[Johnson] Valiant chirp

[Adrian Ellison]

Hello Al,

I have experienced this with my Ranger too and think it must be fairly
common.  The problem is that the vfo is running at the fundamental
frequency on 40m.  What I have done with mine is to adjust the vfo switch
linkage so that it uses the 160m tank for 40m, with the change over to
using the 40m tank on 20m and above.  It's as clean as a whistle when you
do this and there's still plenty of drive available, and it's a non
permanent modification, easily changed back again so worth a try.

73 de Adrian / ZS1TTZ

> Hi folks,
>     I know Valiants & Rangers chirp at least sometimes.  Mine only chirps
> on
> 40m.  I know the dropping resistor in the VFO VR tube line, 18K I think?,
> is
> common trouble, I've done that on a cupl, and in this one, tho' I used a
> 5w
> 22k, mounted outside the box.  I've adjusted the keying  pot, even tried
> it
> at both ends, but it's sitll close to where a prev. owner had marked it to
> be when adj. properly.  I've got some ferrite beads on the leads into the
> VFO.
>     This thing only chirps on 40m.  I've tried all other bands, tried
> changing the exciter tuning.  I fussed with this rig for about 2 months b4
> I
> decided it was OK to put it back in the cabinet last week.  Worked the 160
> contest this weekend, of course you're not going to get anything other
> than
> 599 in a test, but it sure sounds pretty on the rcvr everywhere except on
> 40m  It does flatten out when I cut the final plate current down below
> 50ma
> by dropping the drive & letting the clamper do it's job.  So, it's either
> RF
> somehow doing it, or voltage drop, or ???  If that 22k has too much drop,
> why only on 40M?
>     Looking for suggestions b4 I haul it out of the cabinet, not a fun
> job.
> thanks, 73,
> Al, W8UT
> New Bern, NC
> www.boatanchors.org
> www.hammarlund.info
>
>
>
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