Topics

1

Equipment / Icom IC-735 not tx, meter pegs hard left on mic key

« on: December 07, 2019, 0401 UTC »

Purchased a used Icom IC-735 that arrived today.  Seller said it worked fine.  I used to own an IC-735, so I'm pretty familiar with them, but it's also been a long time and maybe I'm just forgetting something basic.  When hooked up to either a dummy load or an antenna, there is zero transmit signal.  When the mic is keyed, the meter pegs hard left, and won't budge with any voice level or mic gain or RF power setting.  Monitoring from a Tecsun shortwave received nearby, there is absolutely no signal.  Receive seems to work fine. 

Not a huge deal if this sounds like it's dead as it has a 30 day return.  But I just don't want to go through the trouble of returning it if I'm missing something basic here that would cause it to not transmit.  I'm thinking it could be something as simple as a bad mic, or something as bad as a blown PF. 

2

Equipment / Connecting computer soundcard to older model Icoms

« on: November 30, 2019, 0234 UTC »

Looking for some recommendations on adapters that would allow connecting a computer sound card (through a simple 3.5 mm audio out cable) to an older model Icom radio, like the IC-735.  I used one years ago from MFJ:

https://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.php?productid=MFJ-1263

Worked good, but overpriced (as far as I'm concerned) and it takes up a lot of space.  Not to mention that they rarely have it in stock.  Today I was browsing around and found the Signalink:

https://www.gigaparts.com/tigertronics-slusb4r.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiAoIPvBRDgARIsAHsCw089mVrp9yx86sgjz3OOcwKOI3eErKbwtZabNQ2zASLB45ieeHYLZ1saAheXEALw_wcB

Seems like it might do the trick, but only slightly better in price.  Any other options out there I'm not thinking of? 

3

Equipment / Troubleshooting - 43 m tx kills wifi

« on: November 11, 2019, 1518 UTC »

Test #1:  Transmitting 20 watts AM, regulated power supply at 24 volts, 6925, auto-tuner, no amplifier.  Transmitter and all related gear located in the garage, with a coax feeder running out to mobile whip antenna mounted to the car. 

Test #2:  Moved the mobile whip out to the backyard (mounted on a deck railing), ran about 40' of counterpoise wire off the base.  Transmitter and all gear moved inside the house, coax feeder line running out to antenna through an open window.  MFJ-915 RF isolator at the bottom of the antenna to keep stray RF from running back in to the house. 

I've run both of these setups a hundred times before, albeit in a different house than where I am now and using a different transmitter (back then using a modified Icom 735).  Test 1 worked fine.  No problems, and could receive a clear carrier on my Tecsun.  No reports from anyone, but I didn't exactly expect that testing with a mobile whip.  Test 2, however, yikes!  Wifi in the house went dead immediately.  Checked the router and all the lights on it are blinking randomly like I just won the jackpot on a Vegas slot machine.     Turned on the Tecsun to monitor and all I get is a loud hum.  Not good.  Shut everything down.  Took me awhile to get the wifi working again, but eventually it was fine.  Moved it all back out to the garage and antenna on car...everything fine again.  Tried it inside one more time with antenna out back, wifi dead. 

I've done some research on this and it seems most people feel it's unlikely for HF transmissions to interfere with wifi, especially if there are no amplifiers being used.  The only thing I'm left with is stray RF getting back in to the house, which is scrambling the wifi router/signal.  But I'm using a brand new RF isolator.  Is it possible it's just bad?  Maybe poor grounding for the antenna?  Today I'm going to test the backyard setup with the transmitter and all gear on the back deck, outside the house.  I'm guessing that will narrow it down as far as RF getting back in the house as the problem. 

4

Equipment / How would you ground an antenna mount like this?

« on: November 11, 2019, 0300 UTC »

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1hE_6xib6rw5bT7MXz9B47QSYzstqqiGZ

I doubt the hitch receiver itself is going to be enough to ground it to the car body.  I'm thinking attaching an alligator clip to the base, connected to an appropriate length counterpoise wire, stationary of course  .  Any problems with this idea?

5

General Radio Discussion / Recent FCC activity on HF

« on: November 07, 2019, 1507 UTC »

I've been away for awhile, but have recently been looking at scratching my broadcasting "itch."  I'm curious if there has been any known recent FCC actions on HF pirates?  I recall even a few years ago that the general consensus was that they typically wouldn't bother with HF pirates as long as you stayed off the amateur bands and didn't interfere with other services like MARS.  But then I read earlier this year that the FCC was going to be ramping up targeting of pirates once again, including shortwave.  Anyway, just wondering if anyone has heard anything.  When I look on the FCC's pirate enforcement page, I still only see actions on FM pirates.