This account was with a SoftRock 6.2 Lite but probably applies to most SoftRocks when testing out or trouble shooting receive mode.
I am very new to HF. I just got my ticket in January. So I thought I'd share my problem I had even though it amounts to ignorance remedied along with associated embarassment, I feel it may help others with their trouble shooting. Problem: SoftRock constructed, connected and NO discernable code signals on the waterfall. I spent the evening checking all the solder joints for bridging and cold solder spots, and look over the toroid core windings with magnifying spectacles to make sure no wires were bare and shorting there. So it was a bit late but everything looked good enough to check again and I wasn't going to sleep 'til I did so I connected everything together and was very disapointed again. http://76.215.206.54/wow/arx/emptynight.jpg ... went to bed feeling loosy about it. I got up in the morning and switch the power on and I saw loads of code. "Wow!" it works great. I wondered why it was working all of the sudden when it seemed stone cold dead the nite before. http://76.215.206.54/wow/arx/busyday3.jpg Well most of you are probably saying the answer out load at this point, THE BAND WAS NOT OPEN LATE AT NIGHT when I was prone to do my testing. This SoftRock was on 20 meters by the way. Bottom Line: Consider band opening when you test. For 20 meters it seems to be closed down where I live during nite time hours. -- Charles WC5MC
