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late model Ram - quick and dirty radio mount
- Thread starter 2NC995
- Start date
Well, I thought I smoked my rig today due to an antenna issue, but the DEIs in the DX500 held up to some abuse. I had a few clues along the way that I foolishly didn’t pay mind to:
1. SWR on the radio (reading the input into the amp) was showing higher than usual. I don’t typically pay any attention to it, because on SSB it dances around anyway. But usually it still stays under 2.0, and today it approached the 3s.
2. Had a hard time talking. I worked a couple stations, but others that seemed within reach never heard me. But that’s how DX is sometimes.
3. I noticed I was cranking the volume to the right, and even all the way to max. I could hear plenty of stations, so I chalked it up to them being weak signals. I usually run it pretty high anyway.
I should NOT have let these things slide, however. Knowing I needed to get back home and pass out candy, I made a call on a calling freq and QSYd to a quiet one. I repeated my call and about halfway through the amplifier unkeyed. Thinking I bumbled the mic, I keyed again and tried to finish the call, but it unkeyed again after a few seconds. I waited and listened, but nothing. So I tried again, and the amp unkeyed immediately this time, and I happened to catch the digital SWR....8.0. Uh-oh, the radio was turning off for SWR, and it’s reading the amp and not the antenna.
I turned the amp off, fearing it was already too late, and tried the radio into the antenna on AM. SWR protection again.
Worried that I had water in my Wilson, I unscrewed it and checked. Nothing. So I pulled the whip holder off the top of the coil, and there it was. The brass stud was completely black.
I went home and cleaned it up, and everything is back in working order, but this is a new one by me. I had a Wilson 1000 at work, on top of a Volvo loader for a decade without issue.
Anyway, just glad the rig survived, and I’m now reminded to pay attention to warning signs.
1. SWR on the radio (reading the input into the amp) was showing higher than usual. I don’t typically pay any attention to it, because on SSB it dances around anyway. But usually it still stays under 2.0, and today it approached the 3s.
2. Had a hard time talking. I worked a couple stations, but others that seemed within reach never heard me. But that’s how DX is sometimes.
3. I noticed I was cranking the volume to the right, and even all the way to max. I could hear plenty of stations, so I chalked it up to them being weak signals. I usually run it pretty high anyway.
I should NOT have let these things slide, however. Knowing I needed to get back home and pass out candy, I made a call on a calling freq and QSYd to a quiet one. I repeated my call and about halfway through the amplifier unkeyed. Thinking I bumbled the mic, I keyed again and tried to finish the call, but it unkeyed again after a few seconds. I waited and listened, but nothing. So I tried again, and the amp unkeyed immediately this time, and I happened to catch the digital SWR....8.0. Uh-oh, the radio was turning off for SWR, and it’s reading the amp and not the antenna.
I turned the amp off, fearing it was already too late, and tried the radio into the antenna on AM. SWR protection again.
Worried that I had water in my Wilson, I unscrewed it and checked. Nothing. So I pulled the whip holder off the top of the coil, and there it was. The brass stud was completely black.
I went home and cleaned it up, and everything is back in working order, but this is a new one by me. I had a Wilson 1000 at work, on top of a Volvo loader for a decade without issue.
Anyway, just glad the rig survived, and I’m now reminded to pay attention to warning signs.
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Fun looking back at how the setup has evolved.
Now running:
-Lincoln II+
-Factory Mic (after trying MANY)
-DX1600
-102” whip
-Puck mount
-4 Farad cap
-West Mountain Radio DSP speaker (new today).
The only “mod” to anything is a keying circuit added to the radio and RF keying in amp disabled/modified to suit.
The 102 is working well. Tied down riding around (and still works great) and upright for DX. For a longer trip I’d probably switch back to the Texas...a good antenna and a notch above the Wilson.
The DX1600 is cruising along with low drive. Capacitor is there not in hopes of producing more power, but to help keep my alternator from chasing the voltage all over the place on SSB (a task it seems to perform well). It shows me 900ish truck on, I imagine after a few hours of DXing with the truck off it’s only doing 600 or so...or at least that’s what the ammeter and some math would indicate.
Only problem..the DX1600 is actually a bit much. The DX500 was a better balance. Could work what I heard, could hear most anyone who heard me. The difference seems enough that I’m often copied with nothing in my Rx...which I’m sure is frustrating for the other end.
Anyway, good fun. No more changes planned for anytime soon.
Now running:
-Lincoln II+
-Factory Mic (after trying MANY)
-DX1600
-102” whip
-Puck mount
-4 Farad cap
-West Mountain Radio DSP speaker (new today).
The only “mod” to anything is a keying circuit added to the radio and RF keying in amp disabled/modified to suit.
The 102 is working well. Tied down riding around (and still works great) and upright for DX. For a longer trip I’d probably switch back to the Texas...a good antenna and a notch above the Wilson.
The DX1600 is cruising along with low drive. Capacitor is there not in hopes of producing more power, but to help keep my alternator from chasing the voltage all over the place on SSB (a task it seems to perform well). It shows me 900ish truck on, I imagine after a few hours of DXing with the truck off it’s only doing 600 or so...or at least that’s what the ammeter and some math would indicate.
Only problem..the DX1600 is actually a bit much. The DX500 was a better balance. Could work what I heard, could hear most anyone who heard me. The difference seems enough that I’m often copied with nothing in my Rx...which I’m sure is frustrating for the other end.
Anyway, good fun. No more changes planned for anytime soon.
Sure, I can update the pics soon.
Power for the amp is down the driver’s side frame, and up through the rear floor pan via the drain plug. 2 AWG. I don’t use plastic loom for this, but woven hydraulic line sleeve. It’s the same thing I’ve used on dozens of farm trucks for plug-in jumper cable installs (power pole in front grill).
Radio power is also straight to the battery, but via the firewall.
Coax is (beginning at radio) under the weather tech mat straight down the drivetrain “hump”. From the amp, up the “C” pillar on the pass side. RG8x radio to amp, and RG213 to puck.
Just made a good video of DSP in action RXing a station from Brazil.
Will upload tonight. Amazes me!
Will upload tonight. Amazes me!
DSP starts at 0 ramps up at about 10 seconds into the video..the neighborhood QRM fades or nearly disappears.
I never went above 9 o’clock on the DSP dial for this video (dial starts at 7ish).
In the receive is Valdecyr, 3AT059, in Southern Brasil. He is about 4500 miles to my south..he is talking to Europe.
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.385 at various settings on the DSP.
Worked excellent for me today!
Worked excellent for me today!
Shadetree Mechanic
Delaware Base Station 808
I usually find my best setting between 9 and 12 o'clock. It seems to help me to turn the noise blanker off and even reduce the RF gain. There was a thread here somewhere a while back that the receive amplifies the noise more than the signal. So reducing the RF gain actually helps the signal to noise ratio and helps the signal get stronger in comparison to the noise. This the same reason people don't like a preamp on the receive. So basically, turn the RF gain down and the volume up. Try it and see if it helps. The DSP also helps the signals that seem to transmit static with their signal.
Now I want to put it in my truck and check out / find some DX spots down by the water. Haha!
Now I want to put it in my truck and check out / find some DX spots down by the water. Haha!
I Never operate without my ClearSpeech DSP units or speaker.I HATE Noise so I make it go away.
SIX-SHOOTER
There’s a few sweet spots to be found where Radio and Speaker controls intersect.
.