Page 1 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Barrett 950 HF SSB Transceiver Operating and Installation Manual ON - VOL ON - VOL BARRETT CHAN 1 CLAR 2 FREQ 3 CHAN CLAR FREQ MENU CHAN PROG SCRAM MODE TX FREQ STAT RQ SEND MUTE...
Page 2: Table Of Contents
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Introduction ........................6 Operation ........................7 Front panel description ...................7 Power/volume control ................7 Mic. Socket .....................7 Status LED's ...................7 Display ....................8 Key pad ....................9 Channel change......................10 Channel up/down ..................10 Direct channel entry ................10 Selective Calls - alerting other stations ..............12 Selcall .....................12...
Page 3: Barrett 950 Hf Transceiver Page
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Tune........................32 Scrambler .......................33 RF output power .....................34 Advanced selective call functions ................35 Requesting another transceivers GPS position........35 Sending your GPS position to another transceiver ........37 Pagecall ....................39 Status selcall (Statcall)................40 Selective call history ................43 Accessing selcall history .................43 Making a call from the history buffer ............43...
Page 4 Operation overview ....................76 Commence ALE scanning ..................77 Receiving an ALE call directed to your transceiver ..........78 Calling another ALE station ..................79 Making an telephone call via an ALE equipped Barrett 960 telephone interconnect ......................82 Closing an ALE link....................85 ALE menus ......................86 ALE default .....................87...
Page 5 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Ignition systems ..................112 Coil to battery wiring ................112 Battery charging system .................112 Alternator / generator to battery wiring ............112 Alternator to regulator control wire ............112 Other regulator wires ................112 Other noise sources ................113 General noise suppression tips ...............113 914 series manual tap whip antenna ............114...
Page 6: Introduction
(Telcall) , GPS location, ALE (Automatic Link Establishment), data transmission and remote diagnostics. These features make the Barrett 950 HF transceiver one of the most economical and versatile HF transceiver available today.
Page 7: Operation
Key pad Key pad Power/volume control The Barrett 950 transceiver is turned on by rotating this control clockwise. Turn the control clockwise until volume is set to correct level. Mic. Socket The microphone supplied with the Barrett 950 is inserted here.
Page 8: Display
Scan table (this channel is assigned to scan table 2) Selcall format (CCIR 493 format selected) The Barrett 950 uses a supertwist 2 line by 16 character liquid crystal display (LCD). The LCD provides the user with current status information of the transceiver including :-...
Page 9: Key Pad
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Key pad There are 20 keys on the keypad. Most keys have multiple functions assigned to them depending on when the key is pressed. Key functions are listed below followed by a detailed description of their functions.
Page 10: Channel Change
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Key Primary function Secondary function Display channel transmit Numeric key “9" frequency Start scan, hold for 2 Enable / disable scan seconds select scan table Numeric key “0" Delete character or abort function High or low power select...
Page 11 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Using direct channel entry to select channel 101- example. If the channel selected has not been previously programmed then the following is displayed:- Note: Empty channels can only be accessed by direct channel selection and are not displayed when scrolling through channels.
Page 12: Selective Calls - Alerting Other Stations
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Selective Calls - alerting other stations Selcall Selcall is a digital system of signalling between HF transceivers. Each transceiver is assigned an individual ID (identification) and can be called using this ID. Note:- For selcall functions to operate the transceiver must be fitted with the selcall / telcall option and the channels enabled for selcall operation.
Page 13 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Sending a selcall to station 4321 - example Note:- Last selcall sent was to 1234 Note:- If no selcall has been programmed on the channel in use an error message will be generated as indicated below:-...
Page 14: Receiving A Selcall
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Receiving a selcall When the transceiver has a selcall enabled channel selected the transceiver monitors incoming selective calls (selcall’s). (If more than one channel is to be monitored then the scan function should be used.) Receiving a selcall directed to your transceiver...
Page 15: Group Call
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Group call If the first two digits of the incoming call's destination ID are the same as the first two digits of the unit's selcall ID and the last two digits of the destination ID are zero then an audible...
Page 16: Beacon Call
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Beacon call The "beacon call" function allows the user to determine the signal quality between two transceivers fitted with the selcall function. Sending a beacon call select the channel on which to send the beacon call.
Page 17: Receiving A Beacon Call
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Sending a beacon call to station 4321 - example Note:- Last selcall sent was to 1234 Receiving a beacon call When a transceiver receives a beacon request call, it responds by transmitting the beacon call revertive tones. The beacon request call is not saved in the selcall history buffer.
Page 18: Sending An Emergency Selcall
… hold for 2 seconds Transceivers receiving an emergency call Barrett transceivers that receive the emergency selcall emit a distinctive audio alarm and display the following:- If the transceiver sending the emergency selcall is fitted with a GPS receiver the position will...
Page 19: Telcall's - Direct Dial Telephone Calls
To access preset telephone numbers on the Barrett 660/960 a standard selcall is transmitted from the Barrett 950. The first two digits of the destination ID must be the same as the first two digits of the 660/960 self ID being called. The second two digits correspond to one of the 98 preset numbers stored in the 660/960 telephone interconnect.
Page 20 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Making a call to preset telephone number 58, via a 660/960 telephone interconnect whose ID is 6099 - example Note:- Last selcall sent was to 1234 PAGE 20...
Page 21: Direct Dialling
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Direct dialling To access the direct dialling facility of the Barrett 660/960 telephone interconnect the transceiver must be fitted with telcall. select the channel to be used to make the call (refer to Selcall (selective call section - "...
Page 22 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Making a direct dial call to telephone number 61894341700, via a 660/960 telephone interconnect whose ID is 6099 - example Note:-Last selcall sent was to 1234 PAGE 22...
Page 23: Last Number Redial
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Last number redial To use the last number redial facility press the key twice, the last telephone number sent will now be displayed, now press the key and the telcall sequence will be re-sent. Hang-up call When a call has been completed the caller must "...
Page 24 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Hanging up call to a 660/960 with ID of 6099 - example PAGE 24...
Page 25: Scanning Channels
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Scanning channels The Barrett 950 can be programmed to scan up to 450 channels. Pressing the scan key initiates scanning. Only channels that have been enabled will be scanned. Holding the scan key down for 2 seconds or more will allow the user to select which scan table is to be scanned.
Page 26: Selcall Scan
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Selcall Scan When a selcall signal is detected, and the channel has selcall enabled, no matter which mute type is selected the transceiver will stop scanning and decode the selcall signal. If the selcall was decoded for this transceiver the audio alarm will sound and the following will be displayed:- If no other action is taken, i.e.
Page 27: Enabling Channels Into Scan Tables
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Enabling channels into scan tables in transceivers with channel programming locked out. Select the channel you wish to enable into the scan table. press the press the use the key to select the scan table required by selecting the symbol corresponding to that scan table.
Page 28: Clarifier
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Clarifier The clarifier is used to compensate for received signals that are off frequency. The receiver can be clarified in steps of 1Hz to frequencies from -1KHz and +1KHz of the assigned channel frequency, depending on programming. To shift the clarifier use one of the...
Page 29: Mute Types
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Mute types Pressing the mute key will select the mute function required. A character indicating the mute function selected is positioned on the second line of the display at the third column from the left. Audio (syllabic) mute When the audio mute is enabled the mute opens only when speech is detected.
Page 30: Mode Selection
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Mode selection Mode select The mode key selects the mode of operation eg LSB, USB, AM, CW or AFSK. The mode key will temporarily set the mode for a selected channel, until the channel is changed, or the transceiver is turned off.
Page 31: Alarm Operation
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Alarm operation Any channel can be assigned with either one of the following alarm signalling formats International marine radiotelephone two-tone alarm - alternating 2200Hz/1300Hz, 500mS cycle, 50% duty cycle. RFDS alarm two-tone alarm 880Hz + 1320Hz continuous. (Australian use only)
Page 32: Transmit Frequency Monitoring
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Transmit frequency monitoring When the is pressed the transceiver will receive on the transmit frequency of a split transmit / receive frequency channel and the following will be displayed:- When the key is released the transceiver reverts to normal operation.
Page 33: Scrambler
PCB is fitted and enabled in the programming section. (refer to protected programming menu - “Scrambler”, and also to the Barrett PC based programming software) To turn the scrambler on - example...
Page 34: Rf Output Power
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER RF output power key toggles the RF output power setting. The high power setting is 125 watt PEP (voice) and the low power setting is 25 watt PEP (voice). Note:- the transceiver low power setting is sometimes set to a different value dependant on customer requirements.
Page 35: Advanced Selective Call Functions
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Advanced selective call functions Requesting another transceivers GPS position select the channel on which to send the call. listen for traffic on that channel, if no traffic is heard then continue. press the key. enter the desired destination ID using the numeric keys press the key.
Page 36 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Once the GPS request selcall has been sent the following will be displayed:- When GPS data is received from the transceiver being requested for GPS data the display will be similar to that shown below:- If the transceiver being requested for a GPS position is fitted with a GPS receiver, but...
Page 37: Sending Your Gps Position To Another Transceiver
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Sending your GPS position to another transceiver select the channel on which to send the call. listen for traffic on that channel, if no traffic is heard then continue. press the key. enter the desired destination ID using the numeric keys press the key.
Page 38 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER ...transceiver is sending its GPS data. If the transceiver is fitted with a GPS receiver, but cannot retrieve GPS data from it (due to lack of satellite data etc), a timeout occurs the following message will be displayed:-...
Page 39: Pagecall
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Pagecall Pagecall is a system that allows messages of up to 32 characters to be sent to a Barrett 950 transceiver from a Barrett 950 transceiver connected to a PC fitted with pagecall software. Receiving a pagecall...
Page 40: Status Selcall (Statcall)
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Status selcall (Statcall) Statcall is a system that allows the status of any Barrett transceiver fitted with selcall to be accessed by another Barrett 950 or Barrett 940 transceiver. The status is sent from the remote transceiver as a selcall with the extra status information stored within the selcall structure.
Page 41 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Making a status request call to station 4321 - example After the status request selcall has been sent the following will be displayed:- When the transceiver requested for status has completed it’s return status selcall and it is...
Page 42 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Displays supply voltage to remote transceiver during receive and transmit modes. Displays signal strength of status call received by the remote transceiver and the forward power transmitted by the remote transceiver when sending the status revert selcall.
Page 43: Selective Call History
To make a call when scrolling through the selcall history buffer perform the following steps:- select the call to be answered with the scroll keys press the send key The Barrett 950 transceiver will change to the channel the logged call was received on and initiate a call sequence. Types of selcall history...
Page 44 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Pagecalls are displayed as follows :- ... to display pagecall message:- Statcalls are displayed as follows:- ... to display statcall information:- Etc. PAGE 44...
Page 45: Tuning Receiver
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Tuning receiver The 950 transceiver can be used as a tunable receiver. The receiver can be tuned in steps ranging from 1 Hz up to 10 MHz. Entering tuning receiver mode Tuning To tune the receiver use the clarifier keys to position the cursor under the digit representing the frequency increment required then use the frequency up or down key to tune the receiver at the increment selected.
Page 46: Scanning The Tunable Receiver
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Scanning the tunable receiver The Barrett 950 can scan any range of frequencies from 500 KHz to 30 MHz with a frequency step down to 1 Hz. Setting up scan frequencies To set up the frequency scan parameters on the Barrett 950, enter the tuning receiver mode, then:- ...
Page 47 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Enter a new frequency, using the numeric keys, to set the second scan limit boundary - the example below shows Scan Limit 2 set to 30 MHz:- ... until display below appears Enter the step increment required in Hz i.e. entering 100 will select scan increments of 100 Hz.
Page 48: Menu Functions
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Menu functions Menus The menu is divided into two sections, the “open menu section” and the “protected menu section”. Both sections are used to set or display transceiver parameters. The “open menu section” is available directly to operators as no critical operation parameters can be changed in this section.
Page 49: Noise Blanker
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Noise blanker This menu item allows the user to enable or disable the noise blanker on the transceiver. The noise blanker is used to reduce repetitive impulse noise.(eg vehicle ignition noise) ... selects noise blanker on ...
Page 50: Display Back-Light Options
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Display back-light options ... selects a display back-light time out time of 5 seconds from last key press ... selects a display back-light time out time of 30 seconds from last key press ... selects display back-light always on.
Page 51: Display Options
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Display options … selects the display the channel usage information in both receive and transmit..selects the display of signal strength level in receive and the channel usage information in transmit..selects the display of channel usage information in receive and the forward power level in transmit.
Page 52: Battery Level
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Battery level ... the transmit voltage is the voltage recorded during the last transmit cycle, this giving a indication of the batteries capacity under load. PAGE 52...
Page 53: Protected Menu
If no access to protected menus is to be allowed to operators, the protected menus can be barred using the Barrett PC based programming system. RF pre-amplifier Selects the RF pre-amplifier on or off.
Page 54: Set Scan Rate
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Set Scan Rate ... selects the scan rate applicable to non-selcall scan channels, selectable between 100mS and 5 seconds per channel - the example below selects 500mS. Set Scan Dwell ... selects the length of time the transceiver dwells on a channel after scan has been stopped by signal strength level (if signal strength level mute is set) or voice activity (if audio mute is set).
Page 55: External Control Options
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER External control options ... enables the use of a Barrett 516/916 antenna select units or external devices requiring BCD coded channel information. (0000 = Channel 1, 0001= Channel 2, 0010 = Channel 3 etc to 1111 = Channel 16)
Page 56: Transmit "Over Beep
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Transmit “over beep” When this feature is selected the 950 transceiver transmits a short tone when the PTT is released. It provides an audible indication to the operator at the remote station that the station has stopped transmitting.
Page 57: Clarifier Limit
Two selective call self ID’s can be programmed, one is the normal ID used as the self ID on channels with Barrett standard or CCIR 493 (WA2 in Australia) format programmed. The second is used as the self ID on channels programmed for use with RDD (Radphone Direct Dial, an Australian telephone interconnected HF service) ...
Page 58: Set Selcall Pre-Amble
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Set Selcall Pre-amble Sets the length of the selcall preamble. The length of preamble is set dependant on the number of channels being scanned. The preamble can be set from 1 to 10 seconds. Allow 500mS for each selcall channel to be scanned plus one second, E.g. to scan 8 selcall channels :- 500mS x 8 + 1 sec.
Page 59: Scrambler - Hardware Option Enable
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Scrambler - hardware option enable ...enables software control of the scrambler hardware when fitted..selects scrambler hardware PCB option fitted ... selects scrambler hardware PCB option not fitted Silent mode This option enables or disables any audible annunciation tones associated with front panel key operation.
Page 60: Gps Type
Selects which type of GPS receiver is to be used for position information, either the internally fitted GPS receiver option Barrett P/N’s BCA90030 or BCA95002 or an external GPS receiver connected to the NMEA 0183 compliant port on pins 8 and 20 of the auxiliary connector.
Page 61: Scan Resume Time
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Scan resume time Enabling this feature, by specifying a scan resume time, the Barrett 950 transceiver will resume scanning the scan table previously selected at a time after the last key press specified by the scan resume time selected. The example below will cause the 950...
Page 62: Cloning And Programming Transceivers
Cloning The following steps are necessary to copy the configuration of one 950 transceiver to another :- Fit the “DB25" to “DB25" cloning cable, Barrett P/N BCA90024 to the auxiliary connector on each transceiver. Switch on both transceivers. Picture of two transceivers connected together with cloning lead...
Page 63 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER On the master transceiver (transceiver containing the information to be cloned) select the cloning menu:- Alternating with:- PAGE 63...
Page 64 Now the two selcall self ID’s of the slave transceiver must be entered:- Enter selcall self ID1, using the numeric keys, for use on channels programmed for Barrett standard and CCIR 493 (WA2 in Australia ) format selcall.
Page 65 If this is the case the cable connection should be checked and the cloning procedure repeated. Programming a 950 transceiver using the Barrett PC based programming software P/N BCA90035 Refer to the operating manual supplied with the Barrett PC based programming software. PAGE 65...
Page 66: Remote / Local Configuration
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Remote / Local configuration This feature allows the Barrett 950 transceiver to be used in remote site configurations using other 900 series Barrett products such as the 972 remote site controllers and the 974 system integration system ...
Page 67: Bite Menu
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER BITE menu The BITE menu allows the user to self test different functions of the 950 transceiver. There are four BITE functions that can be tested as illustrated below :- ... receiver basic function test, this sets the transceiver so a known internal signal source is present in the receiver, a signal strength is recorded, the level of which is used to confirm the receiver is functioning.
Page 68 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER ... ALE test, if the ALE option is fitted, the test checks communications to the ALE processor..RS-232 test, a plug must be fitted to the auxiliary connector with pins 2 and 3 connected together. This test checks that the RS-232 port is operational.
Page 69: Transceiver Lock
(disabled). It cannot be operated again until a PIN number is entered correctly within 10 attempts. If the correct PIN number is not entered within 10 attempts, the transceiver can only be re-enabled, for normal operation, by using the Barrett PC based programming software.
Page 70: To Un-Lock A Transceiver
You can now enter the pin number to unlock the transceiver. If you input the wrong PIN number more than 10 times, the following is displayed :- If this is displayed the transceiver can only be unlocked using the Barrett PC based programming software.
Page 71: Programming Functions
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Programming functions 950 transceivers will be delivered in a locked or unlocked state depending on local legislative requirements. If your transceiver is unlocked proceed as described below using the internal programmer, if locked you must use the 950 dealer PC based software system.
Page 72 Select the letter or symbol corresponding to the selcall format required. This letter or symbol is displayed on the bottom line of the display in the 1st character position. Barrett Australia format selcall is selected. CCIR 493 (WA2 Australia) format selcall is selected.
Page 73 The tune key toggles between Antenna socket 1(ANT 1) and Antenna socket 2 (ANT2). This will only be available if the optional second antenna socket is physically fitted and enabled using Barrett PC based programming software. Operating mode Use the mode key to toggle through to mode required (LSB, USB, AM, CW, AFSK) as indicated in the mode section of the screen.
Page 74 Programming channel 101 to 6850.0 KHz, lower sideband, selcall enabled, entry of the channel into scan table one, low power on transmit, RFDS alarm and label 'BARRETT'.The example assumes that channel 101 was already selected by direct channel selection (see Operation section - direct channel change) and was not previously programmed.
Page 75 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER ... to enable scan table one … until 'R' is shown, to select RFDS alarm … to select low power to select channel label … until LSB is displayed PAGE 75...
Page 76: Automatic Link Establishment - Ale - Option
ALE controller to determine the best channel to connect on when commanded by its operator to communicate with another station. The Barrett ALE controller’s powerful memory stores up to 10,000 sets of LQA information, 100 channel configurations, 20 self-address configurations and 100 other address configurations.
Page 77: Commence Ale Scanning
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Commence ALE scanning ... key for 2 seconds ... to select the scan type required..to select this (ALE) scan type. … to commence ALE scanning..your transceiver will now be ALE scanning and ready to accept ALE calls, receive “sounding’s”...
Page 78: Receiving An Ale Call Directed To Your Transceiver
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Receiving an ALE call directed to your transceiver ... a station is calling you and you are transmitting back linking information..your station is now receiving more linking information from the calling station..the link is successful, an audible alarm will sound after which you can start communication with the station that called you.
Page 79: Calling Another Ale Station
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Calling another ALE station ... to select ALE call..to display the station list. Note:- the previous two steps only occur if the channel is also programmed for CCIR-493 based selective call use, if not programmed for selective call the station list display below is selected by the first key press above:- ...to scroll through the station address list.
Page 80 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Either … select a new self ID. … to this point if using the default self ID..the ALE call sequence has commenced..you are waiting for a response the called station..the called station has replied and you are acknowledging.
Page 81 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER The following error messages may be displayed:- ... the link attempt failed..when selecting a self ID you selected a self ID that is not programmed, a null ID..no channels are programmed for the station you are attempting to call.
Page 82: Making An Telephone Call Via An Ale Equipped Barrett 960 Telephone Interconnect
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Making an telephone call via an ALE equipped Barrett 960 telephone interconnect … to select ALE call. … to display the station list. Note:- the last two steps only occur if the channel is also programmed for CCIR 493...
Page 83 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Either … select a new self ID..to this point if using the default self ID ... the ALE call sequence has commenced. PAGE 83...
Page 84 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER ... you are transmitting linking information to the called station. … you now have a link established with the station you are calling. The following error messages may be displayed:- … the link attempt failed. … when selecting a self ID you selected a self ID that is not programmed, a null ID.
Page 85: Closing An Ale Link
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Closing an ALE link ... your station closes the link ... your station resumes scanning (if you were in scanning before the ALE link). If the station you are linked to closes the link the following will be displayed:- ...
Page 86: Ale Menus
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER ALE menus This option enters the ALE menu system. The ALE controller option Barrett P/N BCA95001 or BCA95002 must be fitted before the ALE system will operate. If the ALE option has not previously been enabled the following will be displayed :- Pressing the menu key will enable the ALE controller.
Page 87: Ale Default
ALE sounding signals..selects sounding on ... selects sounding off The ALE select “Sounds Off” Or “Sounds On” on a channel basis determined by the way the channel was programmed by the Barrett ALE PC based fill program. PAGE 87...
Page 88: Link Quality Decay Time
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Link quality decay time This option sets the artificial decay time for the link quality information that is stored in the link quality table within the ALE processor. The decay can be disabled or set to between 1 and 8 hours.
Page 89: Sounding Signal Length
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Sounding Signal Length This option sets the length of the sounding transmission, in seconds, for each channel in the scan group. When an ALE station sends sounding signals, a separate signal is transmitted for each channel in the scan group. The ALE station sends these signals sequentially. The total length of the sounding transmission is the product of the sounding signal length and the number of channels.
Page 90: Bit Error Rate (Ber) Threshold
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Bit Error Rate (BER) threshold This option sets the value of the BER threshold used in the BER testing routine. The value can be set in the range 0 to 48. BER testing is a method of error detection for ALE word transmission. ALE stations send and receive ALE link controlling information in blocks of data called ALE words.
Page 91: Bad Word Count
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Bad word count This option sets the maximum number of sequentially received bad ALE words which are allowed before the ALE processor decides that the quality of the current channel is too poor to establish an ALE link. A bad word is a word that has exceeded either the BER or Golay Threshold.
Page 92: Lqa Averaging
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER LQA averaging This option sets the method used to update an existing link quality value stored in ALE processor memory when the new link quality value is worse than the stored value. The option can be set to :-...
Page 93: Ale Silent Mode
Note:- You can still make ALE calls in this mode. The ALE will operate as described in the mode above but only on channels programmed for Tx disable mode(silent mode) by the Barrett ALE PC based fill program. PAGE 93...
Page 94: Ale Fill Mode
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER ALE fill mode This option is used to enable the 950 transceiver to accept network data from the Barrett PC based ALE fill program. Refer to the Barrett ALE fill software manual for details. ALE disable This option will disable the ALE option.
Page 95: Installation
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Installation General Introduction This handbook provides instructions for the installation of land based HF communication equipment. The contents cover both base station and mobile installations. Most of the installation work can be performed by non-technical personnel if they carefully follow the instructions given in this handbook.
Page 96: Fixed Station Installations
Power supply All Barrett transceivers require a supply voltage of 13.8 VDC . In most vehicles or vessels this is available from the battery, in the case of vehicles with a 24V system a 24V to 12V converter rated at 25 amps should be used (Barrett P/N BCA90014). In fixed station installations where 240/220/120/115 VAC mains power is available, a Barrett 922 power supply should be used.
Page 97: Voltage Drop
Incorrect antenna installations will yield poor system performance and are often the cause of complaints of poor transceiver performance. A range of antennas is available from Barrett to suit most small fixed stations. Detailed instructions are included with each antenna.
Page 98: Single Wire Broadband Dipoles
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER 912 Single Wire Broadband Dipoles - Barrett P/N BC91201 Barrett 912 single wire broadband dipoles are ideal for base stations that require operation on multiple frequencies through out the HF spectrum using a single antenna. The 912 antenna can be mounted either in a horizontal or inverted 'V' configuration as illustrated in the following diagrams.
Page 99 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Install the antenna as illustrated in the diagrams, in the inverted 'V' configuration the eye on the top of the balun is used to attach the support halyard. 125 watt standard single wire broadband dipole in an inverted "V"...
Page 100: Multiwire Broadband Dipoles
HF spectrum using a single antenna. 125/500 watt multi wire broadband dipole The Barrett 912 antenna can be mounted either in a horizontal or inverted 'V' configuration as illustrated in the following diagrams. In the horizontal configuration the major radiation direction is broadside to the antenna.
Page 101 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Install the antenna as illustrated in the diagrams, in the inverted 'V' configuration the eye on the top of the balun is used to attach the support halyard. In the horizontal configuration the balun hangs below the antenna.
Page 102: Series Helical Dipoles
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER 913 series helical dipoles - Barrett P/N’s BC91301 to BC91305 913 series helical dipole antennas are compact and easily installed, having extremely narrow bandwidth characteristics and a performance approaching that of a wire dipole when used at frequencies over 4.5 MHz. The helical dipole antenna is fed by a single coaxial feeder and can accommodate up to 5 frequencies.
Page 103 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Hub detail 3 frequency helical dipole Helical dipoles are manufactured to specific frequencies, but may require fine tuning after installation. To enable this the dipole elements have an adjustable length tip to allow fine tuning for optimum VSWR during installation. Install the antenna in its final position and check the VSWR on each of the frequencies that the antenna was manufactured for.
Page 104: Wire Dipole
3.7MHz dipole - length between the insulators = 142/3.7 =38.38 metres. Wire dipoles supplied by Barrett Communications are pre-cut to a specified frequency but have adjustable ends. These adjustable ends allow fine tuning for optimum VSWR during installation.
Page 105 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER If a tunable transmitter is available, determine at what frequency the best VSWR is obtained. If this occurs at a frequency below the required frequency the dipole is to long, if it occurs on a frequency higher than the required frequency then the dipole is to short. Drop the dipole and adjust both ends by an equal amount and repeat the above sequence until an optimum VSWR is obtained.
Page 106: Barrett 911 Automatic Antenna Tuner For Base Station Installations
Antenna Various antenna configurations, such as vertical whips, long-wires and loops, can be used for base station installations, using the Barrett 911 automatic antenna tuner. In general however the following points should be considered:- The antenna should be mounted as far away as possible from buildings, trees, vegetation and sources of electrical interference.
Page 107 Frequently the ground conductivity will not be sufficient to provide a satisfactory ground for the Barrett 911 tuner. This will almost certainly be the case in well drained sandy soils or on rock. In these cases a counterpoise must be used as a ground system. This will also be the case in rooftop installations where no existing ground plate (such as metal roofing exists).
Page 108: Mobile Installations
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Mobile installations Transceiver position The following points must be considered when mounting the transceiver. Safety It is essential that the transceiver be mounted in a place where it cannot cause injury to the occupants of the vehicle in the event of a motor vehicle accident.
Page 109: Obstruction
By moving these cables apart you reduce the risk of RF feedback getting into the control cable which can cause problems with the transceiver. Fit a suitable HRC cartridge fuse (Barrett P/N BCA90018), as near as practicable to the battery connection in the positive (red) wire.
Page 110: Antenna
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Installation details - 950 transceiver and 914 series antenna REMOTE CONTROL HEAD SUPPLIED STANDARD WITH 930/950 REMOTE CONTROL (TRUNK MOUNT) TRANSCEIVER OR AS AN OPTION IF DUAL CONTROL IS REQUIRED WITH A 930/950 LOCAL CONTROL TRANSCEIVER...
Page 111: Noise Suppression
Interference suppression kit (Barrett P/N BCA90018) is available to assist in noise suppression and contains filters, suppressing capacitors, earth straps and fitting instructions.
Page 112: Ignition Systems
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Another approach to this problem is to remove or disconnect all possible sources of noise then replace and suppress them in turn. Some suggestions for suppressing particular noise sources follow:- Ignition systems All high tension wiring from the ignition coil through to the spark plugs should be kept as short as practicable, clean, and as close to the engine block as possible.
Page 113: Other Noise Sources
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Other noise sources Electric motors (windscreen wipers, fans etc.) Small electric motors can usually be suppressed with good low inductance bypass capacitors. Engine instrumentation Certain types of oil-pressure sensors and voltage regulators used in instrument systems contain a vibrating or thermal cycling contact.
Page 114: Series Manual Tap Whip Antenna
914 series manual tapped whip antennas are mounted on vehicles using a heavy duty base and spring (Barrett P/N BCA91400). The whip should be mounted on the vehicle in positions such as those illustrated in the diagrams below. A bracket, fabricated to withstand the forces and vibration that can be expected during off-road driving, should be used to mount the antenna base and spring to the vehicle.
Page 115 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER For each frequency which will not tune correctly you will need to determine whether the tuning is high or low in frequency. Generally any frequencies which will not tune will always be out the same way. When the antenna is made most frequencies are deliberately made on the low frequency side and adjusted upwards by the placement of "tuning rings".Tuning...
Page 116 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Operation Instructions The 914 manual tapped whip antenna should now be screwed into the base and spring mounted on the front of the vehicle. operation frequency being used on the transceiver should now be selected on the antenna .
Page 117: 910 Automatic Tuning Mobile Antenna
IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS When fitting the whip assembly to the Barrett 910 antenna, it is important to ensure the whip spring base is tightened firmly onto the ABS antenna body .
Page 118 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER 910 Antenna Testing To test the antenna, first select the lowest transmit frequency in the transceiver and press the TUNE* key. On a 930 or 950 transceiver the display should show the words “Automatic Tuning” for a few seconds, followed by “Autotune Passed”. (On a 530 or 550 transceiver the lower line of the display will indicate “SWR”...
Page 119 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Acceptable Mounting Positions ABSOLUTE MINIMUM CLEARANCE TOP VIEW BONNET 160mm 160mm BULL BAR ABSOLUTE MINIMUM CLEARANCE TOP VIEW REAR OF VEHICLE 160mm Important: Please note that the mounting of a 910 Antenna on the front of a vehicle may be considered illegal in some areas/countries.
Page 120 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Caution:- Whilst the 910 Automatic Tuning Mobile Antenna is designed to with stand vibration to military type specifications on tyred vehicles, some mounting positions on large prime-movers, particularly front mounted bull-bars, are subject to vibration that far exceeds these type of specifications.
Page 121: Marine Installations
Marine Installations General The Barrett 911 automatic antenna tuner is designed for use in land base station and maritime HF services. Primarily designed for operation with end-fed un-balanced antennas such as whips and long wires, the tuner is built in a waterproof impact resistant, moulded ABS plastic enclosure.
Page 122: Corrosion
("E" plate Barrett P/N BCA91700) If the vessel is yet to be constructed, then in the case of fibreglass vessels a thin copper sheet with an area of not less than 4 square metres should be moulded into the hull during lamination.
Page 123 (earth) connections. Note:- When received, the Barrett 911 automatic antenna tuner memory system will usually not have any pre-stored tuning information appropriate to your installation. To allow the 911 to 'learn' its tuning information simply proceed from one channel to the next allowing the normal tune cycle to take place.
Page 124: Portable Operation
Portable Operation For temporary base station operation the Barrett 950 can be operated from batteries using either a single wire, end fed, portable broadband antenna Barrett P/N BC91204 or a tactical rapid deploy dipole, Barrett P/N BC91502 as illustrated below:-...
Page 125 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Inverted "V" Configuration Sloping Configuration PAGE 125...
Page 126: Auxiliary Connector
Rx Data RS-232 data input True RS-232 Tx Data RS-232 data output True RS-232 External Power On For use with Barrett 960 or ancillary Low to activate equipment. External Speaker External speaker output 0-10V Tuned In Antenna tune cycle complete input...
Page 127 Note 2:- These outputs provide channel information for use with antenna select units such as the BARRETT 916. The outputs are octal coded 0 to FF representing the least significant digit of the channel number selected. i.e. octal 0 for channel 1, octal 1 for channels 2, octal 3 for channels 2, to octal FF for channel 16.
Page 128: Overview Of Hf Operation
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Overview of HF operation HF (High Frequency) is the radio spectrum with frequencies between 1.6 and 30MHz. Within this radio spectrum an efficient form of transmitter modulation, SSB (Single Side Band), is used. This, combined with the use of the ionosphere - a layer of ionisation gases...
Page 129 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER ON - VOL ON - VOL BARRETT ON - VOL ON - VOL BARRETT BARRETT BARRETT ON - VOL ON - VOL ON - VOL ON - VOL 20km 800km 2000km EARTH The sun is higher, the best frequency to use is higher...
Page 130 Generally speaking the greater the distance over which you want to communicate, the higher the frequency you should use. Beacon call, a Selcall (selective call) function built into the Barrett 950 transceiver, makes finding the correct frequency to use easy. Beacon call is based on the network transceivers all having a selection of frequencies that will accommodate most ionospheric conditions.
Page 131 HF/SSB system will greatly affect the communications quality you will obtain. Refer to the installation section of this manual for details. Your local Barrett representative will be able to assist with your system configuration and/or installation. Special note - HF communications compared with VHF or UHF short distance...
Page 132: Accessories
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Accessories Accessory interface - Barrett P/N BCA90016 The BCA90016 accessory interface is provided to allow multiple interconnection to the 950 transceiver of items such as the 910 automatic tuning mobile antenna and an external GPS receiver whilst still giving access for the use of CW keys, external speakers and external alarms.
Page 133: Cable Assembly
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Cable assembly - Barrett P/N BCA90021 The BCA90021 cable assembly is available to interconnect the Barrett 950 transceiver and ancillary units such as the 923 modem as illustrated below:- Universal mounting cradle - Barrett P/N BCA90001...
Page 134: Fan Unit
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Fan unit - Barrett P/N BCA90007 The fan unit can be fitted to a transceiver at time of order or retrofitted at a later date. To retrofit the fan unit to a 950 transceiver:- Disconnect the power from the transceiver and remove the top and bottom cover of the transceiver.
Page 135: Side-Plate Kits
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Side-plate kits - Barrett P/N BCA90025, BCA90026, BCA90027 Side-plate kits are available for stacking two, three or four 900 or 500 series units vertically. The diagram herein illustrates the method of assembly of the two unit version. Place the two units to be stacked together.
Page 136: 19" Rack Mount Conversion Kit
Referring to the diagram, first attach the left and right hand side plates to the 19” front panel using the ten M4 x 6 pan head screws (items 2 on diagram), with M4 nylon washers (items 3 on diagram), placed under each screw. (make sure the Barrett logo on the front panel is orientated correctly when assembling).
Page 137: Interference Suppression Kit
BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Interference suppression kit - Barrett P/N BCA90018 General Satisfactory suppression cannot be achieved if faults exist in the vehicle or vessel to be suppressed. Cracked distributor caps, worn commutators or burnt contacts may not yet be seriously degrading vehicle performance but will generate very high radio frequency noise levels.
Page 138 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Battery charging systems Alternator or generator Audible as a whine - frequency dependant on engine speed. Fit an MAR-60A noise filter as supplied in this kit in series with the main charging output of the alternator. If a satisfactory earth point cannot be found on or immediately adjacent to the alternator then the alternator/filter connection should be screened.
Page 139 BARRETT 950 HF TRANSCEIVER Note:- Specifications, information and drawings in this manual are subject to change without notice. PAGE 139...

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Barrett 950 HF Operating And Installation Manual

Introduction

Operation

Menu Functions

Programming Functions

Automatic Link Establishment - ALE - Option

Installation

Auxiliary Connector

Overview of HF Operation

Accessories

Quick Links

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