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Using HF rig or 6M repeaters

 

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I have some potential users of my 6M FM repeater that want to use their HF rigs for that purpose. Unfortunately most that have tried have terrible audio - over driven and distorted. What do they need to pay attention to with their rigs? FWIW, I do not have an HF radio because I have zero interest, so I'm no help to them.

Chuck
WB2EDV

 

Probably haven't readjusted the mic gain from 7200 ??

I'll let myself out now thank you

On Thu, May 22, 2025, 8:26?PM Chuck Kelsey via <wb2edv=[email protected]> wrote:
I have some potential users of my 6M FM repeater that want to use their HF rigs for that purpose. Unfortunately most that have tried have terrible audio - over driven and distorted. What do they need to pay attention to with their rigs? FWIW, I do not have an HF radio because I have zero interest, so I'm no help to them.

Chuck
WB2EDV

 

Turn off the processor.

Some older radios have one mic gain as a knob adjustment. The level for SSB is different than FM.

A cheap SDR watching the audio spectrum and zoom in on RF spectrum can assist getting FM deviation to 3KHz at 1KHz tone



Benjamin, KB9LFZ?

On Thu, May 22, 2025, 20:26 Chuck Kelsey via <wb2edv=[email protected]> wrote:
I have some potential users of my 6M FM repeater that want to use their HF rigs for that purpose. Unfortunately most that have tried have terrible audio - over driven and distorted. What do they need to pay attention to with their rigs? FWIW, I do not have an HF radio because I have zero interest, so I'm no help to them.

Chuck
WB2EDV

 

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Depending on the brand/model of HF rig, some have the audio processing active on FM mode and some do not. Also, a few of the models are 2.5 KHz deviation, not 5 KHz. My Icom IC-7000 has three filter settings active in FM that result in 5 KHz, 4 KHz and 2.5 KHz deviation, plus adjustment to respective CTCSS levels.?

tnx
Mike / K5JR?
Alpharetta GA

On May 22, 2025, at 10:15?PM, KB9LFZ via groups.io <silver@...> wrote:

?
Turn off the processor.

Some older radios have one mic gain as a knob adjustment. The level for SSB is different than FM.

A cheap SDR watching the audio spectrum and zoom in on RF spectrum can assist getting FM deviation to 3KHz at 1KHz tone



Benjamin, KB9LFZ?

On Thu, May 22, 2025, 20:26 Chuck Kelsey via <wb2edv=[email protected]> wrote:
I have some potential users of my 6M FM repeater that want to use their HF rigs for that purpose. Unfortunately most that have tried have terrible audio - over driven and distorted. What do they need to pay attention to with their rigs? FWIW, I do not have an HF radio because I have zero interest, so I'm no help to them.

Chuck
WB2EDV

 

开云体育

?

  • What do they need to pay attention to with their rigs?

?

A lot of HF+6 radios will retain the voice processor settings even when switched to FM mode, so make sure they turn off the mic processor, and after doing so, set the mic gain to a reasonable level.

?

Mics, headsets, etc. tailored for “DX” or contesting SSB audio typically have a frequency response that sounds thin (a lot of low-end rolloff) or nasally (midrange peaking) on FM.

?

Some HF radios don’t have “true FM” modulators but rather phase modulators.? Some don’t sound very good regardless of what mic is used, whether that’s due to the modulator or the AF circuits preceding it.

?

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????? --- Jeff

?
 

Totally agree with Jeff WN3A recommendations.??
I own several radios that operate on 6M, Kenwood TS-690, TS-2000, Yaesu FT-991A, IC-7300.? They all provide good audio when audio enhancements are set with moderation or in the case of the FT-991A turned-off. This has
been my experience at WA3GIN.

Also, it seems 6m enthusiastic?operators enjoy driving high power amplifiers and oftentimes forget those big amps aren't usually needed for repeater use!

73
Dave
wa3gin

On Fri, May 23, 2025 at 8:28?AM Jeff DePolo WN3A via <jd0=[email protected]> wrote:

?

  • What do they need to pay attention to with their rigs?

?

A lot of HF+6 radios will retain the voice processor settings even when switched to FM mode, so make sure they turn off the mic processor, and after doing so, set the mic gain to a reasonable level.

?

Mics, headsets, etc. tailored for “DX” or contesting SSB audio typically have a frequency response that sounds thin (a lot of low-end rolloff) or nasally (midrange peaking) on FM.

?

Some HF radios don’t have “true FM” modulators but rather phase modulators.? Some don’t sound very good regardless of what mic is used, whether that’s due to the modulator or the AF circuits preceding it.

?

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????? --- Jeff

?
 

For 10 and 6 FM I use commercial Motorola Maxtrac/Radius, GE RANGR, GE Orions, Vertex FTL1011, Modified WULFSBERG RT30 and Motorola CDM1250's and I never receive a poor audio complaint for any of these commercial models as would be expected.
?
For 6/10 commercial FM Handhelds I use GE PE's, Maxon MGP300's, Motorola P200/MT1000 and recently my favorite Motorola HT is the HT1250 on 6 FM.
?
In the ham made models I use a Kenwood TS690S a Yaesu FT100D and an Elecraft K3S and for ham made Ht's i use a Yaesu VX-5R and an Azden AZ61 and all of these work very well on 6 and 10 FM repeaters and simplex without any complaints and no mods required.
?
The only complaint that I had was with the Kenwood TS690s and this was 32 years ago when I enabled the speech processor which doubles the audio in FM mode to where it is over driven so whenever using any the Kenwood ham models, Ts690S/TS450S do not turn the speech processor on, I do not see this? audio over drive issue with the Yaesu ham models? thasat I have used if the processor is on or off only with the above mentioned Kenwoods.
?
After using all of these mobile and handheld radios on, Australian, Swiss,? Canadian, New York, Texas, North Carolina, Washington, Oregon, California and Arizona 6 and 10 meter VHF Low band repeaters and numerous simplex frequencies I have never had an audio complaint on any of these? radios except for that one time with the Kenwood TS690S.
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Mike audio gain can be much different between SSB, AM and FM operation. They may have to remember what the optimum setting for mike gain is for each mode and reset the control.

73, Joe, K1ike

On 5/22/2025 9:26 PM, Chuck Kelsey via groups.io wrote:
I have some potential users of my 6M FM repeater that want to use their HF rigs for that purpose. Unfortunately most that have tried have terrible audio - over driven and distorted. What do they need to pay attention to with their rigs? FWIW, I do not have an HF radio because I have zero interest, so I'm no help to them.
Chuck
WB2EDV
 

Between ensuring they are using FM, best amplitude for mic gain, and when possible a vertical antenna - these things have greatly helped those doing this

Jason


On Fri, May 23, 2025, 9:41?AM Joe via <k1ike_mail=[email protected]> wrote:
Mike audio gain can be much different between SSB, AM and FM operation.
They may have to remember what the optimum setting for mike gain is for
each mode and reset the control.

73, Joe, K1ike

On 5/22/2025 9:26 PM, Chuck Kelsey via wrote:
> I have some potential users of my 6M FM repeater that want to use their
> HF rigs for that purpose. Unfortunately most that have tried have
> terrible audio - over driven and distorted. What do they need to pay
> attention to with their rigs? FWIW, I do not have an HF radio because I
> have zero interest, so I'm no help to them.
>
> Chuck
> WB2EDV
>






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