User manual RAMSEY FR146

[. . . ] FR146 Keep an ear on the local repeater action from your easy chair with this simple and fun to build FM receiver. Tune the entire 2 Meter band or the VHF high Police and Fire band. · · · · · · · · · Tunes any 5 MHz portion of the 136 to 175 MHz band. True Dual-conversion superhet design with 2 pole Ceramic High IF and 6 pole Ceramic low IF filters!Informative manual answers questions on theory, hookups, and uses - enhances resale value, too! [. . . ] Install the battery snap terminal in the two holes below S1, making sure that the positive (red) lead is inserted into the (+) hole on the PC board. A wire jumper can be passed through the two holes on the PC board, then both ends soldered on the underside of the board. You may prefer to use very small screws or even a double-sided mounting adhesive strip or glue. In using such methods, make sure that the battery will not block the PC board's mounting hole in its vicinity. Wiring of the PC board is now complete. Then take a magnifying lens and a bright light and examine all your solder joints, touching up any connection which appears less than perfect. Make sure all excess leads have been trimmed, and that one is not bent back flat against the board, possibly causing a short. Brush the solder side of the board with a stiff brush to make sure that no loose wire trimmings or solder drippings (tsk tsk) are lodged between connections. FR146 · 17 TESTING, ALIGNMENT AND ADJUSTMENT To prepare the FR146 FM VHF Receiver for reliable monitoring operation, you will need these basic tools: 1. Signal source: This signal can be from your test bench equipment or from a "live" source such as a local repeater. The "live" signals are best for fine-tuning, but they also have that VHF communications character of being fast and to the point. Good test bench signal sources include your own 2-meter tranceiver, if you are licensed to use it, a signal generator or grid-dip oscillator. If you do not have a steady test signal source for the band within 135-175 MHz of primary interest to you, and still wish to verify immediately the proper operation of your FR146, a good and steady VHF signal source will be your local NOAA Weather Service station, broadcasting around 160 MHz. Once you have verified reliable reception of your regional NOAA station, adjustment to your desired listening range will become easier. L3 Alignment Tool: If you do not already have a set of plastic or nylon coil alignment tools and do expect to try further Ham radio or electronic hobby projects, such tools are worth having and can be found inexpensively at any electronics store including Radio Shack. While a metal Hex key wrench can fit the coil slug, the metal itself would damage the coil inductance drastically and therefore should not be used. With patience and sandpaper, a useable tool might be formed from a wood or plastic rod. Turn the slug of L4 until it is flush with the top of the coil and then turn it 2 turns back into the coil. Adjust L4 for maximum noise from the speaker. FR146 · 18 Further alignment now consists of adjusting the oscillator coil L3 to permit the tuning control (R1) to cover the 5 MHz. Assuming you wish to adjust for the Two Meter 144-148 MHz Amateur Band, adjust L3 until you hear your intended test signal. If you are a beginner with no license or other equipment, any Ham operator with a 2-meter transceiver should be willing to give you the test signal and extra help that you need. The FR146 is very sensitive, so operate the transceiver on low power on a simplex frequency from a distance of at least across the room. An 8" piece of wire will be a sufficient receiving antenna for such tests. If you don't know any Hams, visit a friendly two-way radio service center to get close to the test signal you need! [. . . ] The very fact that your kit includes this new manual is your assurance that a team of knowledgeable people have field-tested several "copies" of this kit straight from the Ramsey Inventory. If you need help, please read through your manual carefully, all information required to properly build and test your kit is contained within the pages!DEFECTIVE PARTS: It's always easy to blame a part for a problem in your kit, Before you conclude that a part may be bad, thoroughly check your work. Today's semiconductors and passive components have reached incredibly high reliability levels, and it's sad to say that our human construction skills have not! [. . . ]