[Drake] Drake B Line Question

[ed brooks]

What would help, probably, would be to know if:

1.  Is this a problem that has just arisen with a rig that previously worked
correctly?

2.  Has it always been this way (or at least since it has been in your
possession?)

3.  Did you acquire the two units as a 'station' or were they acquired
separately?  And possibly from separate sources?

4.  Is this on any band, or is it limited to one or two bands, and if so, which
ones?

In my own opinion, some differences can be expected, but not 100 watts down to 60
watts.  Differences are not only in injection level, but also in correct
alignment of the receiver, and, just as importantly, correct matching to the
transmitter.

I acquired a B line as a 'station' - acquired together from the same source - but
found it necessary to follow the procedures for aligning the injection circuit,
on all bands, before I got even close to similar power levels.  Perhaps the units
were not actually used together before I got them, or maybe they had never even
been introduced to each other.   I used (yeah, I know) good old Radio Shack
gold-plated and shielded VIDEO cable, for use in hooking up a VCR to a TV set, as
the injection cables.  OK, slapped firmly on both wrists.  But it works, and now
when I switch from TX control to RX control,  in transceive operation, I may drop
from 110 watts output to 100, which is quite acceptable.  When I operate
separate, I get typically 120 watts output (I don't run it that high, but that is
in tune position) (except on 10 meters, where I get 100 watts) and then if I
switch to RX control (on the same freq of course) I drop to 100 watts output. (85
on 10 meters.)   That is a bit more of a drop than I'd like, but it makes no
difference on the receive end, and it is the best I have been able to obtain
while fiddling with the injection.    To get there, though, I had to go through
both receiver and transmitter alignment - twice.  If I were using "approved"
Drake injection cables, I might squeeze another five watts out of it??
Interestingly, with the RS Video cables, the transceive tracking is 'on the
money.'  And that DID surprise me when I checked and found out, but I'm of the
opinion "Don't fix it if it ain't broke" even though I now have a set  three foot
long RG58 cables with RCA plugs on the ends.  They are lying in my desk drawer,
but one of these days I'll plug them in and see what happens.

If this is, for you, a problem that has recently arisen, after working correctly
previously, then it is a sign of change within the radio - either TX or RX or
both - and needs addressing from a troubleshooting approach - that is, alignment,
re-tubing, replacing injection cables, etc.

Have fun

73
Ed, W5HTW



W4UOC@aol.com wrote:

> I have a Drake B line and have noticed quite a bit of drive difference when I
> use either VFO vs Separate.  As an example if I tune the transmitter with
> using the receiver VFO I would get 60 watts with the same audio gain, 70
> watts with the xmtr VFO and 100 watts output in tune set with "separate".
>
> I suspect that in either the B or C vfo the cable (inj) is loading down the
> drive circuit.  In the separate position I suspect the "inj" cable is out of
> the circuit.
>
> I have a low impedence "inj" cable.
>
> Any suggestions as to what is causing the loss of drive or a fix to solve
> this unusual situation?
>
> Tom Koch - W4UOC
> Atlanta, GA