3
tune at 40 steps per revolution, allowing tuning rates of 400Hz, 4kHz, or 40kHz
per revolution. The tuning step resolution is selected by a momentary switch
attached internally to the tuning encoder. Short pushes on the tuning knob will
alternate between 10 and 100 Hz tuning steps. A long press will enable 1 kHz
steps. The frequency readout on the display will show the tuning resolution
selected with an underline bar beneath the digit selected. There is lots of tuning
range above and below the selected amateur band for SWLing. The transmitter
will not operate-out of-
band and will display an “OOB” warning if
this is
attempted.
Panel LED Functions
The blue LED Signal indicator can be used to judge the strength of the received
signal. A bright blue LED would indicate a strong signal. The red LED is the battery
low-level warning indicator. It will blink when the battery voltage drops below a
preset level. The warning level is internally adjustable from 9 to 11.5 volts.
Phones, Power, and Key Jacks
An external speaker or headphones can
be connected to the “Phones” jack on the
right side. There is more than ample audio available. Power is connected to the
DC input connector on the left side. The power plug body size is 5.5mm and the
center pin size is 2.1mm with positive polarity The voltage should be between 9.5
and 14 volts. The key jack and keyer paddle jack are on the left side. Both may be
connected and used randomly as you desire. This way, you are always ready for a
new
“
SKCC
”
contact, as there is no need to reboot the transceiver in order to
change from the keyer using paddles to a straight key.
Transmitter Operation and Final FET Protection
The transmitter output power is adjustable from a few milliwatts to 5 watts or
more depending on the power supply voltage. It should be possible to achieve the
“1000 Miles per Watt” award with a station a few miles away by turning the
power output down to a few milliwatts while maintaining contact! With a 12-volt
supply, the output is at about 5 watts into a 50-ohm load. The final TO-220 RF