 Hz);
AM, 6.5-kHz filter, 61-4000 Hz (3939 Hz);
AM, 9.5-kHz filter, 57-4400 Hz (4343 Hz).
First IF rejection: 85 dB or better.
Preamp off, 88 dB; preamp on, 100 dB.
First IF image rejection: 85 dB or better.
Preamp off, 81 dB; preamp on, 75 dB.
Squelch sensitivity Not specified.
At threshold, FM, 29 MHz, preamp off, 0.4
µ
V, preamp on, 0.08
µ
V.
S-meter sensitivity: Not specified.
14 MHz, S9, preamp off, 94
µ
V; preamp on, 29
µ
V.
Audio output: 2.2 W into 8
Ω
.
2.7 W at approx 10% THD into an 8-
Ω
load.
NOTE: Except as noted, all dynamic-range measurements were taken using the ARRL Lab standard spacing of 20 kHz.
*Measurement was noise-limited at value shown.
†
Third-order intercept point was determined using S5 reference.
whatever you want, and it will memorize
your favorite settings. However, if you for-
get your settings, you must step through a
menu to find out what you set a short time
ago, yesterday or last year.
Two buttons on the left-hand top corner
of the radio—one with a light and dark dot
and the other labeled
MENU
—select two
banks of functions. You use the “double-
dot” push button to shut off the receiver.
The labels of three buttons in the second
column under the display window are
FILTER, RF-IF
and
MEMORY
. In combina-
tion with the “General” button (labeled
simply
*
) and a small rotary knob (which
AOR calls a “spin-wheel”), all receiver
functions are available from the front panel,
assuming you follow the menu.
I found many functions to be more eas-
ily controlled by the remote control unit.
Frequency, memory selection, recall and
storage, mode and filter selection only re-
quire a few pushes of the remote control’s
buttons. In fact, direct frequency entry is
possible only via the remote control box.
Volume can be controlled either by a simple
rotary knob on the receiver front panel or
from the remote-control box (I happen to
like rotary volume controls).
How easy is control through a menu
system? Well, it’s a bit like using some of
today’s more compact radios and H-Ts,
where multifunction controls predominate.
It’s not always intuitive, but the manual is