[Hammarlund] RE;dumb tuning

Tue, 17 Sep 2002 21:49:59 -0500

Evening Mike and group,

        My recommendation would be a nice HP 606A or B.  It covers
everything you might run into as far as freq coverage in aligning Boatanchor
receivers.  It has a great attenuator, nice easy to read meters and
frequency display...not to mention the vernier for fine freq adjustment.
It's a little on the large side but built like a tank.  Mine was shipped
east of the Miss. River from CA and arrived dead on freq.

I also have an AN/URM 25 but find it a little confusing to use for the
casual user. I don't really care for it...but many guys like it.

I would add a nice frequency counter to improve the accuracy....something
with a high input impedance if you can find one so it can stay "T"ed into
the output without adding too much load.  I am using an HP....can't remember
the model but it has 1meg inputs as well as 50 ohm inputs.   The counter
will not be sensitive enough to read after you drop the level down pretty
low during an alignment but once one of these nice generators are set on
freq. they don't move around too much!

You should be able to pick up a nice 606 and counter from the "E" place for
around $300-$350 with shipping.  I have found the "E" place to be an
excellent place to purchase test gear....just check out the sellers
feedback....

My 2 cents worth...

Cecil Acuff....
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike McCoy" <[email protected]>
To: "Joel R. Hallas" <[email protected]>; "Hammarlund"
<[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 17, 2002 7:24 PM
Subject: Re: [Hammarlund] RE;dumb tuning

> Understood something 'cheap' certainly has its limitations. But I'm just a
> hobbiest and have no desire/need to spend hundreds of $$$ on something I
> would only use occasionally.
>
> Still, does anyone have any recommendations for a sig gen that would
suffice
> for aligning these ol BA's (even if it took longer than what would be
> acceptable in a 'real' shop)? Something that maybe could be found on eBay
> for a reasonable (e.g. hobbiest) sum?
>
> One of my problems searching for an inexpensive sig gen is not knowing
which
> ones provide an unmodulated output (vs sine/square wave generators)
>
> -Mike
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Joel R. Hallas" <[email protected]>
> To: "Ed Shafer" <[email protected]>; "Hammarlund"
> <[email protected]>
> Sent: Monday, September 16, 2002 8:00 PM
> Subject: Re: [Hammarlund] RE;dumb tuning
>
>
> > Ed,
> >
> > A cheap and accurate signal generator sounds like a holy grail! Even
> expensive ones aren't
> > often accurate enuf to do what you want to do. What I use is a cheap
> signal generator with
> > a cheap counter in the line to the receiver, solves most problems. I
also
> have a step
> > attenuator between the counter and the receiver so I can reduce the
level
> and keep the
> > counter happy.
> >
> > Has worked for many receivers.
> >
> > GL & 73, Joel, W1ZR
> >
> > Ed Shafer wrote:
> >
> > > Mike,
> > >
> > > I too have an HQ-180 and I am really pleased with it in all respects.
I
> tried for quite
> > > a while to get the tracking right, but still can't get it on the mark
> everywhere. I
> > > really don't have the equipment that would make the job easy, so as
you
> said, tried to
> > > make do with the crystal calibrator, and harmonics from a fairly
> accurate 80 meter vfo
> > > to get the frequencies right. I feel pretty sure that it could be
better
> than I've
> > > gotten it, and was glad to hear your opinion about the potential
> accuracy that could be
> > > achieved. Still, just using the calibrator to spot myself, I can find
> anything I want
> > > to on any band. It just doesn't track evenly from one end to the
other.
> As you say,
> > > it's a labor of love...I put probably 10 honest hours in on this and
> wish I'd gotten a
> > > little closer to perfect. Still, it's the best receiver I've ever
owned.
> I love the
> > > selectivity filters...in the .5 position I can single out a cw signal
in
> a crowd, and
> > > the slot filter is also quite a nice thing to have!
> > >
> > > Ed N5YX
> > >
> > > p.s.  I am looking for a signal generator to try to do this again,
> preferably cheap and
> > > accurate, if anyone has anything to offer.
> > >
> > > --- Mike Taylor <[email protected]> wrote:
> > > > some interesting discussion about mike mcoy's question on his
> hammarlund
> > > > hq-180. what we're talking about here is what's called "tracking".
in
> other
> > > > words, the ability to set the tuning dial on any dial marker and
> that's the
> > > > actual frequency you're tuned to. the hq-180 can do this. in a
perfect
> > > > world, we would all have singal generators that are 100% accurate
> which
> > > > would make alignment simple. few of us do. so the crystal calibrator
> has to
> > > > suffice during alignment and you need reliable reference points
(like
> wwv).
> > > > the highest band is difficult because there are so many dial marks
> spaced so
> > > > close together. so mike, if your oscillator is even just 100khz off
it
> can
> > > > be impossible to figure out where you are. i've managed to get just
> about
> > > > perfect dial tracking on both my hammarlunds, but it's tedious to do
> and
> > > > truly a labor of love. i'd like to know how many other folks have
> managed to
> > > > get nearly perfect tracking on their hammarlunds and how much of a
> pain it
> > > > was to accomplish. 73's...mike [email protected]
> > >
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