Do you [dial up FM broadcast on your service monitor]?

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jistabout
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Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2004 8:22 am

Do you [dial up FM broadcast on your service monitor]?

Post by jistabout »

Just curious. My wife and I were discussing this because she works in broadcasting.

On your service bench, when not being used to service radios, do you tune your service monitor to your favorite fm or am radio station and listen while working? Thought this might be a good place to ask 'cause lots of service monitor users here :).


- Darrell/KA7BTV
Aww screw it. I didn't wanna fool with it anymore anyhow.
DJP126
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What radios do you own?: What's a radio?

Re: Do you do this?

Post by DJP126 »

We did at the depot all the time. One of the techs (wb9sfg) used the R2001 in the 10 meter band to QSL from Schaumburg to Phoenix.
Dave
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escomm
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Re: Do you do this?

Post by escomm »

my portable is programmed with the IFB channels of the local news stations. the audio quality is much better and it's got a 15-30 lead over the delayed broadcast
Garyf629
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Re: Do you do this?

Post by Garyf629 »

Listen to 2 meters and FM all the time.
talviar
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Re: Do you do this?

Post by talviar »

Yep. use it to listen to WDVE on 102.5 . . (R2001C)

Actually receives better than the stereo system I have in the shop on the same antenna. (Live about 50 miles from the transmitter in the hills of Western PA)

Tony
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Wowbagger
Aeroflex
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That's one of the first tests

Post by Wowbagger »

That's one of the first tests and milestones of a service monitor in development - when you can tune in broadcast radio.

It used to be that one of the milestones at work was being able to tune in Paul Harvey.
This is my opinion, not Aeroflex's.

I WILL NOT give you proprietary information. I make too much money to jeopardize my job.

I AM NOT the Service department: You want official info, manuals, service info, parts, calibration, etc., contact Aeroflex directly, please.
jistabout
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Re: Do you do this?

Post by jistabout »

DJP126 wrote:We did at the depot all the time. One of the techs (wb9sfg) used the R2001 in the 10 meter band to QSL from Schaumburg to Phoenix.
Thats too cool :). I can see how it could be done though, with a good antenna. Might try it myself some day.....
Wowbagger wrote:That's one of the first tests and milestones of a service monitor in development - when you can tune in broadcast radio.

It used to be that one of the milestones at work was being able to tune in Paul Harvey.
Sounds like a good test to me - after all, most modern broadcast transmitters are either right on frequency or off by only a few hertz at most. And you get entertainment to boot!
Aww screw it. I didn't wanna fool with it anymore anyhow.
akardam
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Re: Do you [dial up FM broadcast on your service monitor]?

Post by akardam »

One time we were up at a site and I'm playing ground crew to the tower guy outside the container our gear was in. All of a sudden I hear strains of NSync come floating through the air. Poke my head inside and our programming guy is in there fiddling with the service monitor...

Told him to find some decent jazz or I'd pull the plug on him.
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Wowbagger
Aeroflex
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Re: Do you [dial up FM broadcast on your service monitor]?

Post by Wowbagger »

akardam wrote:One time we were up at a site and I'm playing ground crew to the tower guy outside the container our gear was in. All of a sudden I hear strains of NSync come floating through the air. Poke my head inside and our programming guy is in there fiddling with the service monitor...

Told him to find some decent jazz or I'd pull the plug on him.
I hope he wasn't tormenting one of MY children with that - I think that even violates the warranty.
This is my opinion, not Aeroflex's.

I WILL NOT give you proprietary information. I make too much money to jeopardize my job.

I AM NOT the Service department: You want official info, manuals, service info, parts, calibration, etc., contact Aeroflex directly, please.
akardam
Posts: 2251
Joined: Thu Mar 04, 2004 10:53 am

Re: Do you [dial up FM broadcast on your service monitor]?

Post by akardam »

Wowbagger wrote:I hope he wasn't tormenting one of MY children with that - I think that even violates the warranty.
No, it was only an HP, thank god...
motorola_otaku
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Re: Do you [dial up FM broadcast on your service monitor]?

Post by motorola_otaku »

Back in 2002 when I was new to the company and we first got our GD R2590, one of the first things it did was get tuned to 101.1 KLOL. I remember me and my boss at the time commenting on how "huge" the signal looked on the spec-an, and how unusually crisp it sounded from the internal speaker.
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rodgrech
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What radios do you own?: 2x Motorola Saber III 1x MCS2k

Re: Do you [dial up FM broadcast on your service monitor]?

Post by rodgrech »

Used to do it all the time until i got sick of my supervisor telling me im doing damage to the service monitor using that way
bernie
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Re: Do you [dial up FM broadcast on your service monitor]?

Post by bernie »

My two bits worth:
I have always tuned FM broad cast stations on my analyzer.
I also used to dial up FM stations on units doing burn in test in the depot.
Gives a known signal for reference. A Simulcast paging system can be used for frequency calibration verification.
These things DO break, problems receiving your favorite station may alert you to a potential problem.
NO it will not harm your instrument nor lead to blindness.
Aloha, Bernie
cablemonkey
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Re: Do you [dial up FM broadcast on your service monitor]?

Post by cablemonkey »

All the time. I listen to the news, mostly.
AEC
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Re: Do you [dial up FM broadcast on your service monitor]?

Post by AEC »

I use mine to listen to several broadcast stations in the Globe area, but there are two located on a very nearby hill, so I have to use a can tuned to each station as the signals are far too strong and create harmonics all over the vhf band with a single station.

Even tuning WWV in Ft. Collins is a chore with strong local AM signals, I have church music in my speaker instead of the time!
AEC
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Re: Do you [dial up FM broadcast on your service monitor]?

Post by AEC »

Hightower wrote:Using my spectrum analyzer I noticed a signal around 50-60Mhz. Further looking into the signal I noticed a NTSC sync pulse and color burst. I busted out the now useless Casio pocket TV and connected the vertical output to the video in. Well what do you know, I was watching my neighbors dishnetwork IRD. The RF ch 3/4 output from the IRD was very strong, or the guy has very leaky/loose coax. Of course the video signal was weak and fuzzy and in black & white, it was still very watchable.
I will have to try that method out on my DirecTV system here.

Never bothered to find out if it was a source of on-carrier leakage, or strong IM products.

I'm curious now....Guess I'll have to open up the DVR and probe the chassis with a sniffer!
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