President McKinley adjustments..??

[Big Kahuna]

Are you using the stock microphone? Another thing to do - the stock microphone has the mic element hidden behind the plastic - it is actually facing up against the plastic case and that adds to the muffle of the radio audio. Either get a different mic on the radio - I use a Road Devil D104 noise canceling mic OR drill a hole to remove the plastic going to the element, I did this as well, the mic element is glued into the plastic really well and I couldn't remove it with damaging it - so I had to do the most careful drilling I could so I didn't just drill straight through the plastic and into the element.

Audio sounded so much better on the stock microphone once I made a hole to expose the element.

 

[CB590]

Are you using the stock microphone? Another thing to do - the stock microphone has the mic element hidden behind the plastic - it is actually facing up against the plastic case and that adds to the muffle of the radio audio. Either get a different mic on the radio - I use a Road Devil D104 noise canceling mic OR drill a hole to remove the plastic going to the element, I did this as well, the mic element is glued into the plastic really well and I couldn't remove it with damaging it - so I had to do the most careful drilling I could so I didn't just drill straight through the plastic and into the element.

Audio sounded so much better on the stock microphone once I made a hole to expose the element.

I'm running an Astatic 636L mic.. nothing fancy here. I was thinking RD D104 but am tight on funds and had the 636L here..

1 contact on 38L tonight said audio was still good and not garbled.. need a few more.. 38L was overloaded tonight as skip opened up..

 

[CB590]

So I played abit more with the ALC to see what I could get out of it on SSB..

At this position using a 2600hz tone from my cell phone I got a solid 8w 'carrier'.



When going a hair further and using same 2600hz tone I got only a 6w 'carrier'.



So needless to say I backed it off abit to the original spot as noted up top.

With the TS350 on open I get a solid 8 on the TS front meter when using same test.. I only did this once real quick..

Other things to note it seems like the radio meter, the power meter, and the TS output meter are all swinging in harmony.. which gives me a warm fuzzy feeling..

 

[Handy Andy]

.. which gives me a warm fuzzy feeling..

Hmmm. Careful, make sure you've identified the correct way of feeling We've been seeing Amps with cases of the "Creeping Crud" as of late - comes on like a rash...

 

[loosecannon]

if you are going to adjust your ALC without a scope, always use a tone generator, or a youtube video on your phone of a steady tone, and turn the radio's mic gain all the way up.

now transmit the tone in SSB and turn the alc control down almost all the way.
now watch your wattmeter as you transmit the tone, and adjust the ALC just to the point where the power stops increasing when you turn the control, then back it off just a hair from there.
it takes a couple of tries to get this right.

also remember on that when on SSB, your mic gain control is a variable RF power out control. you can set the radio to do however much power it will do without distortion, and then just set the mic gain control for what your amp or whatever wants to see.

the real way to get the ALC adjusted correctly is with a non harmonically related two tone signal and use a trapezoid pattern on your scope.
there are other ways im sure, but this is the one i have the most experience with.
LC

 

[jessejamesdallas]

I'm using a RF Xtream 2018 Mic with mine...The Mic is a 4 pin wired for Cobra/Galaxy radios, but works just fine with the McKinley using a 4-pin to 6 pin adapter...gives the radio a little more punch.

 

[CB590]

I was able to turn up the AM modulation to the edge, then back down.. got a constant audio report from a otr driver..

Nice to have some truck stops about 10 miles away.. went from suck to loud and clear.

@loosecannon that's why I used a constant tone when tuning the ALC.. didn't want to over do it.. I'm a hair below 8w carrier when pushing constant tone from my phone.. I was at 8 but backed it down a smidge..

Just did a 41 miles contact on Ch 31 on AM and 38 miles a little earlier..

Finally maybe it's all straight..

 

[loosecannon]

PA770,

I could tell when you said '2600hz' that you were using some sort of tone gen.

I tend to post things for general knowledge of those who may find this thread in the future while looking for answers to their own problems.
certainly didn't intend it to sound like i was correcting your methods if it sounded that way.

i am curious as to how you came up with 2600hz as the tone to use?

the reason i ask is that the standard is a 1000hz tone, and on SSB, usually a two tone signal is used, like say 500hz combined with 2400hz.

what i was trying to let you know was that you don't have to limit your SSB power using the internal ALC control as if it was like the AM carrier control.
you can set the ALC for the maximum the radio will do without distortion, and then use your external mic gain control to limit your output to 8 watts or whatever you want.
LC

 

[CB590]

PA770,

I could tell when you said '2600hz' that you were using some sort of tone gen.

I tend to post things for general knowledge of those who may find this thread in the future while looking for answers to their own problems.
certainly didn't intend it to sound like i was correcting your methods if it sounded that way.

i am curious as to how you came up with 2600hz as the tone to use?

the reason i ask is that the standard is a 1000hz tone, and on SSB, usually a two tone signal is used, like say 500hz combined with 2400hz.

what i was trying to let you know was that you don't have to limit your SSB power using the internal ALC control as if it was like the AM carrier control.
you can set the ALC for the maximum the radio will do without distortion, and then use your external mic gain control to limit your output to 8 watts or whatever you want.
LC

I figured if I can whistle to over 10w, I can maybe find a tone with similar tone to my whistle level. Played with app and came up with 2600 by playing. Didn't know SSB had a certain hz..

I knew 1khz was for AM by reading online.

I tested with mic gain up all the way via front control as I didn't know to set it low to set the ALC pot, I came up with 8w carrier using the 2600 tone.. when playing with ALC pot.. was 4w (in factory setting), then 6w, then 8w after adjusting.. since not scientific I backed it down to 7 to be safe with mic gain maxed out..

I would go back in to readjust the ALC with mic gain down but I think right now I'm good..

Seems to be swinging nicely now in SSB and AM now..

 

[SMILEX2692002]

Check this video out...around 24:30 he tells ya where the Modulation and SSB pot's are at...On mine modulation was around 75% out of the box, and SSB about 6 or 7watts...After adjustments I now have full 100% modulation and 12w on SSB....This really is the only adjustments you should need to make with this radio.

AMC is Modulation
ALC (look's like PLC) is your SSB watts...adjust to 12w swing

I don't have the oscilloscope so how can one tell what the am modulation is set at out of the box?
I have a dosey test center that has the modulation scale but I doubt that would be very accurate?
if I put a power mic on the radio out of the box would it be just as loud as turning up the AMC control. I don't want to turn it up too much and then I'm splattering the band ie flat topping I guess is what would be shown on the oscilloscope

 

[SMILEX2692002]

I don't have the oscilloscope so how can one tell what the am modulation is set at out of the box?
I have a dosey test center that has the modulation scale but I doubt that would be very accurate?
if I put a power mic on the radio out of the box would it be just as loud as turning up the AMC control. I don't want to turn it up too much and then I'm splattering the band ie flat topping I guess is what would be shown on the oscilloscope

Probably just leave it factory and run a 2 pill amp.

 

[jessejamesdallas]

I don't have the oscilloscope so how can one tell what the am modulation is set at out of the box?
I have a dosey test center that has the modulation scale but I doubt that would be very accurate?
if I put a power mic on the radio out of the box would it be just as loud as turning up the AMC control. I don't want to turn it up too much and then I'm splattering the band ie flat topping I guess is what would be shown on the oscilloscope

Thats what I used...Dosy's modulation scale...When you first see what it's doing on the scale, it should be under 100%...All you have to do then is adjust the pot till you get to 100%...

Just a side note...Just adjust the thing till it peaks on the meter...it's not going to splatter! You have to keep a eye tho on your meter when adjusting the pot, because it has no stopping point like the old ones did...It will keep turning and the modulation will just go in circles if your not watching a watt meter.

 

[dieseldriver]

Old thread, I know...

I now have one of these. After tune, once the radio is fully warmed up, it will not receive on LSB.

Any ideas?

 

[davew41]

No idea if this link provides proper illustration of the USA model but here is a link
https://radioaficion.com/news/president-mckinley-eu-expanded/
There is a pdf file there attached with items marked it is marked as download adjustments..

 

[Handy Andy]

Old thread, I know...

I now have one of these. After tune, once the radio is fully warmed up, it will not receive on LSB.

Any ideas?

Have several, but what is done to this radio?

You reference "After Tune" - so what was done?
Any ideas? Else - no one can take you to the next step unless you get the thing working right.

On a secondary note...

AMC and ALC - but the poor letter A of the ALC got truncated...