Revisiting the tuning indicator
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Hi,
Our Summer Field day is coming up, and the K2 will get it's usual pounding by various operators again, and I have just completed a small project that I am sure will help me and the others to (a) hear the CW better, and (b) net to a calling frequency with some accuracy. Explaining (a) a bit better; with my failing hearing (and I am not alone with that problem in our Club) I find the upward facing speaker on the K2 (and indeed most rigs) makes listening to CW somewhat awkward. This is made even worse in FD situation when under cover of tents, which don't reflect sound like walls do. The answer to that problem was to make an exterior speaker enclosure, which I did, using a 5" speaker in a box with 20mm MDF sides and with a hardboard front and back. ......with of course a suitable size hole for the speaker. Problem (b) was a bit different. In my K2 I had a K6XX tuning indicator that worked on the last LED of the "S" meter display, and it worked fine, but I also have a IC7000 which is pretty mean not having a "Spot" tone ( you have to go into menu's and remover "BREAK-IN" so the rig will run like a K2 with the VOX button depressed.....and you have to listen to the tone and hope you remember it!) The obvious solution here was to fit the tuning indicator in the speaker cabinet, so I can use it on both radios, so I removed it from the K2 and installed it in the speaker case. I put a 12v power jack and a stereo socket on the back panel. I was initially worried that the low impedance speaker might cause the unit not to work properly, but that turned out to be no problem. I have mounted a small super-bright LED in the top of the speaker face and when tuning, don't even have to look at the speaker to tune a station in. I can see the light winking when I tune in on frequency, out of the corner of my eye. Anyway, it works fine, and as most of our guys seem to use a wide filter on Field Day so they can hear who is on the side while working another station, I am hopeful that the indicator will allow us to net more accurately to those who don't use wide filters and perhaps increase our score by not missing contacts! ( well....I can dream can't I?) I have actually heard lost of missed calls by inaccurate netting. For the record, our Field Day is on the last Sat/Sunday of February.... Cheers......Ron ZL1TW _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
Re: Revisiting the tuning indicator
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On Feb 4, 2007, at 3:26 PM, Ron ZL1TW wrote: > Explaining (a) a bit better; with my failing hearing (and I am not > alone with that problem in our Club) I find the upward facing > speaker on the K2 (and indeed most rigs) makes listening to CW > somewhat awkward. This is made even worse in FD situation when > under cover of tents, which don't reflect sound like walls do. The > answer to that problem was to make an exterior speaker enclosure, > which I did, using a 5" speaker in a box with 20mm MDF sides and > with a hardboard front and back. ......with of course a suitable > size hole for the speaker. Pardon me if this doesn't sound like an obviously stupid question -- but why are you using a speaker for Field Day? In every US Field Day that I have worked in recent memory, everyone used headphones. If you want to add a speaker for passer's by, that's one thing, but the operators making the contacts ought to be using headphones -- makes it much easier to hear, hearing impairments or not. > Problem (b) was a bit different. In my K2 I had a K6XX tuning > indicator that worked on the last LED of the "S" meter display, and > it worked fine, but I also have a IC7000 which is pretty mean not > having a "Spot" tone ( you have to go into menu's and remover > "BREAK-IN" so the rig will run like a K2 with the VOX button > depressed.....and you have to listen to the tone and hope you > remember it!) You could try calling CQ and then people would have to net to your frequency.... Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL Mail: [hidden email] Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!" -- Wilbur Wright, 1901 _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by Ron ZL1TW
Hi Bill,
In the USA perhaps Yes... we are in New Zealand ( as you may have noticed) Different countries, different Field day methods. I didn't suggest everyone should use a speaker at Field day....... It would be a funny old Contest where everyone just called CQ and didn't answer anyone .........end of story. Ron ZL1TW At 07:46 PM 2/4/2007 -0500, you wrote: >On Feb 4, 2007, at 3:26 PM, Ron ZL1TW wrote: > >>Explaining (a) a bit better; with my failing hearing (and I am not >>alone with that problem in our Club) I find the upward facing >>speaker on the K2 (and indeed most rigs) makes listening to CW >>somewhat awkward. This is made even worse in FD situation when >>....snip snip..... > >Pardon me if this doesn't sound like an obviously stupid question -- >but why are you using a speaker for Field Day? In every US Field Day >that I have worked in recent memory, everyone used headphones. > >If you want to add a speaker for passer's by, that's one thing, but >the operators making the contacts ought to be using headphones -- >makes it much easier to hear, hearing impairments or not. > >>Problem (b) was a bit different. In my K2 I had a K6XX tuning >>indicator that worked on the last LED of the "S" meter display, and >>....snip.....snip..... > >You could try calling CQ and then people would have to net to your >frequency.... > >Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL Mail: [hidden email] >Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!" > -- Wilbur Wright, 1901 Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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