SSB Installation

[btrayfors]

That's a wonderful rig. I have two of them at the moment; have had 10 thru here in past year.

What can you do?

1. Check all connections....power and signal....making sure every one is clean and tight.

2. What tuner do you have? If it's the KAT-1 or MAT-100, it should work automatically with the 707. When you change bands, and push the Tune button, do you hear it clicking? Does the signal strength improve when it finishes tuning?

3. You don't need an elaborate ground, but you do need a good one. A strip of copper or a hefty ground strap from the tuner to the nearest bronze thru-hull will do nicely. If you have that, and still have trouble tuning certain bands, add a couple of 1/4-wave radials (any type of insulated wire strung underdecks, in bilge, etc.).

4. Spend time with the radio to learn it's abilities and to learn more about SSB practices and propagation. Signal strength varies from band-to-band, from day-to-day, from hour-to-hour, from distance-to-distance, and even from minute-to-minute. Listen regularly to scheduled nets and weather transmissions. Tuning randomly across the band won't tell you much, unless you're already an experienced operator. Much better to listen every day on scheduled nets and broadcasts.

Bill

[rgnewleaf]

Thanks for the response, I will give it a try.

[rgnewleaf]

Tuner is an automatic antenna AT-300.

[btrayfors]

Originally Posted by rgnewleaf

Tuner is an automatic antenna AT-300.

OK. The AT-300 is a long-discontinued but pretty good automatic antenna tuner. Do you hear it clicking when you change bands and try to tune?

The proper way to check to see if it's working correctly is to put a power/swr meter in the coax line, near the radio. This will tell you that the radio is/isn't putting out power -- and approx. how much -- and it will tell you if the antenna system (composed of the coax, the tuner, the wire from the tuner to the vertical, the vertical itself, and the RF ground system) is working OK.

Bill

[rgnewleaf]

Am I correct that the radials for 12.350 mhz should be 6.135 feet?

[rgnewleaf]

Excuse my problems posting, new Blackberry.
Tuner is an AT-300. Am I correct that 1\4 wavelength for 12.350 MHZ is 6.135 ft? Do I use ifferent length radials or all the same? Do they need to be stretched out?
Thanks

[rgnewleaf]

AT_300 tuner. Am I correct that 1\4 wavelength for 12.350MHZ is 6.135 fT? All the same length? Do they need to be stretched out?
Thanks

[btrayfors]

The electrical length (not necessarily the same as the physical length) of a 1/4 wave radial for 12.350mHz is 18.94 feet. Happily, length isn't critical. One or two 18' radials should do the trick.

Use any kind of insulated wire. Insulate the ends (they're hot). Run them most anywhere but, preferably, away from other wiring. They don't have to be in the bilge. In fact, elevated radials are to be preferred over those run deep in the bilge.

Don't ignore my advice about a power/swr meter. If you don't want to buy one, borrow one. Only with this will you really see what's going on.

Bill

[rgnewleaf]

I have a ce-tma.swr meter but it is connected to the vhf. I will need to get a short coax to put it in between the ssb and antenna? This am I am getting 5x5 on 4.045 mhz this am.
Again thanks for your help.

[btrayfors]

Be sure that SWR meter covers the MF-HF range, i.e., 1.5-30 mHz. If it's a VHF meter it won't give accurate results and might not be able to handle the power.

Much better to get a dedicated meter.

Good luck,

Bill