In the above we have concentrated on how SSB and DSB observing affects
spectral line observations. For continuum measurements, DSB
observations double the detection bandwidth. With 16 GHz of
bandwidth, a doubling of the bandwidth may not be desirable.
The 460-490 GHz, 660-690 GHz, and 820-900 GHz atmospheric
windows are much narrower than the lower-frequency wavebands and
contain strong absorption lines due to telluric and .
These intrusions will make placement of the full 16 GHz of bandwidth
difficult.
It would seem that the image-separating mixer would be an ideal design which would meet the needs of both spectral line and continuum observers. Continuum observers could take advantage of the dual-sideband capabilities, while spectral line observations would benefit from the ability to reject the image sideband.