[Kenwood] TS-520 Receiver Alignment Questions

[Darrell Drake]

Daniel,KC9ALV wrote,in part......

........ the manual states at the beginning of the procedure that I am to
connect the radio to a 50 ohm dummy load; I do not own a  dummy load. Is
this really necessary, or can I just leave the antenna unplugged?
...................

Daniel,
    ALL alignment tests on ANY transmitter requires the use of a purely
resistive load to the final amplifier. The way to achieve this is with the
use of a 50 ohm pure resistance load, with little or no reactance (NOT an
antenna). This is essentially what a dummy load does, besides not allowing
annoying carrier noise to be transmitted on the air. Merely disconnecting
the antenna does nothing positive, outside of greatly shortening the life of
the final amplifier.
    But if you're just going to align the receiver section, you could just
unplug the antenna, so as not to receive any unwanted signals. When working
on the receiver, make sure that you turn the "DRIVE" control to the point
where you have the loudest receiver noise (hiss). Tune to the 25kHz marker
and adjust the RX coils to increase the noise level.
     The "test rod" the manual refers to is a Non-metallic tool, similar to
a small tip screwdriver. One end is usually a small flat blade screwdriver
and the other is hexagonal, for tuning the TX/RX coils. Any electronic parts
store should have these items.
     BTW... If you don't have a dummy load, how do you tune the final
amplifier for use without transmitting a carrier on the air?
Cheers and Good Luck
Darrell,
VA3DG/VE3DDG