On Tue, Mar 4, 2025 at 10:46 AM, Roy KD6R wrote:
audio levels are very tricky on VARA FM.? Using an HT, it's easy to hit the volume knob (there's no "data" port on most HT's).
I second that...
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However we're talking about receive volume here. If you're monitoring the channel with a second radio (HT), and the gateway station isn't responding to an "Auto Tune" test, the receive volume isn't the issue.
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Although you aren't able to hear the receive audio when working Winlink with an HT, you can see that the receive volume level is appropriate by watching the VARA FM 'VU' meter with the squelch open. Noise on a clear channel should put the needle somewhere between the 12:00 (mid-scale) and 1:00 position on the VU meter. If there's a VARA FM signal, from a gateway station, you ideally want the needle somewhere above 12:00 and definitely below the red zone.
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If you want to be able to hear the receive signal when working Winlink with an HT, consider using a Masters Communications DRA-100-xx device with a speaker connected to the 'SPKR' jack, or a SignaLink with a speaker connected to the 'Aux' output.
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Mark - AD7EF
Mark Davis