On Thu, 2007-12-06 at 10:32 -0800, Ross F. Guldenbrein wrote:
> Hi gang,
>
> Well I'm really going to expose my ignorance here... but I'm sure some of
> you with 'multi-mode experience will know the answer. I'm running an Omni VI
> (opt 3). I don't have a mic here but let's say I'm listening to SSB and I
> want to send a CW signal on that frequency... How do I do that? When I key
> in USB or LSB I don't hear any side tone. If I change the mode to CW I can't
> make out the voice sig. Is there a simple way to do this?? Thanks for
> replies.
>
> Ross
> W6FG
Its NOT a dumb question. Its an important consideration when selecting
an HF rig for use as an IF for VHF operations where mixed mode contacts
are common. From what I can determine, the default receive mode on all
bands of the Omni VI for CW is LSB. That matches your note of the voice
becoming unintelligible when you switch to CW mode. That appears to have
been an Icom standard for years. That is also true of the Omni V. A few
years ago I was looking for a superb HF rig for use with serious VHF/UHF
and up transverters and I found that mode jumping characteristic. Its
worse than the Yaesu FT-726R and 736R that stay on the same side band
but shift the receiver 700 Hz without changing the displayed frequency.
That has cost numerous contest contacts and caused a bit of blue air (I
don't use VOX so it didn't get on the air).
That characteristic is why I do not own an Omni V or VI, but own a
Corsair II that doesn't have that problem. I've been assured that there
is some scheme of operations that can allow what we want, but its not
been demonstrated to me. Likely a combination of RA/TB mode with A in
USB and B in CW mode with XIT switched on and shifted 1723 Hz (give or
take) up in frequency. Or that shift might be 2723 Hz, and if there's no
way to make the two VFOs track, one would have to use the A=B button and
then manually set the offset or maybe the XIT would hold, when tuning.
Which is too complex for contest use.
Today I have another solution. Its a little FT-857D. It allows sending
CW while in SSB mode, either USB or LSB (all I have to do is start
keying), and it doesn't move the receiver when changing modes from SSB
to CW. It allows (though via a nested menu) selecting the SSB or the CW
filter on CW though the DSP filter selection on CW precludes SSB
bandwidths. And it seems to perform as well on 6m, 2m, and 70cm as a
good transverter. It certainly has great operating convenience even
though it receives from 200 KHz to maybe 500 MHz (and receives badly in
the FM broadcast band, and only wide band FM there) and it works decent
AM as well as 60 meters. Am I happy with it? So happy I bought a second
one for mobile and camping!
73, Jerry, K0CQ
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