Owner`s manual

Owner’s Manual
11
The primary adjustment is mic. gain which sets the amount of audio amplification
for the microphone. A speech compressor basically makes loud speech softer
and soft speech louder, reducing the range between soft and loud. If your rig
has transmit shift or audio equalization you can adjust the tone quality of your
microphone audio. An ALC circuit is provided to minimize the possibility of too
much audio over driving the rig, causing flattopping or splatter. You should
understand the interaction of these circuits, and their adjustments. Consider
your microphone and personal voice characteristics when making adjustments.
To get the best audio from your station and work the most DX you need to set
your radio carefully. Turning everything up for maximum smoke will NOT make
you more intelligible....you will only be distorted.
The main idea of adjusting your rig is to not overdrive it. If you set your RF drive
on the radio to full power and you adjust your computer audio drive to less than
full power you should ALWAYS have a clean signal whether you’re using your
mic. or the computer. Always check that the audio level is BELOW the ALC
activation or protection point.
It you adjust your transmit shift and/or transmit audio equalization (tone controls)
for the best on-the-air reports with your mic. you may need to re-center them for
computer sound card operation.
Speech compression is not used with most sound card software, but there are
exceptions for pure FSK operation. Usually you should turn off your speech
compressor before using the RIGblaster.
Be sure that your radio is set up properly for voice operation at full power before
you set the audio drive level from your computer to your rig through the RIGblaster.
Do not change your basic mic. settings.
To set the computer audio from the sound card first turn off your rig’s speech
compressor. Confirm that your RF drive/transmit power control set to maximum.
Double click the little speaker icon in your computer’s system tray. Adjust the
master volume control (the one on the left) and the wave volume as high as
needed to drive your rig properly; generally between 1/4 and 3/4 of the way up.
The RIGblaster’s “audio level” control is used to match the computer audio level
to the radio, a one-time setting. Set all of these controls so that none of them are
ever at or near all of the way up or down. Remember that all of the adjustments
are all cascaded (in series), and they all interact.
Your final setting should produce approximately 50% RF power output from your
radio. Warning: you should not exceed the AM, FM or RTTY power ratings of your
radio. After all settings are completed, check to make sure your ALC meter is
below activation and that your are putting out less than full power with the radio’s
RF drive/power setting at max.