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AA7B
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mounted flush to the board. Install the part so that it is as high above
the board as possible. Solder the leads into place. The LED will
eventually be lining up with a hole in the front panel and may need to be
adjusted.
35. Install the battery hold-down clamp — Be sure not to use too much
solder on the clamp as it may keep the battery from sitting flat and
securely in the clamp.
36. Install S1, which controls DC power. Solder all six points of the
switch.
37. BEFORE connecting battery or conducting any tests, PLEASE
recheck each of the preceding steps, looking especially for:
quality of solder connections
correct orientation of VR1 and U2
correct orientation of the electrolytic capacitors C5 and C16
correct battery wire polarity
correct values for resistors, capacitors, and inductors
INITIAL TESTS
No adjustment or alignment is required. See the following section about
preparing a reliable cable for the AA7B and your receiver as well as an
optional add-on antenna.
Testing the AA7B consists of turning it on, using it and checking that all of its
described features are operational. You will need to become accustomed to
the signal strength in the highest range of the gain control. If you experience
any problems, consult the Troubleshooting Hints section.
USING YOUR AA7B
For some of our kits, this "USING...." section becomes the longest part of the
book, depending on the possible applications of the kit product. What is nice
about the AA7B is that using it is simple, enjoyable and immediate.
We have two suggestions that will increase your enjoyment of the AA7B right
from the beginning:
1. Prepare a reliable coaxial cable with connectors to run from the
antenna input of your receiver or scanner to the RF output of the AA7B
(BNC connector). If you do not have them on hand, a visit to your local
electronics supply store should easily get you what you need.
2. Make a simple "supplementary portable antenna" of any design which
is practical for YOU. Use a small-diameter coaxial cable neatly
terminated in a male BNC connector to J1. This antenna can be a dipole,