[TenTec] Scout problems mostly worked out. What I found.

[James Griffith]

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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