I have a BACKWOODS RF freq counter for TRC-457 radio. I need the connection info. I believe the counter input goes to the VCO output, but not certain. Ralph made some fine gear before he passed.
-J.J. 399
-J.J. 399
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BACKWOODS RF Freq Counter Hookup
- Thread starter unit_399
- Start date
Hey 399,
I might have some old info from Ralph around here.
I'll look tonight.
I think i remember Nomad talking about Ralph's novel way of feeding the counter on the 858 chassis, so he probably has some info about it.
LC
I might have some old info from Ralph around here.
I'll look tonight.
I think i remember Nomad talking about Ralph's novel way of feeding the counter on the 858 chassis, so he probably has some info about it.
LC
Nope. Doesn't measure the VCO. It taps into the PLL chip's input pin. Counts the PLL chip's input frequency and does the math from there to display five digits of channel frequency. The need for only 5 digits becomes apparent when you turn the clarifier knob.
The display reading won't change. The clarifier's effect on your frequency is outside the PLL chip. The uPD858 gets the same input frequency fed into it no matter where you turn the clarifier knob.
It's a clever idea, and Ralph deserves credit for dreaming it up and writing the code.
Haven't seen anyone else try that trick.
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I had uploaded it here once before..I will see if I can find myscan again, forgot how I identified it.
WHAT HAPPENED TO fasttrack*09 ON EBAY ??
A few years ago, I bought several freq counters from this guy (I can't remember his name) on Ebay. Called himself fasttrack*09. Good products, high quality, great guy to work with. His site is still on Ebay, but no sales or products listed. Looks like he's out of biz. Anybody know what...
Gargle found his fleabay member page.
https://www.ebay.com/usr/fasttrack*09
No activity in the last year.
Hmm. Going in circles. Gargle pointed me to a post I wrote five years ago. Ralph had been absent for a while then. Time flies when you're having fun.
Or as Kermit the Frog would say "Time's fun when you're having flies".
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https://www.ebay.com/usr/fasttrack*09
No activity in the last year.
Hmm. Going in circles. Gargle pointed me to a post I wrote five years ago. Ralph had been absent for a while then. Time flies when you're having fun.
Or as Kermit the Frog would say "Time's fun when you're having flies".
73
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If it's the version I'm thinking of, it only has 5 digits. Try pin 11 on the uPD858 PLL chip, or the collector of TR31. If I'm wrong it will just display nonsense.
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It doesn't display nonsense. But, what I read from your previous posts, the 858 display, does not change with clarifier, when this one does. It does not reflect SSB offset correctly and I think your posts allude that it should
There are two pins under the 4 pin header that have nothing connected. I would like to know what they are for. There is also a two pin header floating in the radio. A red and white wire. Red goes to the relay and white goes to an undocumented resistor, adjacent to R114. I believe the tap point used for the osc signal is TP8.
Thanks
SL
It's the choice of the tap-in point that determines if the clarifier affects the displayed frequency. The frequency feeding into pin 11 of the PLL doesn't change from one mode to the next. Same deal with the clarifier. The frequency fed into the 858 PLL chip isn't affected. Only the frequency coming out of the VCO is affected by those. I know Ralph also sold displays that used the VCO as the frequency input. I'm sure we installed one or two of those decades ago. Don't think we have any installation info on file for those.
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That was the unique genius of Ralph's solution for the 858 chip. Wouldn't work on anything else. But it took care of the "jump" the PLL's output frequency would do between transmit and receive on AM. Makes the usual VCO-input displays jump 3 kHz when you key the mike. Would not change in step with turning the clarifier knob, either.
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