DX-SR8T

[K5MOW]

Hi all

Just wanted to know if any of you no if I could do PSK31 with my DX-SR8T. I have herd info that it would not be possible but there must be a way. Can someone help.

Roger

[WA9WVX]

Roger,

Anything IS possible even on your Alinco DX-SR8T HF transceiver so yes you can interface PSK-31 in to this radio. What you will need is an additional 8 Pin Microphone Plug like the one on your Hand or Desk Microphone wiring it up for the P-T-T & Ground, Microphone High & Shield reference this link http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...hf/3489dia.jpg and either a 1/8" or 3.5 mm Plug for the Receive Audio Output while plugged into the Headphone Jack just to the right of the Microphone Input Jack. Since I have no idea what you plan to use as an Interface between the transceiver and the your computer, it's impossible to recommend how to connect the two items together.

73,

Dan
WA9WVX

[K5MOW]

Roger,

Anything IS possible even on your Alinco DX-SR8T HF transceiver so yes you can interface PSK-31 in to this radio. What you will need is an additional 8 Pin Microphone Plug like the one on your Hand or Desk Microphone wiring it up for the P-T-T & Ground, Microphone High & Shield reference this link http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...hf/3489dia.jpg and either a 1/8" or 3.5 mm Plug for the Receive Audio Output while plugged into the Headphone Jack just to the right of the Microphone Input Jack. Since I have no idea what you plan to use as an Interface between the transceiver and the your computer, it's impossible to recommend how to connect the two items together.

73,

Dan
WA9WVX

Hi Dan

Thanks so much for the hope. I do not have any thing now as far as the interface. Could I use a Rigblaster. Any advice would be great.

Thanks roger

[WA9WVX]

Roger, there are plenty of suppliers like RIGBLASTER, SIGNALINK, BUCKMASTER PSK-31 or even to Homebrew an interface board depending on your skill level with a soldering iron, a printed circuit board and a handful of components.

73,
Dan
WA9WVX

[K5MOW]

Thanks so much. I think I will get a Rigblaster.

Roger

[5B4AJB]

homebrew destructions (if you haven't already bought kit) -

This relies on you having a radio with a 3357 mixer:- (line into computer)
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m...asebandmod.jpg

This relies on you having a serial port on your P.C. to key the radio:- (RTS PTT control)
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m.../G0TSU9ptt.jpg

[K5MOW]

For operating portable I got an Optima BlueD34 deep cycle battery. This is a marine battery. Do you think with one charge I would be able to operate the full one hundred wats for about 8 hours.
Thanks so much.

Roger

[K5MOW]

Forgot the say that my radio just shipped from Universal Radio. It has been on back order now for about 3 mouths.

Roger

[WA9WVX]

Roger,

One thing I must ask, Why did you purchase a +12.8 VDC Battery oppose to a regular +13.8 VDC at 20~25 Ampere Power Supply? Using a battery such as the Optima BlueD34 deep cycle, which happens to be built by Johnson Controls, they are the same supplier to SEARS Die Hards and you know those batteries have been put through some of the roughest conditions for starting vehicles, therefore your battery should work okay since if you are operating CW or SSB those modes are a 50% Duty Cycle as far as drawing Current. If you intend to operate in the AM mode you will be required to reduce your RF Power Output to 40 W Output and in the FM mode this will draw 20 Amperes Continuously 100% Duty Cycle in turn drawing the battery DC Voltage down the quickest so you may want to reduce the FM RF Output to 50 or 75 W. In the PSK - 31 Digital mode, you should reduce the RF Output to 50 W or less, maybe even set to 25 W because of the type of Digital signal doesn't require a lot of RF Output to work stations all over the world. Here's the only draw back to using a battery by itself, in a vehicle you've got a charging circuit operating at +14.5~+15 V DC and lots of Current, in a home environment, you've got a Rapid / Trickle Charger that may take 4 to 8 hours to complete the Charge but the Battery by itself has no way to recharge the Voltage or Current and when it drops to +10 V DC or below, you're finished trying to make that extra contact on ham radio.

Dan
WA9WVX

[KF5WDH]

Dan, are you making some efficiency assumptions in addition to duty cycle assumptions? W=VA, so I'd naively expect 40W at 12V to be a little under 4A.

-Joe.

sent using CPIP (see RFC 1149)

[K5MOW]

Roger,

One thing I must ask, Why did you purchase a +12.8 VDC Battery oppose to a regular +13.8 VDC at 20~25 Ampere Power Supply? Using a battery such as the Optima BlueD34 deep cycle, which happens to be built by Johnson Controls, they are the same supplier to SEARS Die Hards and you know those batteries have been put through some of the roughest conditions for starting vehicles, therefore your battery should work okay since if you are operating CW or SSB those modes are a 50% Duty Cycle as far as drawing Current. If you intend to operate in the AM mode you will be required to reduce your RF Power Output to 40 W Output and in the FM mode this will draw 20 Amperes Continuously 100% Duty Cycle in turn drawing the battery DC Voltage down the quickest so you may want to reduce the FM RF Output to 50 or 75 W. In the PSK - 31 Digital mode, you should reduce the RF Output to 50 W or less, maybe even set to 25 W because of the type of Digital signal doesn't require a lot of RF Output to work stations all over the world. Here's the only draw back to using a battery by itself, in a vehicle you've got a charging circuit operating at +14.5~+15 V DC and lots of Current, in a home environment, you've got a Rapid / Trickle Charger that may take 4 to 8 hours to complete the Charge but the Battery by itself has no way to recharge the Voltage or Current and when it drops to +10 V DC or below, you're finished trying to make that extra contact on ham radio.

Dan
WA9WVX

Hi

Thanks for the great info. I did get a power supply also. But when I take it portable out to a park with no AC I will use my battery. Ok in the park when I am operating portable I will be operating
SSB. So you are saying that I should be ok at running 100 wats with this battery.
Thanks so much.

Roger

[WA9WVX]

Dan, are you making some efficiency assumptions in addition to duty cycle assumptions? W=VA, so I'd naively expect 40W at 12V to be a little under 4A.

-Joe.

Hi Joe,

Here's where you and I differ in opinion, the 40W Output is exactly that but in a transmitter circuit there's the DC Input Power to produce a given RF Output Power in Wattage. The DC Input Voltage X Amperes = Input Wattage. Let's look at the Battery DC Voltage +12.8 and the amount DC Current Draw 8.6 Amperes which will = 110 Watts DC Input Power. From my calculations the transceiver is roughly 37.7% Efficient giving a 41.47 RF Watts Output on AM which is based on the linear part of the curve just as SSB is or Class AB1. Apparently you didn't need to answer this type of a question on your Amateur Radio Technician Test.

BTW, I've been licensed since October, 1968 with ham ticket and Commercial Licensed with a First Class Radiotelephone License since August, 1971. My entire career was in Commercial Land Mobile Radio Communications which includes Base Stations, Portables, Mobiles, Consoles, Encryption, System Designs, Implementations, Bid & Quotes, Special Modifications to the said equipment, Writing Test Procedures / Product Manuals, Troubleshooting to component level and/or System level, Repairs and I've been an International Engineering Consultant. I've worn just about every hat you could think of in my electronic profession including climbing and working on 200+ Foot towers installing Antennas and Heliax Coaxial Feed Lines out in the field. I think I have a bit more experience in the Radio Communications field than you do.

Joe, go read the ARRL's Radio Handbook for the basic electronics background you so desperately need to learn about for the Amateur Radio Hobby you've entered.

Roger, you'll do just fine operating as a Portable set up using the Battery you've chosen. I hope you work a lot of DX!

73,

Dan
WA9WVX

[KF5WDH]

Of course, we don't disagree, I asked you a question to which you replied with an extraordinarily long-winded "yes." For the rest of your response, either some hint as to what your calculations were, or even a somewhat more specific cite than the entire ARRL Handbook, would have been quite a bit more useful than reciting our qualifications.

[KK6DCT]

Thanks so much. I think I will get a Rigblaster.

Roger

I've been using a Rigblaster Advantage with my SR8T for a few months and it work great. You can vary your power output by changing the volume out knob on the Rigblaster. Just keep the power output down fairly low as the rig gets hot with 100% duty digital modes. I normally work PSK31 around 10w out and it works great.

Kevin KK6DCT

[K5MOW]

I've been using a Rigblaster Advantage with my SR8T for a few months and it work great. You can vary your power output by changing the volume out knob on the Rigblaster. Just keep the power output down fairly low as the rig gets hot with 100% duty digital modes. I normally work PSK31 around 10w out and it works great.

Kevin KK6DCT

Thanks so much for the information. I have not yet tried PSK31 but will probably soon.

[KK6DCT]

... also, the great thing is once you've got your interface, with software like FLDIGI you can try most of the other modes too. Install WSJT-X and you can add JT65 and JT9 too!

[RamuVizag]

Roger,

Anything IS possible even on your Alinco DX-SR8T HF transceiver so yes you can interface PSK-31 in to this radio. What you will need is an additional 8 Pin Microphone Plug like the one on your Hand or Desk Microphone wiring it up for the P-T-T & Ground, Microphone High & Shield reference this link http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...hf/3489dia.jpg and either a 1/8" or 3.5 mm Plug for the Receive Audio Output while plugged into the Headphone Jack just to the right of the Microphone Input Jack. Since I have no idea what you plan to use as an Interface between the transceiver and the your computer, it's impossible to recommend how to connect the two items together.

73,

Dan
WA9WVX

"I recommend you to start monitoring pskk31 which requires a direct connection from the Rigs speaker to your pc Mic input using any psk31 freeware available in the net like Hamocm. " Then you can try with an interface like Signalink USB"