[VHFcontesting] IF Overload - Elecraft XV222

[Jarred Jackson]

I have been dealing with a problem with my Elecraft XV222 transverter in my rover setup. When operating on 6m, the transverter will sometimes go into an "IF Overload" condition and lockout. The manual states that this will occur if IF energy is received but the transverter is not in transmit (PTT). Its a 28 MHz IF transverter and I know for sure that the IF radio is connected to the 6m antenna and not the transverter. At first I thought this occurred due to inadequate isolation in the coax switch that would switch my IC-7000 between the transverter and the 6m antenna. But in this last contest I had the 222 transverter on a completely separate IF radio and the problem still occurred. For extra measure I had separated the head of the IC-7000 and put the body of the radio a few feet away from the transverter/IF radio. The 6m antenna coax was separated from the transverter IF input coax by at least 12" and the 6m antenna itself was at least 16' in the air. On the output side, none of the coax is separated as it is in one bundle going out to the antennas (with no reasonable way to separate them by more than an inch or two).


If anyone has any experience with this transverter or a similar condition, I would appreciate your input and ideas. My workaround at this point is to configure the crystal heater to stay on when the power is off and simply turn off the transverter when not in use. OK, but it adds steps to an already complicated mess of things that need to be done when working through the bands with someone...


Jarred - KF2MR