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Thread: 40 meter AM qso

  1. #11
    Whacker Knot WØTKX's Avatar
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    The Flex line is very good on AM transmit, but you have to be a discerning pilot.

    OTH if had that badass transmit hardware?

    Hell yes. The best AM transmitter I ever had?

    Eico 720 with a reverse engineered/cloned
    Eico 730 homebrew plate modulator.

    I could not afford an SSB rig at first.
    This kicked ass on AM.

    Later, I built an HW-101, I got an employee discount for volunteer work.
    HS ham radio club built modified Heathkits for Handi-Hams.

    I enjoy the hell out of getting on AM still. My TS-850 does OK.

    But the Flex is better on AM RX, hell yeah.
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  2. #12
    "Usual Suspect" WZ7U's Avatar
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    I haven't played with AM since early in the cb daze, for me about 1973. I know I don't have the shizzle to pull it off so I don't bother. 40 watts and a hand mike doesn't cut it, so I don't embarrass myself. Someday maybe, just not today.

    I do envy you fuckurrz that can pull it off with style and panache.

    Forklifts to move radios; what a concept. I love it!

    Like that post was...
    Moving on, my posts are not helpful

  3. #13
    Conch Master suddenseer's Avatar
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    AM?, Is that when you turn the transmitter on, and off with that beepy thingy?

    cul de n8tb
    "Sadly, it always takes a few martyrs to get the ball rolling." Colonel Tim Boldman 2001
    "There are no differences but differences of degree between different degrees of difference and no difference."--William James
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  4. #14
    Administrator N8YX's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by suddenseer View Post
    AM?, Is that when you turn the transmitter on, and off with that beepy thingy?
    Yes, but Now With Added Modulation!
    "Everyone wants to be an AM Gangsta until it's time to start doing AM Gangsta shit."

  5. #15
    The Fluid of Spock KD8TUT's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by WZ7U View Post
    I haven't played with AM since early in the cb daze, for me about 1973. I know I don't have the shizzle to pull it off so I don't bother. 40 watts and a hand mike doesn't cut it, so I don't embarrass myself. Someday maybe, just not today.

    I do envy you fuckurrz that can pull it off with style and panache.

    Forklifts to move radios; what a concept. I love it!
    I do a little AM. But only answer the rare CQ. Been fun.

    But settling into those AM groups on 75 isn't quite my bag :)
    --
    So there I was, totally naked. With only a rubber hose and a stuffed animal...

  6. #16
    "Island Bartender" KG4CGC's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by KD8TUT View Post
    I do a little AM. But only answer the rare CQ. Been fun.

    But settling into those AM groups on 75 isn't quite my bag :)
    You have to be a real, full fledged, windbag to get in on those groups. There's also a technical reason for that. Something about getting the toobs hot for "full plate modulation." Their term, not mine.

  7. #17
    The Fluid of Spock KD8TUT's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by KG4CGC View Post
    You have to be a real, full fledged, windbag to get in on those groups. There's also a technical reason for that. Something about getting the toobs hot for "full plate modulation." Their term, not mine.
    I have no tubes- guess I'm safe :P
    --
    So there I was, totally naked. With only a rubber hose and a stuffed animal...

  8. #18
    Orca Whisperer PA5COR's Avatar
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    Surprisingly the FT 2000-D does quite well in AM, 50 watt carrier and 200 watts modulated, according the green anchor weight people i speak to in the AM round on 80.
    Not expected that from low level modulation, bt using the EQplus seems to add the needed punch.
    "If the Republicans will stop telling lies about the Democrats, we will stop
    telling the truth about them." - Adlai Stevenson (1900-1965)
    “I’m not liberal/conservative, I’m anti-idiotarian.”
    At some point in the last 20 years, the left moved to the center, and the right moved into a mental institution

  9. #19
    Administrator N8YX's Avatar
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    I snagged another FR-101 this past week. It's the digital version and came fully equipped - optional 6 and 2M converters, all filters (including the FM unit) and all SW range crystals. The arrival motivated me to drag my analog set onto the bench and rebuild its $@%$^ing VFO drive mechanism.

    Suffice it to say the while the electrical components of a surplus FL-101 VFO unit are the same as the receiver's, the mechanicals ARE NOT interchangeable.

    While the receiver's VFO was out of its chassis I did some experimentation with the mechanism and I -think- (fingers crossed) I have it fixed this time.

    Both receivers got a servicing with DeOxIt applied to bandswitch contacts and FaderLube applied to all potentiometers. The -S got a preselector tracking alignment once it was back together, the -D got the published anti-flicker mod for its readout (so if you tune above or below the band edges the display won't flash). Both also had their BFO and Mode circuits rewired to use the Narrow CW filter on RTTY.

    On a bench test, the new receiver drifted maybe 200Hz total from a cold start since last night. This is a lot better stability than just about any other non-synthesized rig I own.

    Next thing to do is to have a look at the FL-101 and see if a re-capping is necessary, then I'm going to mod the audio and modulator circuits for better-sounding yay-yem (per the Timtron). Also going to install 12 and 17M at the two "Aux" spots. Carol of Fox-Tango hooked me up with crystals a while back.
    "Everyone wants to be an AM Gangsta until it's time to start doing AM Gangsta shit."

  10. #20
    Administrator N8YX's Avatar
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    See my sig line.

    Everyone also wants to take the cheap-a$$ed way OUT of a problem when it comes to fixing such.

    Been chasing a transmitted hum in my FL-101 for some time. Yesterday I changed every electrolytic in the thing except for those on the AF Board; most of these will get replaced when I mod the board for better-sounding audio (above). Doing some research last night I stumbled upon a possibility: Heater-to-cathode shorts. It just so happens that I snagged a set of 6JS6Cs from a German vendor and they arrived earlier in the week.

    So...this morning I opened up the final compartment for a tube swap. The first one out was an OEM-spec'd green-banded Toshiba. The second one was a General Electric.

    What. The. Fugg.

    George, John and Eddie probably know this tidbit about U.S. vs. Japanese-produced sweep tubes, but for the rest of us: The interelectrode capacitances are different, as are the gain curves. A U.S.-made 6JS6C will NOT neutralize properly in a Yaesu of the FT-101/FL-101 vintage without a modification to the neutralizing circuit.

    The bad news: Swapping them for a pair of (condition unknown) OEM Toshibas did not address the issue. The good news was that the new set of tubes looks to produce full output. I still need to neutralize them after adding 12 and 17M to the rig. Listening to the output with a remote DC-powered receiver revealed an interesting phenomenon: The hum was completely gone unless the transmitter was loaded to the point that the HV began to sag and ripple.

    Chalk this up to a case of Common-Mode-Itis.

    Back to the test bench...
    "Everyone wants to be an AM Gangsta until it's time to start doing AM Gangsta shit."

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