[1000mp] CW Tuning Meter Question

[J. Mc Laughlin]

Dear Art:
    It is possible that we are discussing different things, but probably
not.  I am using a 1000MP Mark-V.
    The pot (under the top cover) that we are discussing adjusts the
center pitch (the pitch of a cw signal that is in the center of a
filter) and adjusts the pitch of the spot signal to correspond.  In
other words, wherever one sets the pot, if you zero beat an on-the-air
CW signal to the spot signal, the on-the-air CW signal will be in the
middle of all of the filters (both the IF filters and the audio filters,
if the latter are used).  If the signal-to-noise ratio is high,  a CW
signal that has been adjusted to "zero beat," should cause the (so
called) tuning meter to assert its middle LED.

    The next time that I tune a CW signal that has a high SNR, I will
look again at the tuning meter.  Hitherto, I have found no utility for
the tuning meter.

    To expand on how a tune a weak, DX signal:  I zero beat the signal
to the spot tone.  I write down the frequency.  Then I go to 250 Hz IF
filter and rock the tuning slightly to confirm approximate centering.
Then, if the QRM is real bad or the signal is very weak, I start using
the audio BPFs.   At each narrowing, I rock the dial a  few 10s of Hz to
confirm centering.  (the only times when the center frequency appears to
be different from the first frequency written down, are those times when
I expect the station is drifting)  Narrowing in stages works for me.

    Thanks for the data point and comments.   73   Mac  N8TT

J. Mc Laughlin  -  Michigan USA

----- Original Message -----
From: "Art Searle W2NRA" <w2nra@birdsandbeacons.com>
To: <1000mp@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, February 07, 2004 10:51 AM
Subject: Re: [1000mp] CW Tuning Meter Question


> Mac,
>
> I've only had my 1000mp a little over a month but
> I find the tuning meter invaluable on cw because
> of poor band conditions we've been experiencing
> and the frequent need for the narrowest filtering.
> I find that it can be difficult to tune a
> moderately weak signal in when I select the 250 Hz
> narrow filters.  This is further complicated when
> using the 60 Hz audio filter.  However, if you
> adjust your tuning meter as precisely as possible,
> I find that, with a wider filter setting, I can
> tune a signal, so that the meter indicates the
> station is in tune and then switch in the narrower
> filter and/or the 60 Hz audio filter and can still
> copy the station without fine tuning.
>
> In your case I think what I would do is set the
> tuning meter to the extreme bottom and then adjust
> the pitch to match that.
>
> 73,
> Art
>
> W2NRA
>
>
>
> > I too found this "feature" of the Mark V.  I
> just set the pot to the
> > lowest setting and then backed it off a bit.
> The tuning meter has
> > essentially no value, at least on CW.
> >     Nevertheless, listen to the spot tone and
> tune to the same pitch.
> >     Great radio.  Some poor engineering.
> >         73   Mac  N8TT
> > J. Mc Laughlin  -  Michigan USA
>
>
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