Owner`s manual

NOTES ON SETTING THE AUDIO LEVEL TO YOUR RIG:

Before using the RIGblaster you should set your radio properly for normal SSB operation.

Changing your microphone settings on your rig after setting up the RIGblaster will require

that you re-adjust the RIGblaster or computer.

To have the best possible signal, you need to understand how your rig is adjusted.

Modern rigs may have several adjustments for transmit audio, including; mic. gain,

mic. equalization and/or transmit shift, speech compression and ALC (automatic level

control). The objective of setting these adjustments is to have clean clear signal and

minimum splatter or RF bandwidth.

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.

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 your 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 center them for computer

sound card operation

Speech compression is not used with most sound card software, but there are exceptions

with pure FSK operation. Usually you should turn of 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 with the RIGblaster. Do not

change your basic mic. settings.

For most modes of operation with a sound card 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 near all of the way up or down. Remember that

all of the adjustments are all cascaded (in series), and they all interact.

RIGblaster Nomic