Adrian, How are you connecting your PC to the radio? It just a straight connection of cable from/to the souncard and rig? I did this year ago when PSk31 was new, even with this potentially poor method I was able to get 20 watts out without an nasty raspy signals. 20-30 watts is plenty of power for PSK31 in Europe.
In the old days of PSK pioneering the most common QSO task was one of getting signal reports. Operators were happy to spend time with a new PSKer and let them vary their ouput levels until any distorted signals were eliminated or greatly reduced. If we can find a ham from this group that can set up a schedule with you, it will help you a lot. Aside from the isolation issue, there is also the need to make sure that your signal is not too "hot", that your audio output from the soundcard is low. In Windows soundcard mixer, make sure you have the audio slider at a fairly level. Start low and increase it slightly. I assume you have also read about the need to check your ALC settings. No ALC reading , or a very slight hint of ALC on the meter, is usually recommended. Sorry I can't help with a source of opto isolators in Eire. Do they have Dixons there or Tandy? In the USA Tandy sells them. On 1/2/07, adrianrav4 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Hi All Having just moved house (& country!), and set up the HF radio gear for the first time in quite a few years - I'm having a dabble with PSK31. I suspect that I'm having problems with poor isolation between the radio and the PC - at the moment the 'quickly knocked-up' interface is 'direct' - no opto or transformer isolation. I can read the PSK31 quite nicely (using DigiPan) - and load up the TX on low power (10W) - but higher TX power seems to generate odd squeaks and general instability.... ...also - I have yet to get a reply from any other station on PSK - which makes me wonder if my signal's getting distorted past the point of readability ? Does anybody have a source for 1:1 audio isolation transformers ? I can't seem to find them from the usual suspects (ebay, CPC...?) - would need to be an organisation that ships to Ireland..... Many thanks in advance Adrian - EI5JV
-- Andy K3UK Skype Me : callto://andyobrien73 www.obriensweb.com