Initial Testing And Adjustment - Ramsey Electronics SR-1 Instruction Manual

INITIAL TESTING AND ADJUSTMENT

Before turning on your receiver, please double-check the following:
correct orientation of all three IC's.
correct orientation of flat side of all four transistors.
correct orientation of the two diodes.
correct polarity of all electrolytic capacitors.
1. Connect a speaker or earphones and antenna.
2. Install a fresh 9-volt alkaline battery.
3. Set all three potentiometer controls to their middle positions.
4. Turn ON the receiver.
After adjusting the volume to a pleasant level, you should hear some
shortwave stations by turning the Tune control, no matter how any of the
adjustable coils happen to be set. Turn the RF Gain control to make sure it is
working and then set it at the lowest level needed for good reception.
While listening to any kind of station, whether broadcast or Teletype, etc.,
use a small screwdriver to adjust both slugs in the dual transformer for the
best-sounding reception. The black slug will be almost to the top of its range
(fully counterclockwise). The blue slug will give peak reception about two
turns clockwise down from its highest position.
The Tuning Control covers any 2.5 Mhz. segment selected by adjustment of
oscillator coil L2. Both L1 and L2 must be adjusted with a non-metallic
alignment tool such as is used in radio-TV service. If you do not have one, a
suitable tool can be made by patiently sanding a screwdriver-like blade on
the end of a wooden match stick, kabob skewer or small plastic crochet
needle. Again, please be aware that a metal screwdriver blade will drastically
increase the coil inductance and make adjustment quite difficult. L1 is simply
adjusted for strongest reception of any signal range that is tuned in.
If you are without any kind of testing or frequency reference equipment
whatsoever, the easiest way to start enjoying your SR-1 is, with the Tune
control set at its midpoint, to slowly tune L2 with your alignment tool as
though it were a tuning dial. Stop when you come into the middle of a group
or cluster of foreign broadcast stations. Try tuning around these stations with
the Tune control. If you like what you hear, readjust both L1 and L3 for best
reception. Eventually, you will get a clue as to what general frequency band
you are hearing, because many stations periodically announce their
frequencies, particularly at sign-on and sign-off times.
SR-1 – 15