[TenTec] Poor CW note on Pegasus and Jupiter

Steve Ellington n4lq@iglou.com
Tue, 12 Dec 2000 21:20:26 -0500


Quite correct about the power supplies being too close. One wouldn't expect
that to matter but some rigs seem rather susceptible to those stray fields.
That 70mhz oscillator I mentioned is overly sensitive to outside influence
eventhough the osc is shielded by a metal case. You can acutally modulate
the thing if you yell loud enough at it! I don't doubt that it's the only
microphonic rig but I haven't seen many.
Steve Ellington
N4LQ
-----Original Message-----
From: Carl Moreschi <n4py@earthlink.net>
To: tentec <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Tuesday, December 12, 2000 8:27 PM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Poor CW note on Pegasus and Jupiter


>
>The point I am trying to make is I believe a lot of people have their power
>supply or computer monitor too close to their pegasus or jupiter, thus
>creating
>the problem and the bad rap.
>
>Incidently, in my experiments with my son, we found the pegasus was
>microphonic
>to cabinet hitting as Steve suggests, but we also found my son's Icom 737
>was also
>microphonic when tapping on the cover of the radio.  So, it may be that
many
>radios
>exhibit this problem from many manufactures.
>
>
>Carl Moreschi  N4PY
>Franklinton, North Carolina
>n4py@earthlink.net
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Steve Ellington" <n4lq@iglou.com>
>To: "Carl Moreschi" <n4py@earthlink.net>; "tentec" <tentec@contesting.com>
>Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2000 1:00 AM
>Subject: Re: [TenTec] Poor CW note on Pegasus and Jupiter
>
>
>> I worked on my Pegasus's rough CW note for a week and traced it to the
>70mhz
>> oscillator. I could listen to it with my IC-706 directly. The oscillator
>is
>> very sensitive to stray fields as Carl mentioned. Just tapping on the
>rig's
>> cabinet with your fingers will modulate this oscillator! Moving my power
>> supply, rerouting cables, trying different computers etc. all had some
>> effect but I never completely eliminated the problem. Probably some rigs
>are
>> more prone to this than others but the problem is becoming well know
among
>> cw ops as is the jumping Scout and microchirping Omni-6.
>> Having heard the Jupiter on the air produce the exact same note I suspect
>> most of them will also sound raspy. Also I had a QSO with NU5X last night
>> who had a Jupiter for a short time and reports the same problem.
>> TenTec's engineers worked on my Pegasus for several days and weren't able
>to
>> reproduce the problem until a local ham listened to the signal over the
>air
>> and gave them the bad news. Their conclusion was "they all do it".
>> The ARRL lab has been asked to check this out before publishing the
review
>> of the Jupiter. I used to hope for a cure but none of these problems ever
>> seem to go away.
>> What I don't understand is why in the world is it so difficult to produce
>a
>> clean cw signal? I've been using my TenTec 1340 QRP rig for 3 evenings
and
>> folks go out of their way to compliment it's wonderful cw note. Here is a
>> $95 rig that has better keying than the $3,000 Omni-6! The receiver has
>> virtually no noise and QSK is totally transparent.
>> 73
>> Steve Ellington
>> N4LQ
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Carl Moreschi <n4py@earthlink.net>
>> To: tentec <tentec@contesting.com>
>> Date: Tuesday, December 12, 2000 6:48 PM
>> Subject: [TenTec] Poor CW note on Pegasus and Jupiter
>>
>>
>> >
>> >I have heard many times on this reflector comments about the CW note on
>the
>> >Pegasus
>> >and now the Jupiter being below par.  My experience in using the my
>Pegasus
>> >for over a year
>> >is originally I had a raspy CW note on transmit and all received CW
>signals
>> >were raspy
>> >sounding.  What I found was both the 12 volt power supply and computer
>> >monitor must
>> >be located at least a few feet away.  The 60 hertz power transformers in
>a
>> >power supply and
>> >computer monitor generate magnetic lines of flux that if close enough to
>> the
>> >pegasus
>> >or jupiter can cut through the oscillators and cause a poor note on both
>> >transmit and
>> >receive.
>> >
>> >Once I moved my power supply away from my Pegasus, all is well.  My son,
>> >N4YDU,
>> >lives about 7 miles from me.  He has confimed through direct listening
to
>> my
>> >CW signal
>> >(and showing a 20db over 9 signal) that my CW note sounds perfect.
>> >
>> >I would conclude that anyone that has received reports of a bad CW note
>on
>> >their
>> >Pegasus and Jupiter should make sure that any equipment that has a 60
>hertz
>> >transformer in it, should be located at least a few feet away form the
>rig.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >Carl Moreschi  N4PY
>> >Franklinton, North Carolina
>> >n4py@earthlink.net
>> >
>> >
>> >--
>> >FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/tentec
>> >Submissions:              tentec@contesting.com
>> >Administrative requests:  tentec-REQUEST@contesting.com
>> >Problems:                 owner-tentec@contesting.com
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>
>
>--
>FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/tentec
>Submissions:              tentec@contesting.com
>Administrative requests:  tentec-REQUEST@contesting.com
>Problems:                 owner-tentec@contesting.com
>
>


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