W5ZHI
I built a new PSK-20 for my father N5LK as I couldn't figure out what was causing the VOX oscillation in the old one. It appears to have been a couple of problems, one of them being a broken resistor on the base of the final PA, and the other a MOSFet in the Mic mute that kept going bad (perhaps related). I jumpered over the FET and it seems to work fine. Nevertheless, I'm going to go send him the new one. I tested it out today on 20m 14.072 with my SteppIR at 35ft and answered W5ZHI Dick in Albuquerque, NM. Dick was running about 50W, from his IC-746 Pro at 5W to a small amplifier, which he says gives him good linearity (30dB or so). He did have quite a nice signal. Originally, he reported me as weak but then I noticed I was beaming West instead of East! We had a nice long chat about his ham radio repair work that he does in retirement, and about reminiscences from time in the Bay Area, when he met Prof. F. E. Terman.

Labels: QSO

- posted by Leigh @ 20:00 z