Re: [Drakelist] thoughts
thanks to everyone who replied I really wasn't expecting that, I was just expressing my thoughts. It's nice to know others feel the same way but apparently not as apprehensive as me (smile). The suggestions are also helpful. Again, thanks. 73 Ron, wb1hga ___ Drakelist mailing list Drakelist@zerobeat.net http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist
[Drakelist] thoughts
Gang, I been enjoying the Drake TR4C for a spell, then let it rest awhile while using my current solid state radios. I decided to return to Drakes and whoa! I forget how to tune these babies. I had to re-learn (has something to do with my grey hair I suppose). I was wondering if you guys get nervous too during the tuning process so as not to ruin the finals. It just scares me sometimes 72 Ron, wb1hga ___ Drakelist mailing list Drakelist@zerobeat.net http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist
Re: [Drakelist] thoughts
You should be able to tune that baby very quickly, maybe 5 secs. practice at LOW GAIN levels until you have it memoized. The most important two things IMHO are: 1) Immediately dip the plate and keep it dipped 2) Don't go PAST the load setting that gives MAX smoke out. 73, Lee -Original Message- From: ron ronc...@verizon.net To: drakelist drakelist@zerobeat.net Sent: Fri, Aug 5, 2011 11:21 am Subject: [Drakelist] thoughts Gang, I been enjoying the Drake TR4C for a spell, then let it rest awhile while using my current solid state radios. I decided to return to Drakes and whoa! I forget how to tune these babies. I had to re-learn (has something to do with my grey hair I suppose). I was wondering if you guys get nervous too during the tuning process so as not to ruin the finals. It just scares me sometimes 72 Ron, wb1hga ___ Drakelist mailing list Drakelist@zerobeat.net http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist ___ Drakelist mailing list Drakelist@zerobeat.net http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist
Re: [Drakelist] thoughts
I have been using a homebrew tuning 'pecker' for years without ruining the finals in my Drake's or my SB200 amp. They allow tuning the finals without stressing them. The only requirement is that you use a peak reading wattmeter. Here is a link if you are interested. http://www.3898pecker.com/ 73' Jerry K4FJK -Original Message- From: ron Sent: Friday, August 05, 2011 11:20 AM To: drakelist@zerobeat.net Subject: [Drakelist] thoughts Gang, I been enjoying the Drake TR4C for a spell, then let it rest awhile while using my current solid state radios. I decided to return to Drakes and whoa! I forget how to tune these babies. I had to re-learn (has something to do with my grey hair I suppose). I was wondering if you guys get nervous too during the tuning process so as not to ruin the finals. It just scares me sometimes 72 Ron, wb1hga ___ Drakelist mailing list Drakelist@zerobeat.net http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist ___ Drakelist mailing list Drakelist@zerobeat.net http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist
Re: [Drakelist] thoughts
Hi Ron, I remember reading a tip once on one of these lists about tuning your transmitter by putting it in spot mode and finding the signal with your receiver and peaking the pre-selector and the plate using the receiver's s-meter. Well, it worked ok for me on the pre-selector, but I could never get a peak with the plate control (the most important one for your finals). But, through eperimentation I stumbled across a way that works great for me. I put the transmitter in tune with the gain turned all the way down. Then find the signal with the receiver. The signal should still be very strong. Then I just peak everything for the highest s-meter reading. If the s-meter is too high, tune the receiver slightly off frequency to get a lower s-meter reading so you can easily see the peaks. once you have peaked everything, it should be very close to resonance and you can then turn the gain up and touch up the tuning again. This way your finals aren't being driven very hard or at all when your searching around for the correct plate adjustment. It works for me because I was also nervous and way too slow using the conventional method of tuning up. Have Fun, Bob K6GGO I have been using a homebrew tuning 'pecker' for years without ruining the finals in my Drake's or my SB200 amp. They allow tuning the finals without stressing them. The only requirement is that you use a peak reading wattmeter. Here is a link if you are interested. http://www.3898pecker.com/ 73' Jerry K4FJK -Original Message- From: ron Sent: Friday, August 05, 2011 11:20 AM To: drakelist@zerobeat.net Subject: [Drakelist] thoughts Gang, I been enjoying the Drake TR4C for a spell, then let it rest awhile while using my current solid state radios. I decided to return to Drakes and whoa! I forget how to tune these babies. I had to re-learn (has something to do with my grey hair I suppose). I was wondering if you guys get nervous too during the tuning process so as not to ruin the finals. It just scares me sometimes 72 Ron, wb1hga ___ Drakelist mailing list Drakelist@zerobeat.net http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist ___ Drakelist mailing list Drakelist@zerobeat.net http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist ___ Drakelist mailing list Drakelist@zerobeat.net http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist
Re: [Drakelist] thoughts
Ron, What can help is to make yourself a cheat sheet so you can quickly determine the steps to go through during tune up. Reading an extended, vague, narrative while key down and tuning up is not good practice, hi hi. Too, the AC-4 should be in good operating condition with respect to the bias supply so if it hasn't been rebuilt yet, it needs to be. Too, using a tuning pulser or a CW keyer sending dots can be useful during tune up. Also, as part of tune up, having a PEP or other wattmeter to look for power out during tune up can be useful; if you're doing things by the book and output isn't quite right, then you know not to proceed until a problem is found. What can really help is to tune up into a dummy load first, then go to the real world. Enjoy those Drakes and don't forget the Drake nets. 73, Evan, K9SQG -Original Message- From: ron ronc...@verizon.net To: drakelist drakelist@zerobeat.net Sent: Fri, Aug 5, 2011 7:21 am Subject: [Drakelist] thoughts Gang, I been enjoying the Drake TR4C for a spell, then let it rest awhile while using my current solid state radios. I decided to return to Drakes and whoa! I forget how to tune these babies. I had to re-learn (has something to do with my grey hair I suppose). I was wondering if you guys get nervous too during the tuning process so as not to ruin the finals. It just scares me sometimes 72 Ron, wb1hga ___ Drakelist mailing list Drakelist@zerobeat.net http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist ___ Drakelist mailing list Drakelist@zerobeat.net http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist
Re: [Drakelist] thoughts
Bob, Yep...works great and I do that the first time to a new band...then from then on, just re-dip the plate, and touch up the load a little. 73, Lee, KC9CDT -Original Message- From: Robert Fish rwf...@comcast.net To: Jerry Semones grand...@insightbb.com Cc: drakelist drakelist@zerobeat.net Sent: Fri, Aug 5, 2011 11:55 am Subject: Re: [Drakelist] thoughts Hi Ron, I remember reading a tip once on one of these lists about tuning your transmitter by putting it in spot mode and finding the signal with your receiver and peaking the pre-selector and the plate using the receiver's s-meter. Well, it worked ok for me on the pre-selector, but I could never get a peak with the plate control (the most important one for your finals). But, through eperimentation I stumbled across a way that works great for me. I put the transmitter in tune with the gain turned all the way down. Then find the signal with the receiver. The signal should still be very strong. Then I just peak everything for the highest s-meter reading. If the s-meter is too high, tune the receiver slightly off frequency to get a lower s-meter reading so you can easily see the peaks. once you have peaked everything, it should be very close to resonance and you can then turn the gain up and touch up the tuning again. This way your finals aren't being driven very hard or at all when your searching around for the correct plate adjustment. It works for me because I was also nervous and way too slow using the conventional method of tuning up. Have Fun, Bob K6GGO I have been using a homebrew tuning 'pecker' for years without ruining the finals in my Drake's or my SB200 amp. They allow tuning the finals without stressing them. The only requirement is that you use a peak reading wattmeter. Here is a link if you are interested. http://www.3898pecker.com/ 73' Jerry K4FJK -Original Message- From: ron Sent: Friday, August 05, 2011 11:20 AM To: drakelist@zerobeat.net Subject: [Drakelist] thoughts Gang, I been enjoying the Drake TR4C for a spell, then let it rest awhile while using my current solid state radios. I decided to return to Drakes and whoa! I forget how to tune these babies. I had to re-learn (has something to do with my grey hair I suppose). I was wondering if you guys get nervous too during the tuning process so as not to ruin the finals. It just scares me sometimes 72 Ron, wb1hga ___ Drakelist mailing list Drakelist@zerobeat.net http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist ___ Drakelist mailing list Drakelist@zerobeat.net http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist ___ Drakelist mailing list Drakelist@zerobeat.net http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist ___ Drakelist mailing list Drakelist@zerobeat.net http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist
Re: [Drakelist] thoughts
On Fri, 5 Aug 2011 11:29:25 -0400, Jerry Semones wrote: I have been using a homebrew tuning 'pecker' for years without ruining the finals in my Drake's or my SB200 amp. They allow tuning the finals without stressing them. The only requirement is that you use a peak reading wattmeter. I had an old 1-gig MP3 player that I wasn't using for anything, so I built a 5-minute pulsed 1 KHz audio file in Audacity and loaded it on the player. I rigged up a small earpiece speaker out of a scrap communications headset to it, with a cuff to slip over the mic (I could have hardwired it ti the mic circuit, but I was in a hurry to see if it actually worked). It works great, and I never saw the need for a peak reading wattmeter. The ballistics of the meter movements average out nicely, and at 50% duty cycle, all the readings come out about half of what one would expect peak to be. 73 -Jim -- Ham Radio NU0C Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.S.A. TR7/RV7/R7A/L7, TR6/RV6, T4XC/R4C/L4B, NCL2000, SB104A, R390A, GT550A/RV550A, HyGain 3750, IBM PS/2 - all vintage, all the time! Give a man a URL, and he will learn for an hour; teach him to Google, and he will learn for a lifetime. HyGain 3750 User's Group - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HyGain_3750/ http://incolor.inetnebr.com/jshorney http://www.nebraskaghosts.org ___ Drakelist mailing list Drakelist@zerobeat.net http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist
