need a contact too test new radio

[geraldw3210]

Hello everyone.

ok i get a new radio yaesu FTdx1200 , jetstream PS, hooked up too a par endfedz wire antenna. ive been hearing stuff on the various bands , but i cant seen too contact anyone? ive tried tthe different calling freqs on several bands , but i get no replies?

is anyone willing too help me? i want too make sure this unit is worrking properly.

im in Pennsylvania.. at EST timezone. please let me know how too proceed and we can seee if i have things working right.

many thanks KC3JET

 

[prcguy]

I'm near Dallas, TX at the moment and am available most of the day for playing radio. 20m would be a good band for this and mid day should have good propagation. Let me know your schedule today.
prcguy

 

[AB4BF]

First, have you checked the SWR of your antenna? You want it 2.0 or less, ideally 1.5 or less. I'm not too familiar with the FT 1200, but I believe it has a built in antenna tuner, but if your antenna is too far out of range the built in tuner won't help much.

Get on 40 meters, if that is what your antenna is tuned for, (you didn't indicate), or what ever the antenna is tuned resonant for. If you don't have an SWR/Watt meter, you'll have to depend on your radio's meter. Ideally, you should have checked the antenna with an analyzer.

Once you are sure that the antenna isn't reflecting too much power, contact me through the PM system here and I'll fire up my TS-430 and try to make a QSO, OK?

In the next hour or so I've got to help my son sell a vehicle, and then I should be free.

 

[geraldw3210]

First, have you checked the SWR of your antenna? You want it 2.0 or less, ideally 1.5 or less. I'm not too familiar with the FT 1200, but I believe it has a built in antenna tuner, but if your antenna is too far out of range the built in tuner won't help much.

Get on 40 meters, if that is what your antenna is tuned for, (you didn't indicate), or what ever the antenna is tuned resonant for. If you don't have an SWR/Watt meter, you'll have to depend on your radio's meter. Ideally, you should have checked the antenna with an analyzer.

Once you are sure that the antenna isn't reflecting too much power, contact me through the PM system here and I'll fire up my TS-430 and try to make a QSO, OK?

In the next hour or so I've got to help my son sell a vehicle, and then I should be free.

hello again

ok i think i found one issue my antenna is box stock i havent "trimmed it" for any particular frequency. i tried the built in tuner on several bands, it goes thru the tune and built in meter set too swr settles at 2.5 every time. so theres one issue.

i dont have any kind of antenna analyzer or such so i have no idea how too tune and antenna?

So ill need too work on the antenna and try to make contacts when i get that fixed.

thanks for the help everyone. ill be back when i get this done

 

[prcguy]

I find the PAR antennas ship a little long and you might have to trim it a bit. Bypass the tuner in your radio, put out a low power carrier in CW or FM mode and check the upper and lower end of 40m. I suspect the match will be better at the lower end indicating the antenna is a bit long.

If so you should be able to use the built in SWR meter to trim and for a multiband PAR its best to get the best match around 7.100 so it also has a good match across 20 and 10m.

There is a 40m net every morning until about noon on 7.255MHz LSB than covers your area. You might check in with them and get some reports.
prcguy

hello again

ok i think i found one issue my antenna is box stock i havent "trimmed it" for any particular frequency. i tried the built in tuner on several bands, it goes thru the tune and built in meter set too swr settles at 2.5 every time. so theres one issue.

i dont have any kind of antenna analyzer or such so i have no idea how too tune and antenna?

So ill need too work on the antenna and try to make contacts when i get that fixed.

thanks for the help everyone. ill be back when i get this done

 

[geraldw3210]

I find the PAR antennas ship a little long and you might have to trim it a bit. Bypass the tuner in your radio, put out a low power carrier in CW or FM mode and check the upper and lower end of 40m. I suspect the match will be better at the lower end indicating the antenna is a bit long.

If so you should be able to use the built in SWR meter to trim and for a multiband PAR its best to get the best match around 7.100 so it also has a good match across 20 and 10m.

There is a 40m net every morning until about noon on 7.255MHz LSB than covers your area. You might check in with them and get some reports.
prcguy

Hello again

So i got a mfj969 tuner out of storage , i was able too get a 1.5 swr match on 40meters with this setup. so far so good, but now when i key the mike too call i get nothing on either meter, the 1200 meter on pwr setting drops too 0 , mfj meters dont budge?

if i switch to any other mode , cw rtty, etc and key the mike i get meter deflections?

is this normal?

 

[AK9R]

On sideband, there is virtually no transmitted RF until you speak. CW or RTTY are continuous carrier modes, so when the radio is keyed, there's RF coming out of it.

 

[geraldw3210]

On sideband, there is virtually no transmitted RF until you speak. CW or RTTY are continuous carrier modes, so when the radio is keyed, there's RF coming out of it.

Got it, i had too turn the pwr output up a bit it was at 5W then i saw the deflection i was looking for.

Whew this is complicated stuff but i think ill get the hang of it eventually,

thanks for all the help ive gotten here

time for a break ill be back tomorrow