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Test if transceiver is transmitting (3 replies and 5 comments)
Hi Neil,
A couple of things to try:
1. If you have an SWR meter, use this to check forward power (how much power you're putting out)
2. If you have a shortwave radio in the house, this may receive on an amateur frequency
3. There various receivers out there that you can control remotely and listen to. go to websdr.org and have a listen to a few to see if your signal is audible.
4. As a local amateur to listen out for you
Hi Pete, thanks for your reply, i'll have to get back to you on this.... i have just tried my SWR meter and i am not getting anything through it what so ever, the transceiver is receiving but nothing on the meter even if i try transmitting or even if i switch it to the SWR readout, so i dont know whats going on there, maybe a duff meter.... and i wish i could try picking up amateur frequencies but unfortunately my Fairhaven receiver which could pick them up has recently gone on the duff and needs to go back to Lamco... so i may have to try other things to sort this out :(
There is a 2amp fuse in the IC-718 that blows before damaging finals. I would check that. A good working SWR METER is essential for radio transmitters and aerials so as Pete says a good tool to see what is happening.
Are you familiar with the 718? Have you a manual? The TX power may have been turned down in the settings menu . manuals are free download online pdf.
Hiya Gordon, yes an SWR meter is a must and is on the cards, and thanks for the info about the fuse, i will definitely keep that in mind.. manual... yes, i have set the power on the 718... press the Set button, then Up and Down buttons until you see RF Power, then use dial to set power, cheers Neil
Okay, i finally got there, i write this for anyone else who may end up in a similar situation.... firstly, being a newcomer to the hobby and only ever having one radio i naturally thought that a radio would put out an swr reading no matter what mode it was in....not so! It was only after i read this...
https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/icom-718-swr-meter-discrepencies.126435/
That i realised what was going on... the Icom 718 will only put out an swr reading if you are in RTTY or AM mode, and of course i was only trying it in SSB.
Unfortunately i only found this out after i had purchased another SWR meter.
Both meters work.
And just to confirm the original question about power, i also now know that my Icom 718 is fine because i made my first QSO last night :-)
And you may be wondering why i didnt find this out earlier.... well i have my Icom connected to an LDG Z-II Pro tuner which of course masks everything thats going on having just a few led lights, and also does not show me if i'm actually putting out any power and what it is.
I had also analysed my antenna with a NanoVNA.
So another bit of advice to any newcomers.... connect your transceiver to just an SWR meter first, you can always bring the tuner in when you are happy with everything else.
73's
Neil
ah the old, SSB don't put out power without a sound issue,
yep, switch to anything other than SSB to tune or test SWR, as no carrier on SSB
or you can do it on SSB but you need to whistle or something into the mike to generate output
we live and we learn, cheers pete
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Hi all, i have recently got my foundation license (with help from Essex Hams excellent foundation course) and have got a 2nd hand Icom 718, however i am not sure if it even transmits, it receives fine because i have heard users from Prince Edward Island, Italy etc, and i have received on WSPRnet, i did also try transmitting on WSPRnet but no luck... so my question is, is there a simple test i can do to check if this transciever even transmits?
Thanks for any help.
M7SVH
Neil