Digital Spectra Consolette

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KTech
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2003 2:37 am

Digital Spectra Consolette

Post by KTech »

I have a Digital Spectra Consolette, which is exhibiting some strange behavior... or is it just a Big M "feature"?

(1) The AGC circuit seems to be too sensitive: This critter will hold Tx down to a -51dBm! And adjusting the AGC means almost turning it OFF to get it to unkey at a -35dBm level.

(2) This unit has been keying up on its own, and hanging on Tx sometimes for several minutes, tying up the channel. The unit itself is at a remote site and linked via microwave to an Elite Gold Series CEB; visits to the site revealed that not only has it keyed up on its own, but that it's switched modes as well. (I suspect that the Tx hang may be due to the sensitivity problem above, coupled with noise on the Mux channel, but the keyup problem has me baffled unless it's because the BIM is "sounding off" at just the right time during one of its tone tests and the consolette is seeing it as HLGT, and also seeing a portion of the noise on the microwave channel as some sort of function tone.)

(3) The Spectra radio is programmed for 4-mode operation: The consolette switches modes just as it should using the function tones necessary (we're using it TRC), but... throw a function tone at it for Tx modes 5-8 and even though those modes aren't programmed in the radio, the thing will KEY up on the last used mode :o

Since this is the first one of these critters I've ever played with, HELLLLP!
ASTROMODAT
Posts: 1825
Joined: Tue Nov 05, 2002 12:32 am

Post by ASTROMODAT »

It's important to adjust the noise and AGC thresholds on the Line interface. This was especially true with the early -A boards.
KTech
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2003 2:37 am

Post by KTech »

ASTROMODAT wrote:It's important to adjust the noise and AGC thresholds on the Line interface. This was especially true with the early -A boards.
So much for Mojo's "The pots are factory set and require no adjustment." But... what noise threshold? The only adjustments on this board are AGC, Tx deviation, and Rx level.
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