Kenwood TS-870S User Manual - Page 36

6 COMMUNICATING CW TRANSMISSION CW operators know that this mode is a reliable method of communicating under the worst conditions. Although it's true that newer digital modes rival CW as being equally as useful in poor conditions, these modes do not have the long history of service yet nor the simplicity that CW can have. Therefore, functions required by CW operators were given serious consideration from the start of the TS-870S design. Refer, if necessary, to "OPERATING BASICS" beginning on page 19 for complete receiving details for any mode. 1 Select the operating frequency. 2 Press [CW/-R] to select CW mode. AGC AUTO CW 3 Select the ALC meter function by pressing [METER]. S 1 0 3579 20 10 25 50 FILTER ALC 40 100 60 dB W 4 Press [SEND]. • The "ON AIR" indicator lights. • Refer to "SEMI BREAK-IN" {page 31} or "FULL BREAK-IN" {page 31} for information on automatic TX/RX switching. 5 With a key down condition, adjust the CAR control so that the meter reads in the ALC zone but doesn't exceed the upper ALC zone limit. 6 After completing your transmission, press [SEND] again to return to the receive mode. • The "ON AIR" indicator goes out. TX SIDETONE/ RX PITCH FREQUENCY The transmit sidetone is the monitor tone you hear from your transceiver as you send CW. It is necessary so you can hear what you are transmitting. It is also useful for checking that your key contacts are closing, the keyer is functioning, or for sending practice without putting a signal on the air. The volume of the sidetone is adjusted by the MONI control. Receive pitch refers to the frequency of the CW note that you hear after tuning your receiver for maximum receive signal strength. On the TS-870S, the frequency of the sidetone and receive pitch are equal and selectable. You can select the frequency that is most comfortable for you via Menu No. 24 (PITCH). The default is 800 Hz. The following selections are available: • 400 ~ 1000 Hz inclusive in 50 Hz steps Note: Changing the RX pitch frequency does not shift the center frequency of the receive filter pass band. If a CW signal becomes inaudible, shift the pass band by adjusting the HI/SHIFT control. Refer to "IF SHIFT" {page 51}. ZERO-BEATING Zero-beating means matching your transmit frequency with the station that you are receiving. This is important if you expect other stations to hear you without them retuning their receivers. Zero-beating also saves space on the band since only a single frequency is used by you and the other station for your contact. If you are part of a "roundtable" where more than two stations are participating but each is on a different frequency, it's frustrating to keep retuning to a different frequency each time one of the roundtable stations begins sending. Learn to zero-beat accurately and quickly. 1 Press [VOX] and press [RIT] to switch OFF the VOX and RIT functions respectively. • "VOX" and "RIT" go out. 2 With CW mode selected, turn the Tuning control to tune in a CW station for maximum signal strength. 3 Close your key to activate the sidetone. • You will hear a steady tone. 4 Turn the Tuning control until the note from the received CW signal matches the sidetone note, then release the key. • To double check that you are zero beat, press [CW/-R] to switch to the opposite sideband. You should hear no difference in tone of the received CW signal. SWITCHING TX/RX MANUALLY 1 Select CW mode by pressing [CW/-R]. • "CW" lights. AGC AUTO CW 2 Press [SEND]. • The receive audio is muted. • Holding down Microphone [PTT] also switches between receive and transmit. 3 Send CW. 4 When finished sending, release [SEND] or [PTT]. 30