Your Experience and Opinion of the Timewave DSP-599zx

[markclark]

For owners and users of Timewave DSP-599zx. How well did this reduce your noise level? How high was the noise floor in your area? How about ease of use and setting up the Timewave? Anything else you can advise regarding the Timewave.

I'm looking for replies from actual users of this equipment.

Thanks,

Mark Clark

 

[dxace1]

Timewave 599 is one of the best tools for shaping audio. I used the Datong FL-3 for years but finally obtained two 599s installed in the SP-5 and SP-6 speakers by Yaesu, which are fairly rare on the used market though there appear to be serveral up on Ebay now.

 

[HamImports]

IMHO, the 599zx is good purchase. They're very easy to use, and you can save your own presets once you find settings you like. They make HF listening much less fatiguing, especially CW. Not a lot of good for FM, the bhi products are better for that, but those are not a lot of good for SSB/CW, so worth picking up both if you spot them on the used market.

 

[dlwtrunked]

Although I may still have one somewhere (I do not think I do), it was inferior to the no longer available JPS Communications NIR-10 and NIR12A (better). (JPS has left this market but still exists)>

 

[markclark]

Although I may still have one somewhere (I do not think I do), it was inferior to the no longer available JPS Communications NIR-10 and NIR12A (better). (JPS has left this market but still exists)>

OK, Thanks for the replies. I'm trying catch what's left of Utilities out there and need to lower my already low noise floor to as low as possible.

The Timewave seems to come up on e-bay frequently, and it wasn't clear if they didn't work well with so many for sale so often.

Thanks,

Mark Clark

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

I grabbed mine up for new in box, cheap years ago. Not giving it up. I have even used it to clean up tape recordings off the air from decades ago. I think they lost popularity when receivers started having it built in as a function. Still the 599zx is the best and most versatile.

 

[devicelab]

For owners and users of Timewave DSP-599zx. How well did this reduce your noise level? How high was the noise floor in your area? How about ease of use and setting up the Timewave? Anything else you can advise regarding the Timewave. I'm looking for replies from actual users of this equipment.

Well, times have changed since I owned mine. When I had mine, I had a Yaesu FRG-100B. Initially, it seemed like a savior and let me 'tune' the audio how I wanted it. I don't recall it really affecting 'noise levels' but back then my noise was very different than today's noise.

I'm almost positive that the noise generated today would thrash the Timewave, but since I no longer own one, I can't confirm that theory.

The funny thing was after a few months of owning my Timewave unit, I ended up selling it on E-Bay because I ended up missing that 'full' audio from the radio. I just used a no-frills external speaker and in some cases, the audio was fine and the Timewave ended up distorting the original audio too much.

I think at that time, it was selling for $349.95 from HRO. I got lucky on the resell and ended up selling mine for nearly the same price -- minus the E-Bay fees of course.

I think if you do a lot of HF digital or weak signal work (CW, EME, etc.) then it might be worth it; however, if you are already out in the boonies and still getting noise then this is not a magic box to remove noise. You're better off tracking down the offending noise source.

 

[markclark]

Well, times have changed since I owned mine. When I had mine, I had a Yaesu FRG-100B. Initially, it seemed like a savior and let me 'tune' the audio how I wanted it. I don't recall it really affecting 'noise levels' but back then my noise was very different than today's noise.

I'm almost positive that the noise generated today would thrash the Timewave, but since I no longer own one, I can't confirm that theory.

The funny thing was after a few months of owning my Timewave unit, I ended up selling it on E-Bay because I ended up missing that 'full' audio from the radio. I just used a no-frills external speaker and in some cases, the audio was fine and the Timewave ended up distorting the original audio too much.

I think at that time, it was selling for $349.95 from HRO. I got lucky on the resell and ended up selling mine for nearly the same price -- minus the E-Bay fees of course.

I think if you do a lot of HF digital or weak signal work (CW, EME, etc.) then it might be worth it; however, if you are already out in the boonies and still getting noise then this is not a magic box to remove noise. You're better off tracking down the offending noise source.

Devicelab:

My noise tends to atmospheric. There is really nothing out here that say generates powerline noise. In fact, there are times no noise is detectable at all, but that's rare. I'm thinking the Timewave will clean up what little, but still problematic atmospheric noise here.

Thanks,
Mark Clark

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

The way the 599zx operates needs to be understood. it's main mode is an audio bandpass filter . it has a lowpass filter and a highpass filter. The values you choose make a brick wall around which the noise is greatly attenuated. if you choose for example 300 to 3200 Hz, that is what you get. your analog filters in your receiver have leakage above and below that detract from speech. The 599zx fixes that noise. unless you really make it tight, you won't perceive distortion. The 599zx is the top of the line.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

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