How to peak

[Catalyst 122]

I have a Hy Gain VII model 3107 I would like to turn up a little bit. Sadly I do not have any info for the radio. Can anyone help with this?

 

[nomadradio]

I sure wish someone would post a detailed "how-to" on You Tube, showing how to align this kind of radio.

If you find a block diagram of this radio, you'll see that the transmit signal passes through a "chain" of circuits, starting (usually) with quartz crystals, and into one, then another circuit containing a resonant component. Each of these has an adjustment, usually in the form of a tiny threaded "slug" of ferrite material. It gets adjusted for a peak, either on the receiver meter for the receive circuits, or on the wattmeter for the transmit circuits.

A radio that old has probably experienced some "drift" in the settings of those adjustments. Not because the tuning slug moved about, but because other components in those tuned circuits will drift with age, causing the correct "peak" position of those adjustments to change over the many decades.

This is our starting point, unless the radio is delivering the full power that it's meant to. In that case, there is no additional "turn up" to be had.

Are you trying to turn up the receiver sensitivity? Or the transmit power?

What you can expect pretty well depends on what you're getting now. If the radio has been aligned recently, then what you need is an external amplifier.

Just how much do you get from the radio now?

73

 

[Catalyst 122]

I sure wish someone would post a detailed "how-to" on You Tube, showing how to align this kind of radio.

If you find a block diagram of this radio, you'll see that the transmit signal passes through a "chain" of circuits, starting (usually) with quartz crystals, and into one, then another circuit containing a resonant component. Each of these has an adjustment, usually in the form of a tiny threaded "slug" of ferrite material. It gets adjusted for a peak, either on the receiver meter for the receive circuits, or on the wattmeter for the transmit circuits.

A radio that old has probably experienced some "drift" in the settings of those adjustments. Not because the tuning slug moved about, but because other components in those tuned circuits will drift with age, causing the correct "peak" position of those adjustments to change over the many decades.

This is our starting point, unless the radio is delivering the full power that it's meant to. In that case, there is no additional "turn up" to be had.

Are you trying to turn up the receiver sensitivity? Or the transmit power?

What you can expect pretty well depends on what you're getting now. If the radio has been aligned recently, then what you need is an external amplifier.

Just how much do you get from the radio now?

73

I sure wish someone would post a detailed "how-to" on You Tube, showing how to align this kind of radio.

If you find a block diagram of this radio, you'll see that the transmit signal passes through a "chain" of circuits, starting (usually) with quartz crystals, and into one, then another circuit containing a resonant component. Each of these has an adjustment, usually in the form of a tiny threaded "slug" of ferrite material. It gets adjusted for a peak, either on the receiver meter for the receive circuits, or on the wattmeter for the transmit circuits.

A radio that old has probably experienced some "drift" in the settings of those adjustments. Not because the tuning slug moved about, but because other components in those tuned circuits will drift with age, causing the correct "peak" position of those adjustments to change over the many decades.

This is our starting point, unless the radio is delivering the full power that it's meant to. In that case, there is no additional "turn up" to be had.

Are you trying to turn up the receiver sensitivity? Or the transmit power?

What you can expect pretty well depends on what you're getting now. If the radio has been aligned recently, then what you need is an external amplifier.

Just how much do you get from the radio now?

73

It currently is keying 4 watts and going to about 7. I was curious if the modulation can be increased easily. I was told once that there is a way to increase modulation % on this radio. I basically just want it a little louder. I am not really overly concerned with the output watts as much as it being a little louder talking.

 

[nomadradio]

Find the trimpot RV2. Turning it up should deliver what you're looking for. Don't have a picture showing its location, but if memory serves it isn't far from the audio power chip BA521.

73

 

[Catalyst 122]

Find the trimpot RV2. Turning it up should deliver what you're looking for. Don't have a picture showing its location, but if memory serves it isn't far from the audio power chip BA521.

73

Got it, thank you

 

[Catalyst 122]

Got it, thank you