[SMCARA] FTdx-3000 Question

Thu Nov 6 10:50:13 EST 2014

Well, in the flight test world, the first step after saying "why did it do that?" is to cycle power.  Works most of the time!
Glad your back in business!

73
Tom/W4OKW

-----Original Message-----
From: SMCARA [mailto:smcara-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Grant Farrand via SMCARA
Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2014 6:47 AM
To: Bill Jones
Cc: smcara at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [SMCARA] FTdx-3000 Question

Well good deal Bill,
Glad to hear its working now.

73

and.... In God We Trust !!!

Grant Farrand

gmfarrand at yahoo.com

Amateur  Call sign W4GMF

Virginia Fone Net #29

W4GMF Westmoreland Co.Repeater Sponsor  146.895mhz  (-)  pl tone 146.2

________________________________
 From: Bill Jones <merc669 at gmail.com>
To: Grant Farrand <gmfarrand at yahoo.com>
Cc: "smcara at mailman.qth.net" <smcara at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, November 6, 2014 6:12 AM
Subject: Re: [SMCARA] FTdx-3000 Question

Well, not sure why it would do it but leaving it unplugged over-nite corrected the issue. I did push a few buttons so not sure. But all I know its back-up online and ready to try again tonight. Just listened this morning. Thanks to everyone for the advice. I need to join that 3000 Yahoo Group!
73
Bill

On Wed, Nov 5, 2014 at 7:26 PM, Grant Farrand <gmfarrand at yahoo.com> wrote:

Bill, I think my problem was that I had the radio on a frequency outside of the ham bands and the MOX button was pushed.
>I know that if you try to transmit outside the band the TX light blinks.
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>73
>
>and.... In God We Trust !!!
>
>Grant Farrand
>
>gmfarrand at yahoo.com
>
>Amateur  Call sign W4GMF
>
>Virginia Fone Net #29
>
>W4GMF Westmoreland Co.Repeater Sponsor  146.895mhz  (-)  pl tone 146.2
>
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>________________________________
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>From: Bill Jones <merc669 at gmail.com>
>To: Grant Farrand <gmfarrand at yahoo.com>; "smcara at mailman.qth.net"
><smcara at mailman.qth.net>
>Sent: Wednesday, November 5, 2014 7:18 PM
>
>Subject: Re: [SMCARA] FTdx-3000 Question
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>Have neither but Will hope for the radio to rest overnite and or talk to Yaesu and write down instructions . Will pass to all what I find out. Hopefully someone else talked to them and has a number but will look online. I am sure there is a number there. Thanks!
>
>Bill
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>On Wed, Nov 5, 2014 at 7:10 PM, Grant Farrand via SMCARA <smcara at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
>
>Ya, Tom said it pretty well. The only thing I would like to add is that one of the best ways to set your audio is to put another radio on your frequency with a set of headphones. you will not need much of an antenna since it will be so close to you, just a few inches of wire will do fine and you will still need to turn down the receiver RF gain.
>>  Then transmit on your radio that you want to set your audio on while listening thru the headphones on the other radio.
>>You will find this makes it very easy to set your audio and also pay attention to the background noise when you are not talking ( like between words or syllables) when your gain is to high you start to have background noise, hum and popping in the mic from your breath hitting the mic.
>>  If you do not have a second radio you can use your police scanner tuned to your frequency to do the job also.
>>
>>Sounds like a good topic for the Elmer Net tonight.
>>
>>
>>73
>>
>>and.... In God We Trust !!!
>>
>>Grant Farrand
>>
>>gmfarrand at yahoo.com
>>
>>Amateur  Call sign W4GMF
>>
>>Virginia Fone Net #29
>>
>>W4GMF Westmoreland Co.Repeater Sponsor  146.895mhz  (-)  pl tone 146.2
>>
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>>________________________________
>> From: Daniel Metcalf <kb3uun at gmail.com>
>>To: smcara at mailman.qth.net
>>Sent: Wednesday, November 5, 2014 11:55 AM
>>
>>Subject: Re: [SMCARA] FTdx-3000 Question
>>
>>
>>I agree with Tom, thanks Grant for that answer. I can't believe the
>>processor would drive the radio that hard even at the lower settings.
>>I do seem to remember a discussion either on Ham Nation or On-Air
>>about the use of radio processors and how we should set it up for the
>>ideal audio quality but don't engage it until it is needed to give your signal that extra punch.
>>I will have to remember this when I get my hands on another FTDX-3000.
>>
>>HAVE FUN!
>>
>>Dan
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: SMCARA [mailto:smcara-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of
>>Clarke, Tom AIR4.0P NATOPS
>>Sent: Wednesday, November 5, 2014 10:53 AM
>>To: smcara at mailman.qth.net
>>Subject: Re: [SMCARA] FTdx-3000 Question
>>
>>What a succinct and reasoned explanation!  Thanks, Grant.
>>
>>I have always felt that over use of the processor function in our
>>radios is the reason for such lousy sounding signals that abound on our bands.
>>Trying to make an SSB signal sound like a studio quality FM broadcast
>>is an unnatural act also!
>>
>>If you have the ability (equipment) to monitor your transmitted signal
>>on a scope, you can tell a lot about how it will sound.  The
>>flat-topping and spur generation from the AKTR ( all knobs to the
>>right!) advocates makes life trying on the HF bands.  A quick look at
>>the scope as you adjust the amount of processing will help you to a
>>good sounding signal.  ALC is a tool to help you from overdriving the
>>PA in your rig.  If you hit the PA too hard, the ALC will "throttle
>>back" the drive to prevent the bad things from happening.  Anytime the
>>ALC is above the recommended level, you are turning the rig into a
>>compressor.  Remember, as Grant said, your output meter involves
>>inertia/ballistics and will only indicate 20-30 percent of the power
>>that is actually "going up the coax"!  If you try to drive the meter up to a 100 watts on a 100 watt rig, you are overdriving the "you know what"
>>out of it.  If you want a mind-numbing project, go get a Handbook and
>>read up on PEP and the math  behind it!
>>
>>The FM crowd is not exempt from this "tomfoolery" either.  Resist the
>>urge to use that old CB power mike on your shiny new FM rig.  Stick
>>with the factory mike or at least try to match impedances and levels
>>from any replacement mike.  We probably should hold a "deviation"
>>session at one of our meetings.  A good commercial deviation meter
>>will help "level the playing field" as the politicians love to say.
>>Nothing is worse than having to "ride the volume" control due to
>>differences in levels from the various users.
>>
>>Lest I come across as too "curmudgeonly", there is no problem with
>>having a rack of studio audio gear and $500 dollar microphones, but
>>please use a scope and adjust accordingly.  If you solicit an audio
>>report from someone, ask them to be honest!  I have heard folks give
>>glowing audio reports to a signal that is distorted, overdriven, and
>>with restricted bandwidth (i.e., tinny, too bassy, etc).  Some of the newer radios have an "equalizer"
>>function that can be adjusted to your voice.  A few minutes listening
>>to the monitor function of your transceiver or with the help of an
>>honest on the air assistant will do great things for your audio.
>>
>>Tom/W4OKW
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: SMCARA [mailto:smcara-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of
>>Grant Farrand via SMCARA
>>Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2014 7:01 PM
>>To: jbr13 at md.metrocast.net; SMCARA
>>Subject: Re: [SMCARA] FTdx-3000 Question
>>
>>Hi Jason,
>>I run my FTDX 3000 with the Yaesu MD200 mic or a computer type headset/mic.
>>I run the mic gain at 25 on the MD200 and at 20 on the computer
>>headset, and at this setting my ALC mostly stays on zero and only
>>moves off the zero mark if I talk very close into the mic. I do not
>>believe in using the processor except for maybe some rear DX. The processor just overdrives everything.
>>
>>
>>Unless you are looking at your signal with a scope, you will not see
>>what your radio is really putting out on SSB. It is just to fast for a
>>analog meter to show it. I know some analog meters have a avg/peak
>>setting but they still respond to slow to show your true output
>>reading. If you show a 100 watts in CW key down, you will have a 100
>>watts in SSB, you just wont see it on the meter.
>>
>>Listen to my radio on the Virginia Fone Net and you will see what a
>>mic gain of 25 with no ALC movement and no processor sound like.
>>
>>73
>>
>>and.... In God We Trust !!!
>>
>>Grant Farrand
>>
>>gmfarrand at yahoo.com
>>
>>Amateur  Call sign W4GMF
>>
>>Virginia Fone Net #29
>>
>>W4GMF Westmoreland Co.Repeater Sponsor  146.895mhz  (-)  pl tone 146.2
>>
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>>________________________________
>>From: "jbr13 at md.metrocast.net" <jbr13 at md.metrocast.net>
>>To: SMCARA <smcara at mailman.qth.net>
>>Sent: Tuesday, November 4, 2014 8:48 AM
>>Subject: [SMCARA] FTdx-3000 Question
>>
>>
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>>
>>      BODY { font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;
>>} Hello all,  I run my FTdx-3000 at 100W output, with a Heil Mic, and
>>have tweeked my EQ and Para EQ settings.  I am running 25 Mic Gain,
>>and 45 on the Proc.  I have talked with several guys that know my
>>voice and they report this sounds great.  I also constantly get
>>reports that my audio sounds great from DX stations.  My problem is my
>>ALC is usually running over the top of the ALC line on the meter.  It
>>is different on most bands, but always over the line. On 10M and 15M
>>it is higher than most. I have tried to back the Mic Gain and Proc
>>down to get ALC down some, but I have to pretty much turn my Mic Gain
>>to 10, and Proc to 15 to get it to dip much at all. Plus when I turn
>>both down, I see my output power drop 10-30 Watts. My optimized G5RV
>>is about 40 feet from the radio outside.  I am not sure what is
>>cuasing the ALC to be a little high.  I have turned back all the EQ
>>sittings to defaults and turned off Processor, and Mic EQ, ALC drops close to peak ALC line, but audio really drops off, as well as a drop in power out.
>>
>>    I put a MFJ inline Isolator/ current bulan inline at the antenna
>>this past weekend, but that changed nothing.
>>
>>    Ideas, Comments???
>>    N3YUG Jason Rearick
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