‰  NOW 40 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM SEPTEMBER 2017 QST  PAGE 47‰
FINALLY, LOCK EVERYTHING TOGETHER, FOUR SCREWS RUN FROM THE FRONT PANEL TO
THE BACK.  NO NUTS ARE USED THE SCREWS ACT AS SELF TAPPING INTO THE BACK
PANEL.  ITS PROBABLY WORTH THE PRICE OF THE KIT JUST TO BE ABLE TO SEE HOW
THIS CASE GOES TOGETHER.  HOW IT WORKS  THE FULLY ASSEMBLED UNIT HAS THE
POWER SOCKET ON THE LEFT AND TWO SCREW OUTPUT TERMINALS PLUS A GROUND
TERMINAL ON THE RIGHT.  A STANDARD COAXIAL POWER CONNECTOR, WITH AN OUTSIDE
DIAMETER OF APPROXIMATELY 0R22 INCHES, F

ON THE AIR  WITH LEGAL LIMIT AM SETTING UP THE TRANSMITTER WAS A BREEZE,
BECAUSE THE ARRL LAB TEAM HAD MOUNTED THE TRANSMITTER AND ACCESSORIES IN A
TABLE TOP OPEN RACK, ALONG WITH ITS OWN AC POWER STRIP.  IT TOOK JUST A
CONNECTION TO MY ANTENNA SYSTEM THROUGH THE PICK UP UNIT FOR THE MODULATION
MONITOR, A RECEIVE ANTENNA CABLE TO MY COLLINS 51J4, MIC, AND POWER.  WE
STARTED THE TESTING USING A PROFESSIONAL QUALITY SENNHEISER DESK MIC THAT
THE LAB PROVIDED FOR THE TEST.  IN ADDITION, THE MODULATION MONITOR
SOFTWARE WAS SET UP ON MY LAPTOP AND THE MONITOR PROCESSOR WAS TIED TO THE
LAPTOP BY USB CABLE, AND I WAS ON THE AIR.  MY FIRST CONTACT WAS WITH ARRL
LAB ASSISTANT MANAGER BOB ALLISON, WB1GCM, FROM HIS HOME STATION, ABOUT 68
MILES AWAY.  BOB WAS USING HIS HEATHKIT DX 100 TRANSMITTER AND A COLLINS R
390 RECEIVER.  THE R 390 WAS ESSENTIALLY THE US MILITARYS REPLACEMENT FOR
THE 51J4 R 388A SERIES AND INCLUDES A WIDER ARRAY OF SELECTIVITY CHOICES,
UP TO 16 KHZ, RATHER THAN THE 51J4S 1, 3, AND 6 KHZ MECHANICAL FILTERS.
WHILE THE 6 KHZ BANDWIDTH IS GOOD FOR COMMUNICATIONS QUALITY AUDIO, THE R
390 CAN APPRECIATE THE AUDIO NUANCES IN THE WIDER SPECTRUM THAT THE K7DYY
CAN TRANSMIT.  WHILE I STARTED OUT WITH MY TRANSMIT BANDWIDTH ROLLING OFF
ABOVE 3 KHZ, WE TRIED IT AT SOMEWHAT WIDER SETTINGS, AND BOB THOUGHT IT
SOUNDED MORE LIKE ME.  THIS IS SOMETHING I WOULD ONLY DO IN AN UNCROWDED

BAND.  IT IS ONLY EFFECTIVE IF THE SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO IS QUITE HIGH,
BECAUSE THE WIDER RECEIVE BANDWIDTH ALSO INCREASES THE NOISE LEVEL.  I ALSO
CHECKED IN WITH MY USUAL AM CRITICAL LISTENERS ON THE ANTIQUE WIRELESS
ASSOCIATION WEEKLY 75 METER AM NET.  THEY ALL THOUGHT MY SIGNAL SOUNDED
GREAT.  THEY WERE USED TO HEARING MY 1950S ERA, 100 W OUTPUT, E. F. JOHNSON
VIKING II TRANSMITTER WITH A D 104 MIC.  THEY WERE VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE
IMPROVEMENT IN SIGNAL STRENGTH AND AUDIO QUALITY FROM THE K7DYY
TRANSMITTER.  I FOUND THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO USE THE SUPER SENIOR WITH A
LOW SWR ANTENNA SYSTEM.  THIS NET SESSION OCCURRED DURING SOME FAIRLY HEAVY
RAIN, WHICH RESULTED IN SWR CHANGES TO MY 80 METER, CENTER FED HALF WAVE
ANTENNA THAT IS FED WITH WINDOW LINE.  WHILE I WAS TALKING, THE BIRD POWER
METER INDICATED INCREASING FORWARD POWER, DUE TO THE REFLECTED POWER FROM
THE MISMATCH.  I WASNT WATCHING IT CLOSELY, AND SURE ENOUGH, IT QUIETLY
DROPPED OFF THE AIR.  AFTER I NOTICED THIS, I REDUCED THE CARRIER POWER TO
250 W AND HAD NO FURTHER PROBLEMS.  I ALSO NOTICED THAT, AT TIMES, THE
POWER OUTPUT WOULD GRADUALLY RISE DURING LONG OPERATING SESSIONS.  ANYTHING
‰  END OF 40 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ