Gigy, If you are up for the added expense, the RFSpace NetSDR is the best panadapter I have found for my 5K.
Coupled with the SDR-Radio Console (see the RFSpace site), this combo is amazing for frequencies above 30 MHz.
For 30 MHz and below you likely will much prefer using the NetSDR as a standalone receiver, since it has better specs than any of the big box radios I have used.
But for frequencies above the HF band you will need to use the 5K as a sort of continuously variable wide ranging transverter for the NetSDR.
With this system you will be able to record RF spans up to 2 MHz wide anywhere on the spectrum up to 3 gHz and play them back for future analysis. And, of course, you can do real time demodulating and decoding within that 2 MHz span, as well.
Before it starts rolling off, I think the 5K's 10.7 MHz IF is about 10 MHz wide above 30 MHz and around 500 kHz wide below 30 MHz because of internal filtering. But this is way better than the R8500, for instance, with its 40 kHz IF limit below 30 MHz. [With the NetSDR alone you get the full 2 MHz span below 30 MHz, of course]
In my experience, there's no returning to a standalone 'big box' receiver once you've used point and click tuning, and the amazing signal conditioning and noise handling features that SDR-Radio Console and the NetSDR will bring to your new AR5000.
73
-rb-
