SSB transmit issues

[347boiseidaho]

My radio is transmitting fine on AM, however I don't think I'm transmitting on LSB what would cause that issue?

 

[sp5it]

No fairies on that forum, sorry.
Mike

 

[Handy Andy]

You're the one with the 980 and 250W amp right?

Check Mic gain, put radio on LSB or USB, use any external meter in line from your radio to the meter with coax to antenna - SWR meter? Yes even that one! Just switch to FWD and set CAL knob to about Mid point and key up and talk - does needle move? Good you're transmitting! Don't go overboard with it - take it back out and reinstall the antenna to radio.

If it don't - there is little in the way to hinder LSB from AM so it won't work. Else it is a switch or Mic gain issue. INTERNALLY - there are two controls but you wouldn't know if AM worked because if both controls are set wrong AM may have a carrier but no audio - that's called AMC - but if you had someone adjust it (Less' Customs) and turned it down too far, that may be the issue- that control is called ALC. That can prevent SSB audio because it's turned down too far. That is a mistake that happens often when people purchase a system that has an amp to go with it. The amp can take only so much power and POOF- SSB mode can produce that Poof power easily enough. The guy selling the equipment doesn't want you to blow it up but may have set the ALC control too low...

For if you can TX on AM and talk - then in SSB mode, the only different thing that has changed in all of this is the Carrier is removed. See ALC and AMC controls above...

So someone may have "tweaked" the RF meter in the radio. They turned it down too far and now it doesn't even light up.

 

[347boiseidaho]

You're the one with the 980 and 250W amp right?

Check Mic gain, put radio on LSB or USB, use any external meter in line from your radio to the meter with coax to antenna - SWR meter? Yes even that one! Just switch to FWD and set CAL knob to about Mid point and key up and talk - does needle move? Good you're transmitting! Don't go overboard with it - take it back out and reinstall the antenna to radio.

If it don't - there is little in the way to hinder LSB from AM so it won't work. Else it is a switch or Mic gain issue. INTERNALLY - there are two controls but you wouldn't know if AM worked because if both controls are set wrong AM may have a carrier but no audio - that's called AMC - but if you had someone adjust it (Less' Customs) and turned it down too far, that may be the issue- that control is called ALC. That can prevent SSB audio because it's turned down too far. That is a mistake that happens often when people purchase a system that has an amp to go with it. The amp can take only so much power and POOF- SSB mode can produce that Poof power easily enough. The guy selling the equipment doesn't want you to blow it up but may have set the ALC control too low...

For if you can TX on AM and talk - then in SSB mode, the only different thing that has changed in all of this is the Carrier is removed. See ALC and AMC controls above...

So someone may have "tweaked" the RF meter in the radio. They turned it down too far and now it doesn't even light up.

Thanks for the info, this is my original 980 as I haven't received my new setup yet. I followed your instructions and fixed the issue, I turned the talkback down because for some reason at volume 10 it was causing my transmit to sound bad.

 

[Handy Andy]

Hey, if you got it working - fantastic!

Good job!

Just also wanted to add - and SIGH, no one really talks too much about this because it's like "limiters" - not too many people like to work within "limits"

But when you do get your amp setup and running, just remember there are two controls that work to accomplish the same thing - limit audio "peaks" (think compression) and keep the wattage of the radio to within a certain range.

This can help you in driving a Low-power input or even an HD (High Drive) amplifier.

The low power amp types are made for low-power - like CB's which are more like AM or AM and FM only types, simple modulation of an envelope (Carrier + Audio into sidebands) they don't have too many complex problems. They have limiters yes, but they work on sampling audio more than power from the RF strip. These are called AMC - think MODULATION.

Now, when you get into SSB, these are considerably more complex, not harder to operate, but harder to understand the process. They don't have or need carrier - just the AUDIO Mixed up to and at a frequency to transmit - when you can get your head around that - you're well on your way to understanding SSB modes.

Look up Heterodyne in a wiki or a radio handbook. Because that is the process of mixing - removing - applying - amplifying a signal to a frequency in a specific series of steps...


The graphic above is for a Galaxy radio but the process is similar to other radios like your Uniden. So the circuits are using different components or configurations - but accomplish the same process.

The lack of parts of a AM signal that is not used and is removed places different challenges to the Manufacture to make a radio produce SSB and then have a means to control it. So they do up a little circuit that "Samples" the output - a simple transistor that monitors the SSB RF signal and sends it to the limiter control. So this process is not AMC - but called ALC.

In your setup, once installed - ALC is the GOTO control for your SSB modes - too much power into the amp can damage it permanently as in now it needs repair. Avoid that by trimming Mic output and use the ALC to take care of the Dynamics a SSB signal has, just trim up the mic gain so you're not overdriving the MIC amp itself adding a level of distortion you do not want to have broadcasted out there - others will know and may not want to answer some ones call if they sound bad - like overdriven.

AMC is for the AM side and you can have a little more freedom with the control and you can use it with the AM power control to adjust carrier and audio envelope process - and you don't have to drive the amp too hard to obtain the effect - let the amp do the work for you - not your yammering and yelling into a mike - save your lungs.