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ssb adjusting question??
- Thread starter 1iwilly
- Start date
When they quack, turn it left
When they hoot, turn it right
— that’s all I know, but it works.
When they hoot, turn it right
— that’s all I know, but it works.
Either your new freq counter isn't properly calibrated, or your 1khz generator is off freq too; or the person who you are trying to talk to is off freq.
That is all there is . . .
That is all there is . . .
Inside a frequency counter is a quartz crystal, and usually an adjustment trimmer.
Inside a radio you'll find more than one crystal that affects channel frequency, and adjustments to set those, too.
A counter may be no closer to reading the right frequency than the radio is to delivering the right frequency.
Without an accurate reference to compare to, there's a good chance that both of them are off by some amount. Frequency counters will drift with the passage of time and need to be calibrated from time to time.
73
Inside a radio you'll find more than one crystal that affects channel frequency, and adjustments to set those, too.
A counter may be no closer to reading the right frequency than the radio is to delivering the right frequency.
Without an accurate reference to compare to, there's a good chance that both of them are off by some amount. Frequency counters will drift with the passage of time and need to be calibrated from time to time.
73
Only proper way is to connect freq meter inside radio.
This will solve your problems.
To calibrate your counter buy 20MHz TCXO from ebay/aliexpress and you can calibrate/check your meter.
Mike
This will solve your problems.
To calibrate your counter buy 20MHz TCXO from ebay/aliexpress and you can calibrate/check your meter.
Mike
@1iwilly - What are you trying to do?
SSB is not hard to tune, with the right setup - but it can easily turn into a monster when you make it too complex.
It's the 1kHz tone stuff - why use it?
Throws someone not familiar with how SSB frequencies mix - off big time.
SSB is not hard to tune, with the right setup - but it can easily turn into a monster when you make it too complex.
It's the 1kHz tone stuff - why use it?
Throws someone not familiar with how SSB frequencies mix - off big time.
the meter that i had where i could use tp-1 for adjustment went bad so my next option was this freq counter i'm trying to find one with the RCA jack in the back but they are used and i'm not trusting them .andy i'm just making sure my sideband is on freq might be selling the radio down the road
Got a spare SSB radio that already is tuned up? I mean at least people like to hear you on?
That one then becomes (Turns into) what you tune the radio you are working on, to. Your Monitor radio
Use your voice, you can then hear, in near perfect pitch, how your voice is reproduced in the MONITOR radio - then you simply tweak the two coils - one for the Clarifier which operates the AN610 (SSB modulator) and the other IF is from the PLL - the two work together for that particular mode - so you can then hear how you sound.
IT takes time and patience but you can accomplish a SSB tune up far easier and faster using your own voice thru a monitor radio you can trust.
That one then becomes (Turns into) what you tune the radio you are working on, to. Your Monitor radio
Use your voice, you can then hear, in near perfect pitch, how your voice is reproduced in the MONITOR radio - then you simply tweak the two coils - one for the Clarifier which operates the AN610 (SSB modulator) and the other IF is from the PLL - the two work together for that particular mode - so you can then hear how you sound.
IT takes time and patience but you can accomplish a SSB tune up far easier and faster using your own voice thru a monitor radio you can trust.
probably not related but we had a cber here in town always done am but when he decided to do ssb he complained the whole time he couldnt get the other person in right,,, went over to his house and watch him try it out,, what he was doing was trying to get the other station in as clear as a am sound,,, told him it would never happen,, he quit ssb,,,
this is for my 148 and 2000gtl they are both tune the same way so yes when i use either one to listen for my voice tone it's dead on 12 oclock and clear and of course not like am but a readable voice so yes maybe the other station could be off and blaming it on my antic radios LOL
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Did the same person tune both radios? I ask because if 2 radios are both tuned identically wrong, then they'll match up identically....
The concepts of SSB is not for fidelity, but PITCH - the monotone of your predominate tone (tonal range) of your voice.
So to throw on a single 1kHz tone versus the use of what many deem a standard, two-tone - is part of the problem. You can get many tones - but they are spaced evenly forcing you to hear a zerobeat of one what seems to be a solid tone, is the fundamental of the mixing of two others - you start to hear garbage.
Why waste your time with that?
IT is better to use your voice or even a small table radio music as the source then you can hear how the SSB section takes in, filters out and reproduces just specific tones of music your ear hears.
The key word here is - what your ears hear - and your brain perceives.
Many "tone deaf" users have the biggest problem with SSB use. I'm not saying your tone deaf, but your ears need to be "trained" if not reminded - on occasion, to listen for SPECIFIC range of frequencies the SSB radio will pass - you just have to relearn what you sound like on your radios to obtain the "pitch" that you stay with that others should be able to tune into and understand you.
IT is not my position in life to tell you what you need to do, I'm only trying to GUIDE you in what you SHOULD do in retaining yourself to hear your own voice in anothers' radio so you can then focus on being UNDERSTOOD more clearly with what that radio has to work with, than to use Hi-Fi mods or any sort of Fidelity above and beyond what radios' others use, can hear you as.
So to throw on a single 1kHz tone versus the use of what many deem a standard, two-tone - is part of the problem. You can get many tones - but they are spaced evenly forcing you to hear a zerobeat of one what seems to be a solid tone, is the fundamental of the mixing of two others - you start to hear garbage.
Why waste your time with that?
IT is better to use your voice or even a small table radio music as the source then you can hear how the SSB section takes in, filters out and reproduces just specific tones of music your ear hears.
The key word here is - what your ears hear - and your brain perceives.
Many "tone deaf" users have the biggest problem with SSB use. I'm not saying your tone deaf, but your ears need to be "trained" if not reminded - on occasion, to listen for SPECIFIC range of frequencies the SSB radio will pass - you just have to relearn what you sound like on your radios to obtain the "pitch" that you stay with that others should be able to tune into and understand you.
IT is not my position in life to tell you what you need to do, I'm only trying to GUIDE you in what you SHOULD do in retaining yourself to hear your own voice in anothers' radio so you can then focus on being UNDERSTOOD more clearly with what that radio has to work with, than to use Hi-Fi mods or any sort of Fidelity above and beyond what radios' others use, can hear you as.
ok thanks for the replies but again this is about did i use the correct method to make sure lsb/usb are correct on frequency i know all about the clarifier and tunning a person in been that i can't tune it like the repair manual says using tp-1
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You really can't - which is why the "test tone" approach is even used, but then it is not perfect.
So then you (the owner or tech or insert favorite tinkerers here) come in to try and make it right.
That is the crux of the problem - any stock radio is at the mercy of the last tech that tuned it (OEM).
So you can't even call it "stock" because of the minor differences in the component selection changes the result of what it could be . So they drag someone in to try make it "sound right" - you have to involved the human factor - and not a lot of them seem to even understand the roles Heterodyne plays in the SSB realm; for them to even know what they really do need to sound like.
Hence your problem and what you need to do to make it right.
That's is the hardest part - what do I need to do to sound right?
Each mode has it's quirks.
LSB is easier to work with because the coils inductive effects offset the LOWER side of the channel / Frequency. (Easier to use inductance)
USB - in light of the Cobra 2000/148's use a variable CAPACITOR to offset the rise you will need to correctly set the those same effects but in a HIGHER frequency range above the channel / Frequency. (have to add/subtract capacitance - has it's own quirks and sensitivities)
So to say "I'm using TP1" - well, then you set it, then someone comes along and sez' "your off" - to what?
There's the problem - to each radio - your radio will be different - it's not your fault they are, it is just that it does happen - so you need the "Human factor" to inject their own voice or other known reference to help clear up the differences.
On top of, did you truly set the Clarifier to STEADY 8 volt constant?
Might want to make sure your 8 volts of trimming is arriving to the board from that Delta Tune pot, is STAYING the same in both RX and TX.
You think I learned this overnight? Slept on a "Book of Radio by William Orr" so answers couid float up into my head in each night?
Heck no!
It took effort, applied, then retried and reapplied - to make the effort right.
You do your best to make it right - each time you tune you learn a little more for the next time to make it easier.
.
So then you (the owner or tech or insert favorite tinkerers here) come in to try and make it right.
That is the crux of the problem - any stock radio is at the mercy of the last tech that tuned it (OEM).
So you can't even call it "stock" because of the minor differences in the component selection changes the result of what it could be . So they drag someone in to try make it "sound right" - you have to involved the human factor - and not a lot of them seem to even understand the roles Heterodyne plays in the SSB realm; for them to even know what they really do need to sound like.
Hence your problem and what you need to do to make it right.
That's is the hardest part - what do I need to do to sound right?
Each mode has it's quirks.
LSB is easier to work with because the coils inductive effects offset the LOWER side of the channel / Frequency. (Easier to use inductance)
USB - in light of the Cobra 2000/148's use a variable CAPACITOR to offset the rise you will need to correctly set the those same effects but in a HIGHER frequency range above the channel / Frequency. (have to add/subtract capacitance - has it's own quirks and sensitivities)
So to say "I'm using TP1" - well, then you set it, then someone comes along and sez' "your off" - to what?
There's the problem - to each radio - your radio will be different - it's not your fault they are, it is just that it does happen - so you need the "Human factor" to inject their own voice or other known reference to help clear up the differences.
On top of, did you truly set the Clarifier to STEADY 8 volt constant?
Might want to make sure your 8 volts of trimming is arriving to the board from that Delta Tune pot, is STAYING the same in both RX and TX.
You think I learned this overnight? Slept on a "Book of Radio by William Orr" so answers couid float up into my head in each night?
Heck no!
It took effort, applied, then retried and reapplied - to make the effort right.You do your best to make it right - each time you tune you learn a little more for the next time to make it easier.
.