[TenTec] Eagle and Zero Beating

Thu Jul 23 20:32:42 EDT 2015

100 Hz?  Heck, my vintage Heathkit HW-100 probably drifts that much per 
hour, after warmup, of course.  Too many curmudgeonly purists, too quick 
to criticize. Your signal isn't chirpy, wide,  making key clicks or 
backwave (remember backwave?), so you're clean.  Maybe he has a TX/RX 
offset error of 100 Hz at his end. Or, maybe you're 50 Hz high and he is 
50 Hz low.  See how silly his argument is.

Now, there are a couple of technical solutions. I'm not familiar with 
the Eagle (my newest T-T is a Paragon) but if all oscillators are 
derived from one master, it's doubtful that there is anything wrong with 
your rig. The older gear used separate crystals for the BFO/carrier 
oscillators and these require tweaking sometimes, due to crystal aging. 
A good frequency counter will set that right.

As for zero beating technique, every rig design is a little different, 
and few people are blessed with perfect pitch.   The older Ten Tecs used 
an audio oscillator set to the same frequency as the BFO offset of 750 
Hz. Push the button and tune the radio so that the tone of the incoming 
signal is zero beat with the spotting oscillator. Works best with 
headphones. You can fab up such an audio oscillator or I'm sure that 
there are kits available. If your ears aren't good at matching the two 
tones, you can feed the two audio signals into the X and Y inputs on an 
inexpensive 'scope and watch the Lissajous pattern and zero beat that 
way: http://www.jmargolin.com/mtest/LJfigs.htm  There are also some 
simple zero beating circuits in the literature. You can use a 567 PLL 
chip set to decode the desired frequency and light an LED when you're 
tuned in.  Some circuits have multiple LEDs like a little bar graph.

There is one final option that I have used many times on 2 meter 
repeaters, when dealing with annoying egocentric blowhards. It's called 
"Click".  Just rotate the volume control counterclockwise until an 
audible click is heard and the annoying person is gone. Life is short. 
Don't give an annoyance permission to live in your head.

                     73,

                     Bob WB2VUF

On 7/23/2015 11:33 AM, Rick - DJ0IP / NJ0IP wrote:
> Well if that were the case, how would he know I'm 100 Hz off when he can't
> even hear me?  (hi)
>
> I run contests with 100 Hz filtering, but I don't run it like that in daily
> work.
> Again, the world we live in allows and has thousands of hams without this
> expensive technology.
> Everyone is free to do what they like and there is no right or wrong way,
> but in the case sited, he appeared to be scolding the QSO partner for not
> being able to adjust his radio properly . . . probably before he even knew
> what kind of radio the other guy had.
>
> 73 - Rick, DJ0IP
> (Nr. Frankfurt am Main)
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Barry N1EU
> Sent: Thursday, July 23, 2015 5:25 PM
> To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
> Subject: Re: [TenTec] Eagle and Zero Beating
>
> Another issue is that it's more likely that guys are running dsp brick wall
> narrow filtering today than in years past and they might need you to be on
> their frequency to hear you.
>
> Barry N1EU
>
> On Thu, Jul 23, 2015 at 11:14 AM, Rick - DJ0IP / NJ0IP <Rick at dj0ip.de>
> wrote:
>
>> Absolutely, Al!
>>
>> Just imagine the audacity of some lid running his store-bought radio,
>> then telling a young lad that has built his own analog cw transceiver
>> that he is
>> 100 Hz off frequency!
>>
>> There are still thousands of analog radios on the air.
>> Especially for a mode like CW which people choose to operate for the
>> fun factor, you can expect to find lots of analog radios.  I would
>> expect more consideration.
>>
>> I have no idea how accurately I zero beat when running my Scout.  I'm
>> sure I am more accurate with my Eagle.  But you know what?  I don't
>> care.  The Scout is simple and fun.
>>
>> What has happened to our wonderful hobby?
>> Who let the dogs out and the Lids in?  (hi)
>>
>> 73 - Rick, DJ0IP
>> (Nr. Frankfurt am Main)
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Al
>> Gulseth
>> Sent: Thursday, July 23, 2015 4:30 PM
>> To: tentec at contesting.com
>> Cc: Rick - DJ0IP / NJ0IP
>> Subject: Re: [TenTec] Eagle and Zero Beating
>>
>> That's where us "stick in the mud" types with our _old_ TT rigs have
>> an
>> advantage: "VY SRI fer being off freq OM, rig HR is analog" HI HI!!
>>
>> 73, Al
>>
>> On Thu July 23 2015 8:56:30 am Rick - DJ0IP / NJ0IP wrote:
>>
>>> It's a very sad world indeed if we have to watch a couple of
>>> software programs just to make a CW contact!  If that's what one
>>> enjoys doing, then fine, but having to do that to get zero beat is
> simply BS.
>>> Adjust your radio properly as I described in my previous post and if
>>> the other guy doesn't like it, tell him to take a hike!
>>>
>>> My 2c worth.
>>>
>>> 73 - Rick, DJ0IP
>>> (Nr. Frankfurt am Main)
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