[ICOM] Digital modes with IC 706 MK2G

[Larry Young]

Jim: Here is a web site that in easy to understand language answers your questions. http://members.cox.net/jrehak/PSK31.htm 
Larry. K4LXV

--- On Sat, 2/20/10, Jim <jamesgood at charter.net> wrote:

From: Jim <jamesgood at charter.net>
Subject: [ICOM] Digital modes with IC 706 MK2G
To: "ICOM Reflector" <icom at mailman.qth.net>
Date: Saturday, February 20, 2010, 4:36 PM

At present, my only HF radio is an Icom 706 MK 2 G.  The antenna used is a 
dipole cut for 40 meters and hung as an Inverted V about 35 or 40 feet high 
in a tree.  The feed line is 300 Ohm twin lead.  None of that is going to 
change any time soon.  As I press the 'Mode' button at the top right side of 
the display, the various operating modes available are shown across the top 
of the display (LSB-USB, CW (CW-R), RTTY (RTTY-R), FM (WFM, AM).  In the 
owner's manual pages 35, 36, and 37 describe how to set the '706 up for 
RTTY, RTTY(FSK), RTTY (AFSK), and PACKET operation.  I can find nothing that 
describes the process that will allow PSK modes to be used.

Questions:  When I want to set the radio for PSK should I use USB/LSB or the 
RTTY mode?  Would it make much difference which sideband (USB or LSB) might 
be used for PSK on HF?  The owner's manual cautions against operating at 
power levels over 50% for any of the digital modes (CW, RTTY, FSK, and 
AFSK).  The instructions for the modem that will be used also have similar 
cautions about the power settings and go a little bit farther.  The 
instructions say to set the radio power setting to about 40% (or between 30% 
and 50%) then use a tune setting for the modem to adjust the final power to 
closer to the 30% to 40% range.  Again, should these settings be made while 
the radio is in USB/LSB mode or in CW/RTTY mode?  I have found that in RTTY 
mode trying to adjust the power brings up a set of menus that apply to RTTY 
more than other modes and in CW mode the menu offers options to CW tone, 
pitch, and speed.

The few attempts that I have tried have been to set the radio to about 50% 
power, connect the modem and make the final power setting using the modem to 
achieve a power out of about 40% to 50%.  All of this after the radio had 
been tuned to the desired band and antenna using an external antenna tuner.

Do my efforts sound reasonable?  Are they anywhere close to what might be 
recommended for PSK modes?

Thank you in advance.
Jim Good KD5VXH









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