Hello Gary and LF Group,
There has been mention in the past on the LF group of LF & MF
operators using Icom IC706 as a transverter driver due to its
frequency stability, how many of you out there use the IC706
this way & is the receive capability good on 136 & 500 KHz ??
I used a IC706 MK2 as a LF signal source for several years [CW only].
The transmitter was operated at 18 odd MHz. with minimum power into a
dummy load. This was followed by a couple of 7490's to divide by 100
[final frequency was 181.4 kHz.]. Note that there was no
transverting, just simple division.
Keying the 706 caused the fan to start and stop with a very minor
observable frequency shift on the Argo display. With hindsight, I
would leave the transmitter run all the time and key a later stage. I
should also mention that I did not have a TCXO installed as they were
unavailable by 2000.
Overall, I was happy with the end result for transmitting. Receiving
was a different story. The receiver was both deaf and full of birdies
in the LF area. Some pre-amplification seems to have worked well for
other 706 models but I would have only been amplifying the birdies.
For receiving I used a basic converter ahead of the 706 [18 Mhz xtal
osc.] and tuned on the 18 Mhz. band. This worked well.
I have since "opened " up the 706 for general HF transmitting. If I
decide to fire up in the 136 kHz area, then I would divide down from 13.6 Mhz.
I cannot comment on 500 kHz. receiving performance but a dummy load
transmitting test showed about 25 Watts output with a poor waveform
which, no doubt, could be readily filtered.
73, Kevin [ZL4MD].
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