FAQ

Q: What is PTRX-7300?
Answer: PTRX-7300 is a type of panadapter that lets you probe the TX/RX line of ICOM IC-7300 without any loss, and analyze a wide range of spectral window for SDR applications.

Q: Is this product a cheap clone of the other company’s product?
Answer: No, we are the former co-founders of the “other company”, and the product name “PTRX-7300” belongs to us. We part ways with the “other company” due to the lack of quality of the other product and ethical issues. We redesigned PTRX-7300 from scratch with better quality and higher SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio), you can check the details in Figure.1-2-3.

Q: But, the “other company” has been selling PTRX-7300 for more than a year, how can I make sure you are the original owner of the PTRX concept?
Answer: We have financial records for the first sale of PTRX-7300, which occurred over PayPal (One of the RadioSPECTRAL engineer’s personal PayPal account) on May/1/2019.

Q: OK, I got that but still there are claims regarding legal investigation for copyright infringement?
Answer: Throw dirt enough, and some will stick. As you can imagine it is cheap to slander, expensive to prove.  PTRX-7300 is not a “Rocket Engine”,
rather a simple OpAmp circuit with an aluminum fixture, and not subject to any copyright.

Q: I am still not convinced by PTRX-7300, do you have anything else in your pocket so it makes me believe?
Answer: No, if you still would like to purchase a low quality product with a lower SNR by paying more, it is up to you.

Q: Why should I choose PTRX-7300 from RadioSPECTRAL?
Answer: We are using the best quality components to maintain lower noise floor and higher SNR, which means we are not using counterfeit, non-trackable RF components. Details can be seen in Figure.1. During the development phase of the unit we observed that MCX connectors have a crucial role for obtaining better signal quality. Please check our signal comparison in Figure.2-3, and also the MCX test video below. Our design contains less active components which means lower internal noise and lower probability for circuit faults.  In addition to our solid design we used  a resettable silicon fuse (100mA max) to protect your ICOM IC-7300.  We’d like to access a wide range of ham radio community, and therefore we decided to introduce the unit directly over Amazon.

Q: How can I buy it?
Answer: Simply by clicking the BUY button above.

Q: How does PTRX-7300 work?
Answer: PTRX-7300 utilizes a wide bandwidth, highly linear, and high input impedance amplifier to probe the TX/RX line of ICOM IC-7300.  High impedance probing is crucial to acquire TX/RX signal from ICOM IC-7300 without any attenuation.

Q: How can I make sure PTRX-7300 works as intended?
Answer: We are using frequency sweep method to simulate ICOM IC-7300 TX/RX signal. Our sweep characteristics ranges from 30kHz to 120MHz @980mVpp as a sinusoidal signal. For more details on testing, please check our YouTube channel RadioSPECTRAL.

Q: I am observing extra harmonics on my SDR window during TX mode.  Does PTRX-7300 amplify the TX signal too much so it causes distortion/saturation on my SDR receiver?
Answer: No, PTRX-7300 does not add extra amplification to the TX signal of IC-7300.  Although TX and RX signals share same transmission line, the TX signal of IC-7300 has relatively higher power (especially while you are transmitting over 50W) than the RX signal.  We suggest that you reduce the LNA gain of your SDR receiver during the TX mode.

Q: Can I use tuner output of ICOM IC-7300 after I install PTRX-7300?
Answer: Yes, you can.  PTRX-7300 bypasses tuner line to the outside world. Please check the installation manual.

Q: Where is it going to be shipped?
Answer: The United States, The United Kingdom.

Q: Is there any warranty for the product?
Answer: Yes, we provide one year limited warranty. The customer is responsible for shipping costs.

Q: Is installation of PTRX-7300 reversible? Do I need to use a solder station?
Answer: Installation of PTRX-7300 is totally reversible which means that you can uninstall the unit at any time without modifying your ICOM IC-7300. Shortly, you do not need any equipment other than a screw driver. Please check our installation manual for more details.

Q: I burnt my PTRX-7300/ICOM IC-7300 during installation, what am I supposed to do?
Answer: PTRX-7300 has a built-in silicon fuse to limit current flow from IC-7300 tuner line in case of a short circuit, and we have one year limited warranty for PTRX-7300, but the customer is responsible for ICOM IC-7300 damages. Please operate at your own risk.