I have gotten my Scout to work again. How I did it was use suggestions from the
group about the problem I posted.
1. The Scout is just not going to perform unless it has 13.8 volts DC.
As I understand, the internal regulator need about 1.5 volts DC of
overhead room to regulate at 12 volts. Anything less and the Scout starves for
voltage. It would seem that one would have to keep a battery right up there all
the time to make the Scout useful for portable operation. Not very handy.
2. I found that adjusting the power down from 50 watts to about 45 watts helped
with hearing myself in the speaker. Something that is very distracting as far
as I am concerned. The Tech. at TT said that is normal. They don't seem to say
that in their add though.
3. The mic TT supplies is an amplified type like is found in cassette tape
recorders. So if you have voice enough from a standard dynamic mic, it make the
Scout mic control quite sensitive. They suggest the 9 O'clock position and
voice peaks just showing on the ALC LED. At 9 O'clock the ALC LED is on all
the time. I installed a dynamic mic and the mic control became useable.
4. I have not done some of the other suggestions as of yet that have to do with
fighting RF. The problems that sounded like RF were low voltage problems. By
low voltage I mean running at 12.5 instead of 13.8.
I check in to a net each week with the Scout, and the comments were that it
sounds better I've ever head it. It is possible other are using the Scout
thinking they are doing fine on the are, but out of kindness or what ever, are
not being told how their Scout really sounds. You might want to check it out it
you have one.
Also there has been a thread on building and how hams don't do it any more, and
a thread on Power Supplies and how to fix them. I would like to suggest that
one of the easiest pieces of have gear to build it a well regulated power
supply, with over current and voltage protection. Transformers are in abundance
now because of the computer UPS systems. There are no hard to get, expensive,
RF parts in a power supply, and you can save well over $100 by building one for
your self. As a hint to set current and voltage regulation. What I did is go to
an auto wrecking yard and buy several old work head lamps for a $1.00 each. I
simply series and paralleled the head lamps to draw the kind of current I
wanted say 20 or 30 or even 35 amps if needed from the power supply and
adjusted the regulators and current limiting and crowbar circuit for good
operation. I works well and you don't have to find a 200 or 300 watt low value
resistor or use your rig to adjust your power supply. Parts and heat sinks are
not hard to get. Were I live, about 90 miles south of the west entente to
Yellowstone National park, I can find these parts. What I can't find are
hamfests and RF parts. You don't run into many young hams here, there all
older, which I think says something about were ham radio is going in general.
Thanks for all your suggestions.
Jim, WA7NDD
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