?Hi Peter,
Ok, I just have to comment...
I was going to when you said you were?
going to build my cheap FS-4.. ?I might be
able to actually push you over the edge..
The Drake¡¯s were very stable by 1964
standards but today, they are really drift
monsters....
What i am running here is an advanced?
version I call my FS-5 with advanced?
stability.
If you build Bernie and my FS-4B hardware (with
digital dial) you could have a Drake that is
comparable to most new rigs in stability.
Simple theory is, measure the PTO
?frequency and if it drifts, you offset the?
band oscillator (Si5351 crystal based
synthesizer) by the opposite amount to
cancel the PTO drift. ?I am doing this now
and it is terrific, turn the Drake on cold,
tune in the net, then listen all day without?
changing the PTO, it is crystal locked!
I also have a mode I call channel lock...
Most operation nowadays is on even KHz
frequencies, so I only lock to the KHz.
Instant exactly ¡°on frequency¡±, no
?complaints from the new guys?
Real easy tuning, my Kenwood can¡¯t even do
this!
Parts cost can be as low as $11, I think.
Plus, you have all bands with NO old drifted
crystals needed.
My FS-5 design is still being developed but if anyone wants something like the above,
maybe I can get Bernie to help me release?
it.
73,
Gary
WB6OGD?
On Mar 27, 2021, at 2:45 PM, VE7PS <ve7ps@...:
? Rick:
I am not currently on the air with my TC-2/6 but I have in the past used them.
While not too bad for casual VHF operating on CW/SSB, they are not stable enough as is for any of the digital modes.? I was getting drift complaints on occasion from the SSB guys at times.? My answer...."do you have big knob on the front of your radio for tuning?"?
OK - not really....but I did think that!? Indeed some of that drift could be from the R-4/T-4 that was running the xverters at the time.? Need to check that out further one day.
The receivers are not all that hot and would benefit from a good low noise preamp ahead of them.? I did some simple comparison testing a few years ago against my SSB Electronics xverters and they were not as sensitive, though I did not go as far as quantifying
that difference.?
I like to operate them just for fun, because I can.? I just wish I lived in an area that some VHF DX was possible...this after almost 40 years of VHF/UHF DX'ing when I Iived in EN86 and FN02.? I am almost surrounded by mountains where I am now in DN09, though
I do have a good shot at the moon most of the time and am planning to get back into EME again. I won't be using the Drakes!
I also have a P & H 6-150 100 watt 6 meter transmitting converter that is fun to play with too.? Brings back memories from using one of these in our 6m station at VE3ONT during the VHF contests in the mid-70's.
73
Peter
VE7PS
