Having some fun today..... radio checkout....

[guitar_199]

With that new toy of mine.... I got an itch.

I just started going through checking out an RCA SSB Co-Pilot 14T302 that was given to me by Champo.

Here is the description he sent me....

---------------------------------------<quote>

Let's see if you can guess the problem??? That damn curse! J/k!

So it'll key 8 watts on AM,

has receive when an external speaker is plugged in (seems quiet though)

but no modulation

and no sound from the internal speaker. It didn't come with a mic and I don't have a mic wired for it so I think that that


is where the modulation issue is lol. It's wired differently, I think, than the Midland or Cobra mics I have so I think that might be the problem. I'm going to see if I can rewire a spare mic that I have to confirm there is modulation. The channel selector seems to be off in relation to the channel it's actually transmitting on. When the channel selector says 20 it's actually transmitting on 21....or it could be the other way around. It's off nonetheless. The inside of the radio is very clean as is the face though.

<end quote>

Low hanging fruit first... I checked the mic wiring...and it is spot on correct.

It was at THIS POINT the missus reminded me that I need to take her car up to the transmission shop for the 500 mile check up to validate the 24 month warranty..... so.... first things first......

As Arnold said..... "I'll be back!!!!!"

 

[guitar_199]

Interesting discoveries abound.....

First, it is a PLL02A... so they did what people did to radios with PLL02A and used the S/RF, CAL & SWR switch to add channels.

Also opened the clarifier up... as you can watch the frequency wander around on the spectrum analyzer when you turn it.

Overall though.. it looks like ALL audio levels are low in this thing... both receive AND the microphone. IN AM there is NO modulation at all that I CAN SEE.

SSB is weird.....
in USB .... when I whistle REAL LOUD....you can see a tiny spike on the spectrum analyzer that DOES dance with the voice.....but I think it is WAY WAY too small.... too low.

now.... LSB.........
as soon as you key... there is a solid peak that shows up...and is about the same size as the spike on USB.....but it is there solid..with NO modulation. Meaning... sit there with the mic quiet...and this peak is on and solid. When you modulate....you CAN see effect....but not much.

THIS is making me think that alignment may be an issue.....and that the offsets may be wrong..... which an alignment would help. In fact......I think an alignment is in order anyway.

Also there is the question of caps.

And then... there is the issue... do I want to keep it as is...or return it to stock???

A lot to piddle with.... but I've got to go make dinner.... so I will just be thinking about it for now......