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Antennas
1-800-773- 7931 W W W .PALST AR.CO M
SSB signal in AM mode, you will hear a highly distorted sound,
often described as being a "Donald Duck" type of sound. To prop-
erly hear the audio, a local replacement for the carrier is provided
by the BFO.
The "USB" and "LSB" mode buttons on the front of your Palstar
R30A are pre-tuned and optimized BFO settings for the reception
of Upper and Lower Sideband signals. You must choose the cor-
rect one: listening to USB in the LSB mode or vice-versa will result
in more distortion. To avoid confusion over which to use, Hams by
agreement use LSB on 160, 80, and 40 Meters, and USB on the
bands above that. Shortwave broadcasters tend to use USB.
Having chosen the correct USB or LSB setting, as you tune across
a SSB signal the audio pitch will change, and you will reach a
point where the voice becomes understandable, and it finally will
reach a normal sounding pitch. If you continue to tune past, the
pitch will again change.
ANTENNAS
Previously we talked about the relationship between frequency
and wavelength. Antennas work best when their length is a signifi-
cant fraction (i.e. 1/4 or 1/2) of a wavelength. That means that an
antenna gives its ideal best performance on only one frequency.
Since the Palstar R30A receives from 100 kHz to 30 MHz, the
range of wavelengths it covers is from 3000 Meters to 10 Meters,
so no single antenna can give optimal performance on all frequen-
cies.
Fortunately, receiving antennas are less demanding than transmit-
ting antennas, and adequate performance can be had with quite
simple arrangements. If you live in an ordinary frame or brick
home, surprisingly good results can be had with a wire strung
around the walls of a room. Just strip 1/4" (10 mm) or so of the
insulation from one end and connect it to the Red terminal on the
antenna terminal block on the back of the R30A. The wire can be
simple 22 gauge insulated hookup wire. If you don't have a metal
roof, effective wire antennas can also be strung in attics.
You may desire the improved performance that an outdoor an-
tenna provides, or, if you live in a steel-reinforced or metal-sided
Front Panel Functions
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1-800-773- 7931 W W W .PALST AR.CO M
toward the front panel until it clicks will cause the stored frequen-
cies to be displayed, instead of the channel numbers. To return to
channel number display, once again press the Tuning Knob until it
clicks. To return to Normal Mode, press the MEM button again.
FREQUENCY LOCK MODE
prevents the tuned frequency from
being changed by either the Tuning Knob or the UP and DOWN
buttons. This is used when it is necessary to monitor a specific
frequency, and you want to be sure the tuning cannot be changed
by inadvertently bumping the controls or by vibration. After tuning
in the desired station, to engage Frequency Lock Mode, press in
and hold the Tuning Knob for 2 seconds. The Digital Display will
show “LOCDIS” to indicate that the frequency cannot be changed.
To release the Frequency Lock, once again press in and hold the
Tuning Knob for 2 seconds. If the R30A is powered down while the
frequency is locked, it will still be locked when powered up again.
3. UP Button
When in:
NORMAL MODE:
Increases receiver frequency in
100 Kilohertz
steps
. If the button is held down, it repeats automatically.
MEMORY MODE:
Steps UP through the recorded memory chan-
nels one at a time. If the button is held down, it repeats automati-
cally.
MEMORY STORE MODE:
Steps UP through all memory channels
one at a time. If the button is held down, it repeats automatically.
4. DOWN Button
When in:
NORMAL MODE:
Decreases receiver frequency in
100 Kilohertz
steps
. If the button is held down, it repeats automatically.
MEMORY MODE:
Steps DOWN through the recorded memory
channels one at a time. If the button is held down, it repeats auto-
matically
MEMORY STORE MODE:
Steps DOWN through all memory
channels one at a time. If the button is held down, it repeats auto-
matically.
5. MEMORY Button
a. Entering memory mode:
Starting from the Normal Mode,