Time to do the Icom 746 alignment
Goal: check/optimize receiver adjustments.
Some 5 years ago this rig has been upgraded with INRAD SSB and CW filters and the RX gain setting was changed.
The master LO is dead on 60Mhz, showing 8Hz offset. The Philips PM6615 frequency counter (incl txco) was calibrated >5yrs ago. It is within 10Hz from the Marconi 2955 which was calibrated when I bought it in Germany in......ooh well!
What settings were re-aligned?
- LPL VCO Lock voltage; level at 1.84V instead of 2.0V
- RX peak L241
- Receiver total gain; setting from '38' back to '32' (about 30deg. on the potm)
All other adjustments proved within specs.
The software menu adjustment procedure was skipped; s-meter settings and stuff do not make QSO's.
Hooked up the 746, just in time to work TO5E (st Barthelemy dx-pedition), COOL!
Pity my logging software(DXBase 2006) is so difficult to upgrade with new countries; already 3 not recognized: E7 Hercegovina, 4O3 Montenegro and the TO5.
Time to collect stuff from my garden-house:
From left to right:
- 5el +boom parts 6m DK7ZB home made yagi
- 10m fibreglass DJ6NI pole for K9AY setup
- 10m Alu mast (70mm bottom, 35mm top)
- Comet GP3 2m/70cm packet antenna
- Rotor cable
- 'Tool' to find clear HF frequency, manage pile-up etc. :)
Good propagation today on 6m!
This morning, while eating my cereals, I worked Man JL8GFB on 50095.5 He was in and out the noise but very LOUD. I touched him on a few occasions but due to QSB he copied my callsign only partly. With some patience I wkd him during his peak some 20 minutes later. Check out his breathtaking setup at:
http://air.ap.teacup.com/jl8gfb/
6m band is exploding today; zillions of signals calling asia and many other directions. Just wkd CN & CT3 which brings the country total at 46 for 2008.
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