PSK31 Transmitter Level Adjustment

[M6NKA]

Thanks for the really useful video. I wish i had a second receiver though ;( 73

[jssawyer1993]

Re turning down the radio power. If you keep your overs short, which is easy to do with macros the radio should have no problems with running at full smoke. I have been doing this with my 817 and HRD + Digital master 780 and everything seems to be okay. I'm now up to 32 contacts since I got to the rig about a month ago.

Jonathan

2E0VJO

[K7AGE]

@MM6ISM The video may be couple of years old, but just a valid today as when I posted the video. Randy

[Aviator14]

I do not have an interface so would I still be able to put out a clean signal if I key the mic near the PC speaker and set digipan to speaker output?

[K7AGE]

@Aviator14 I have heard of guys doing this. Not the best, but it can work.

[insideofitall]

Thanks for the video! I just got the FT-817ND and am setting it up so this is a big help.

One quick question. If the IMD is okay, and you're not at full-power on the rig (maybe 2 or 3 watts or something like that), is it fine to have a couple of bars on the ALC? Since these rigs are low power as it is, I want to get as much out as possible without distorting or worrying about my finals.

[K7AGE]

@insideofitall You can still have distortion even with low power. The distortion comes from over driving the system. Set the audio level, raise it and watch the power out. When you see power out not increasing, back of the audio level a bit. Try a qso and ask if you signal is clean.

[andypanda758]

Great training .Ineed lots of help ,sorry.WELL DO I NEED TO HAVE A WORKING ANTENNA OR CAN I USE A DUMMY LOAD TO RECIEVE.,OR DO I NEED ONE AT ALLthanks KG4EWH.

[K7AGE]

@andypanda758 Always good to test into a dummy load.

[lioii]

On my TS-850 I tune up in FSK mode ensuring no ALC and I set my output power, usually around 40w. I then switch to USB and start playing PSK. Is this the correct procedure??

[K7AGE]

@lioii I would think no. FSK is for RTTY, and it is not dependent on audio levels from the pc. I think you need to be in the mode that the sound card is feeding the radio and adjust the audio level so that you are not over driving the radio.

[mactivist]

Hi Randy,

I just got a K3 and a MicroKeyer II. The MK2 setup instructions have you adjust the ALC so about 5 bars are showing (7 bars is max). Does this sound right to you for PSK?

Thanks for the videos!

Jeff, W6UX

[K7AGE]

@mactivist I believe on the K3 you set it for a number of bars, as stated in the manual. Get on the air and ask if your signal looks clean. Randy

[glmemory]

Two points, but first of all, great video. TKS!

First, the reason ALC is kicking in before "full power" is indicated is because of the difference between Peak and Average power. You are putting out full power just before ALC kicks in, even tho you don't see it on the meter. Second, I use an audio pad between the computer and the rig which allows me to operate audio more toward the linear region of the sound card (and it gives me a wider range to fine tune the audio level). 73!

[Polybun]

Something that should be said. For psk, the "carriers" (the tone with no data transmit) is 80% duty cycle. So to stick with the ft817 here, 4watts is about what you would want to see with no data send. It will have its peaks at 5 watts. If you notice, if you note, at that point, his alc was still at one bar. Idealy, your digital station should never light the alc up ever! The difference here is that the alc is an peak meter, the watt meter is an averaging meter.

[K7AGE]

Thanks, the various different meters does confuse people, plus radios also react differently. I hope that most that view are able to get the audio set low enough so not to be wide across the band! Randy

[Polybun]

Well, it will never fully go away. I mean, you had people doing this with rtty years ago, as well as sstv, although when you overdrove those modes, you knew it right away, especially sstv. Bob, all i got was static!

What really causes this is people trying to get the last watt from their radio. Its digital folks, that last 10% isn't going to matter.

Most software, the tune tone should be used to tune, and nothing else, as the modes are programed in such a way to match that tune tone.

[uploadJ]

Nice demo; It was a great idea using a second radio set to receive the transmitted signal to show how IMD (Inter-Modulation Distortion) W-I-D-E-N-S the transmitted spectrum thereby clobbering the adjacent signals!

[yu7bh]

Dear Randy,

Thank you for excellent video's. All of them are very useful. After 30 years of cw operation I decide to buy MK2:-) With your help just in few day's I did more than 50 qso's with 30 watt's on 7mhz, :-) wow! No TVI, no angry faced neighbors!

Nice fun with out QRO.

YU7BH

[K7AGE]

have fun!

[leemer12]

that way it would be hard to mess up the audio settings in the mixer program just keep it full blast all the time. I also recommend getting a 2nd pci sound card so windows and webpages sounds don't get transmitted out. That way you can jam to music while in QSO with your friend on psk .. Hope that helps as well , tnx for the vid 73 to all

[leemer12]

I usually set mine up by the forward output and make that needle bounce as much as possible it will hit 100watts sometimes but, not all the time! when no text is going thru it should be at least 25% weaker than pep. bpsk31 is not 100% duty but, pretty close. in mixw there is a neat feature for audio levels called Amplitude level for this mode. set to 1.000, 1.000 is full output audio set to around maybe .3 to start and see if you can hit 100 watts. continued

[leemer12]

yea that is one of the big myths out there about strong bpsk signals. no matter what power setting you are at you can have a dirty signal. Some things I seen out there that can cause some problems is ground loops, a sound card with high THD% , EMI from other equipment or AC lines, RFI from the actual transmitter getting into the audio lines or chassis. one thing I found on some rigs out there is that the ALC meter will read wrong somtimes.continued

[longwave2007]

Enjoyed your psk31 videos a lot and have subscribed. 73's

de VE7GEJ

[Brubru54]

Hi!K7AGE,

Very helpful vidéo.Hope to copy you again in BPSK.

73,F4DNP Bruno in France.

[kb4ppp]

Hi Randy, Thanks for all the fine videos. They are very helpful. You are a fine example of what Amateur Radio was intended to be. I'm looking forward to many more videos in the furture.

THANKS,

Jerry KB4PPP Alexandria,KY

[gullywinds]

thank you for paul vk5fpau

[tominabox1]

How do you check it if you dont have another tranceiver to listen on?

[K7AGE]

You watch the power output and the ALC meter. I used a second radio to show you what happens with too much drive. Randy

[2M0JAS]

I've been following all your videos concerning PSK31. Very informative and a great guide for hams new to this digi mode.

Keep up the great work Randy!

73's Stuart

2M0JAS

[vk7xgw]

Once again great work Randy, keep it up

vk7xgw

Wayne

[W4HWB]

Very well done. Thanks and keep up the good work.

[K5ADA]

Excellent. Thank you for these PSK31 videos Randy. 73, Arnold, K5ADA

[m0sjd]

Another very helpful video Randy please keep up the good work when time allows,73, m0sjd steve.

[Benoit37000]

HeLLo From France Randy

Thanks for your gReat Video

Very instructive

Keep going One

Benoit F4EYW

[K5EXX]

Excellent video Randy, keep em coming and we will keep watching!

Mark, K5EXX

SE Texas

[ki6esk]

Good Video Randy. 73,Curtis KI6ESK

[yaesu1ad9z]

Good job Randy!

73's Dave AD9Z

[arl1963]

Excellent Rady, keep em coming I found this one very usefull.

Regards

Adrian (M3TVF)

[dash8brj]

Interesting video Randy. Looking forward to playing with PSK when I get my standard ticket (VK)

[g0tmx]

As always.... very good!

[poac]

Very nice video from you as all other your videos.

73 Kimmo OH7FDN

[kc9mav]

Well you get chicago illinois now so I think worked all states and worked all counties.

This so intersting.

[K7AGE]

Gee, I see from the comments, that this video has already been seen around the world. Neat. Lets try for DXCC in comments. Randy

[xe1yjs]

Very interesting video.

Thank you Randy.

XE1YJS

[YO3DLK]

Hi Randy! Great video.

Alex

YO3DLK

[g7waw]

Hi Randy have enjoyed all your videos looking forward to the next. 73s g7waw

[blaster454]

Again, a very nice, clear video explanation.  Congrats and keep up the good work.

73,

Larry - NK2X

[messabout1]

Great job Randy. Makes me want to get back on PSK on the bands.

Richard WA4NWW

[K7AGE]

DO IT, be radio active. Randy

[joeblosky2]

Hi Randy, I have been enjoying your videos. You have me started in psk. Hope you do one on sstv. You are a great service to amateur radio. Hear you on the bands. 73s N5YHZ

[K7AGE]

Glad to hear that you are a new psk operator. I want to make one more psk video, operating. Then on to some other topics. Enjoy and be radio active. Randy

[baz58z]

Thanks Randy, another great video.

Barry

VK2BMD