IC-746 FAQ
8.20
How do “zero-beat” a CW signal?
Zero beating ensures that your CW signal is being sent at exactly the same frequency as the
received signal.
First, make sure that RIT is turned OFF. Then, use one of the following two techniques:
•
Adjust the frequency of the radio to where the pitch of the received CW signal is the
same as your sidetone pitch. Your accuracy may depend upon your ability to remember a
perceived pitch. Most people can get to within 10 Hz this way.
•
Adjust the frequency of the radio until the pitch of the received CW signal is the same in
CW mode as CW-R mode. By A/B comparison, you can reliably get to within 5Hz.
Either of these techniques will work very well. There are other approaches, but these two are
the simplest, most convenient, and the most popular.
Yes, it can be tough to "zero beat" a side tone against dits and dahs, but it takes very little
effort to get close enough to put your signal within the person’s passband so that he will hear
you, even if he is using an extremely narrow filter.
Beware; if you turn off break-in operation so that you can hear your sidetone simultaneously
with the other signal, then you must remember to turn it back on again. Otherwise, you
won’t actually be transmitting; you’ll just be practicing your code.
Page 98 of 113
2003-02-08
