Advantages and Disadvantages of SSB Transmission

Advantages of SSB Transmission:

1 More effective utilization of the available frequency spectra

2 Less subject to the effects of selective fading because their is no definite phase relationship between the upper and lower side bands and the carrier as there is in conventional AM.

3. Higher percentage of power is in radiated intelligence. Typically a SSB system has an overall improvement of 9 dB 6 dB at the transmitter due to the elimination of the redundant carrier and 3dB at the receiver as compared to AM. Thus an SSB transmission of 10 W is equivalent in range to a much higher powered AM transmission of about 80 W.

Obviously the use of SSB has some disadvantages Complex circuitry is required with special emphasis placed upon voltage regulation stability and reliability. Hence cost is high. The oscillator frequencies involved are very critical and must be stabilized otherwise distortion will occur. Hence equipment cost is high. In practice SSB is used where power consumption must be kept low and band width is at a premium. The applications include mobile communications point to point communication television telemetry maritime and military communications radio navigation and amateur radios.