VEC-1320K/1330K/1340K/1380K Owner's
Manual
29
6. Press the key. The power meter (or LED) should indicate output of 1 watt or
more.
7. Release the key--the output power should drop to zero.
If you have a station receiver available, tune it to the transceiver's operating
frequency.
8. Set the
VXO
capacitor (C16) to mid-range.
9. Press the key and tune in the signal on your station receiver.
10. Vary
VXO
over its range. The signal should shift frequency by several
kHz*.
11. Send a few CW characters. Keying should sound crisp and free of chirp.
12. Release the
T/R switch
to the
receive
position.
* The amount of frequency shift you obtain will depend on the band of
operation. While 20-meter VXOs may vary by as much as 9 kHz, 80-
meter VXOs will vary much less. If you note a "buzz" on the CW note,
this
may
indicate poor power supply filtering--
or
may simply mean there's
a ground-loop in your test set-up that won't affect your on-air signal.
Obtain on-air reports to confirm hum or ripple observations.
To complete alignment and check-out, connect a low-VSWR antenna cut for the
band of operation (2:1 or less). If you used a LED to test for RF output, remove
it at this time. Under normal conditions, you should hear incoming signals with
R1 advanced fully clockwise.
13. Using an insulated tuning tool, adjust
antenna
trimcap C1 for maximum
sensitivity.
If strong signals overload the receiver, reduce R1 for comfortable listening and
adjust more closely. The peak should be quite pronounced. Make sure you're
peaking on amateur CW signals and not an out-of-band commercial radio
station! This concludes the testing phase of construction. If your kit made the
grade, you're ready for some serious QRP operating! If it didn't pass, please
refer to the "In Case of Difficulty" section for suggestions that may help you
isolate and solve the problem.
Sidetone:
Your VEC QRP transceiver has provisions for powering a sidetone
generator. To take advantage of this optional feature, obtain and install a low-
cost piezo sounder such as the Radio Shack 273-065 (or equivalent). A pc pad
for connecting the sounder's (+) lead is provided at "
Tone"
near Q4. The (-) lead
goes to pc-board ground and may be connected at any convenient location. If
