Thanks for the suggestions! This reflector is a wonderful resource.
I don't think voltage drop is the problem. I can't get my voltmeter
probes onto the contacts, but here's a report of a couple of
experiments. First, when I observed the chirpy sidetone a few days ago,
I ran the power down to "1" and up to "100" with no change in sidetone
quality. Second, I have a variable voltage supply (Astron VS-35M);
today, when I have a crystal clear sidetone, I ran the voltage down from
where it had been (13.4v, approx.) to 12, then to 11... the meter LEDs
began to blink when keyed at power 80 and 11 volts but still no
deterioration of sidetone note. (I probably shouldn't have done that,
and didn't stay at 11 long; we're back at 13.8 now.) Keying at PWR 80,
the Astron's ammeter was jumping but there were no fluctuations in its
voltmeter---though that could be the result of the power supply's design.
Maybe I just need more experience with the radio. I'm not going to worry
about this, especially since the sidetone note is often just fine. I'll
just enjoy this beautiful radio for a while and see what transpires.
--John K3GHH
Registered Linux User #291592
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