Troubleshooting Guide; Getting To Know The Receiver; What Frequency Am I On - Ten-Tec T-KIT 1056 Instruction Manual

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switching ideas. Please be aware that we do not sell individual
parts or provide technical support for experiments. The 1 056 is
designed to be a one-band receiver. ·
Before trying ANY of the experimental features or capabilities of
the receiver, make certain that it is functioning as designed.
Troubleshooting Guide
General: This kit project is designed to work as specified if the
right parts are selected and installed correctly and all connections
are niade as explained in this manual. The # 1 cause of problems
in most kit projects is exactly what we tend to take for granted:
a mistake or broken wire in the connecti.on of external items to
the circuit board, such as DC power, speaker, switches and so
forth. After that comes a mistake on the board itself, such as:
0 Incorrect part value
CJ Reversed orientation of diode, IC, electrolytic
capacitor or other part which rt:lUSt be installed
in one direction only.
0 Bad solder connection (cold joint or bridge)
Specific Hints: Be sure to double-check the following:
0 Did you install required ju,mper wires?
0 Did you choose correctly from the Band Parts Chart?
Common Experiences and Remedies:
0 Strong 60 Hz AC hum even when using battery power.
Antenna coax shield needs to be grounded to bot{! receiver board
and earth ground.
0 Steady high-pitch hum
Receiver or .antenna is too close to a computer, frequency
counter or other microprocesser device. Something has to move!
0 All CW signals are chirpy
Weak battery. See "DC Power Supply Considerations." .
0 Receiver oscillator seems unstable during· first bench tests.
Reasonable stability requires secure mounting in enclosure.
This T-KIT Module Board is designed to encourage and help you
to solve problems yourself. If you are stumped after following all
our suggestions, please consult the T-KIT Limited Warranty
published in this manual.
1056- 20
Getting to Know the Receiver
If ·you already, are familiar with direct-con~ersion receiver
characteristics, you should find this one
to·
be a good performer.
If this kind of receiver is new to you, there are several facts to
learn about. First, unlike the typical ham transceiver, you .will
hear both sidebands of a CW or SSB signal. To tune USB (20
met~rs
and above) tune "up" the band to the point where the
signal becomes intelligible. To tune LSB
(J
60-40 meters), tune
"down" to the point at which the signal becomes ii1telligible.
The receiver is quite sensitive but uses a very simple RF input
circuit. It is possible for strong. AM broadcast stations, whether
local or shortwave, to overload the circuit. Ordinarily, this
problem is minimized by reduCing the RF gain slightly .. This kind
of circuit also is susceptible to power supply hum, which is why
battery operation is often preferable.
The variable Bandpass control is a feature rarely found in so
simple and inexpensive a receiver. Simply adjust it for the best
sound quality of the signal. CW signals are tuned in best with a
lower bandpass frequency (counterclockwise), while SSB will
sound best with a higher bandpass frequency.
As you react to the performance of your receiver, keep in mind
that variable-oscillator stability (susceptibility to temperature
c:hange and mechanical vibration) becomes progressively more
critical as frequency is increased. From 160 through 30 meters,
this receiver will serve as well as many of the simpler superhets
of several decades ago. From 20 meters on up, more attention
must be given to how you package and handle the receiver.
What· Frequency Am I On?
The most complex and costly single section of ANY receiver,
past or present, is the mechanical or electronic system used for
displaying the frequency. Of course, there could be a series of
T-KIT direct conversion receivers, even multi-band models, with
well-calibrated dials or digital displays. And, of course, this
would be an entirely different price class of receiver which, for
just a few dollars more, would best become microprocessor-
controlled dual-conversion circuitry.. ·
The handiest fact about direct-conversion receivers (and also
regenerative receivers such as T-KIT 1054 and 1253) is that the
oscillator frequency IS the receiving frequency ... letting you
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