[Amps] Ham Tests, was Price per Watt Conversation

Wed Apr 26 19:37:48 EDT 2017

I forgot to tie this in with amps.and signal quality. You can tell a new 
ham how to tune that Tetrode, or high gain amp, but not knowing, or 
caring they discover they can tune a Tetrode just like a Triode GG amp 
for max output with very little difference in output power with no 
knowledge of what happens to the signal quality .

The same is true for those rigs that have the output controlled by 
ALC.that hit the amp with a full power spike.  It's not elegant, but a 3 
db pad between the rig and amp will likely cure the problem.

I've chased DX while listening very close to very station stations 
running POWER, but their signal was clean. OTOH, those stations are 
outnumbered  by those pushing amps of all types beyond their ratings. 
Some even make their signals (different is a polite way of saying it) so 
they'll be noticed.

As to CW and digital.  Digital is not the new CW. CW is the most basic 
form of communication. It is the easiest mode to construct an an 
emergency transmitter out of a few parts.

CW at any speed is like passing another test and something to be proud 
of.  Doing it at 20 WPM sets that person's abilities apart from those 
who don't.  It's not putting the one down who didn't learn the code, but 
it does set them apart.

73, Roger (K8RI)

On 4/26/2017 6:43 PM, Roger (K8RI) wrote:
> That too, but many of the obnoxious are old timers.
> Being taught proper / acceptable social behavior and passing a test on 
> it will never reform those who don't care.
>
> 73, Roger (K8RI)
>
> On 4/26/2017 4:36 AM, Charles H wrote:
>>
>> I vote for more questions about proper on air operations, when to 
>> call, etc., and ham law stuff.  Get the appliance op to where he is 
>> bearable on air.
>>
>> Charly
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> *From:* Amps <amps-bounces at contesting.com> on behalf of Roger (K8RI) 
>> <k8ri at rogerhalstead.com>
>> *Sent:* Wednesday, April 26, 2017 8:28 AM
>> *To:* amps at contesting.com
>> *Subject:* Re: [Amps] Price per Watt Conversation
>> Unfortunately, the exams are going the other way with very little
>> required in the was of technology ans theory. They have dumbed down the
>> exams to where, I think my Novice test had more theory than any of the
>> present exams.  Now the ARRL thinks we need an even easier, entrance
>> level class. Well, the East and West coasts are liberal havens.
>>
>> We don't need an easier class! As Manfred said, we need one that
>> requires some technical knowledge. Ain't gonna happen in today's social
>> climate.
>>
>> As for ALC, I only know of one manufacturer that has the output power
>> controlled by ALC with the overshoot.
>>
>> My transceiver runs 200 out and backed off to drive a high gain tetrode
>> has no overshoot. I've received a lot of compliments on the signal 
>> quality.
>>
>> Referring to the clean commercial rigs and the ham rigs that let the
>> user tailor the signal into pure trash.  There seems to be a number of
>> hams that like to add 100 Hz on the bottom of the audio for a more
>> "natural" sound, then complain when calling stations are off their
>> frequency by 100 Hz. I ran an experiment with one such station with him
>> randomly adding and removing the 100 Hz. Even then, he couldn't
>> understand why I was moving 100 Hz with each change and this was an old
>> timer.
>>
>> I like to look inside, but touch nothing. Many of today's rigs require
>> some sophisticated equipment to properly align.  They even require a set
>> sequence for setting up the audio, that if not followed in order, can
>> leave the transmitted signal really bad. The companies didn't do ham
>> radio any favors by making so many parameters accessible to the user!
>> I've worked with digital for years and know enough that I realize, there
>> is no way I can repair one of the top end rigs with the possible
>> exception of the displays, or possibly final module.
>>
>> 73
>>
>> Roger (K8RI)
>>
>>
>> On 4/25/2017 4:37 PM, Manfred Mornhinweg wrote:
>> >
>> > Some hams go another step further, take the cover off their radios and
>> > defeat the ALC. That goes a good way toward deflecting the needles
>> > even further. And toward splattering all over the band and then some,
>> > of course.
>> >
>> > Hams should be asked to pass a test, both about technical knowledge
>> > and mental sanity, before being allowed to operate radios that have
>> > external controls for mic gain and compression level. Those who
>> > haven't passed that test should only operate radios that don't have
>> > these controls, and only operate them with the stock mikes. And the
>> > covers of their radios should be welded shut, just in case! :-)
>> >
>> >
>> > Joe,
>> >
>> > just a small correction:
>> >
>> > > The PA must be over driven in order to produce any ALC!
>> >
>> > That depends on how it's implemented. An ALC that requires overdriving
>> > is a badly designed ALC. In solid state transceivers the ALC signal is
>> > usually derived from a comparator that starts giving an output when
>> > either the power output reaches a certain level, or the reflected
>> > power does so. If this comparator is properly adjusted so that it
>> > starts giving an output a little before the PA is overdriven, then the
>> > ALC prevents overdriving. Of course if a monkey with a screwdriver
>> > fiddles with that internal adjustment and sets it above the overload
>> > level, the ALC can no longer do its job of preventing overdrive.
>>
>>
>> ---
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>>
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