SWL with my Flex 6300

W7CHW

I am running 3.0.27 with my Flex 6300 when I try to listen to AM Broadcast beyond 7.300 mhz my RF gain reduces so much that it is not possible to listen to the broadcasts. Has anyone else had this issue?
 

Ken Hansen

To clarify, is this an issue on any frequency above 7.300 MHz, or only outside the amateur bands?

W7CHW

Sorry for the late response  but the weekend had me doing other things.
Using the db signal readings on the Right side of the screen. When I move outside of the Top Side of the Amateur Bands the signal levels drop as follows.
160m -18db approximately
80m   -18db  "
40m   -10db  "
20m   -18db "
Is this normal? It makes SWL more difficult.

Craig Williams

Don't see that with my 6400 and V2.5.1.

Burch - K4QXX

I'm not seeing that here either on a 6700.  I was just listening to SW last night in the 5Mhz and 7Mhz range.

Steve K9ZW

@N3CHW - Perhaps you are seeing the gain pattern of your antenna(s) as your listening frequency moves from resonant to non-resonant frequencies?

73

Steve
K9ZW

W7CHW

Steve, in each band the method I used was not changed. I switch to the band in question in the upper part of the ham band and slowly moved the A slice up in frequency and suddenly bam! at the end of the ham portion the noise floor as shown on the right side scale changed down 10 to 18 db as I reported as if a filter was inserted.

Doug Hall

Look at the preamp setting just before you go out of the ham band. Then look at the preamp setting just after you "cross the line" to outside the ham band. Did it change?
73,
Doug K4DSP

Greg N8GD

I have a 6300 here, and I don't see this behavior as you described at all.  I even kicked in the RF Gain (under the ANT tab on the left hand fly out panel) thinking it might affect things as I tuned past the band edges but saw no difference there.  The RF Gain did increase the noise floor about 3 db or so when it was engaged, but did not change when tuning past band edges.

N8AUM

Do you have Sig gen ?

Greg N8GD

OK.  I just found something.  If I have the ATU disengaged (off, or greyed out), I do not see the behavior you describe, but, if you engage the ATU (button is blue), as you tune outside the ham band, the ATU will disengage.  If your antenna is non-resonant and needs the ATU to be engaged for good SWR within the amateur band, even for good receive performance, it will not have the advantage of being tuned once you leave the ham band.  I would guess that an external tuner would resolve that issue.  I personally do not see the change in noise floor when the ATU disengages here, but my antenna is most likely different than yours.

W7CHW

No I do not. What is your suggestion if I did?

Stan VA7NF

No one has mentioned that the spectrum is broken into frequency range groups and when you cross a range boundary all the settings change to that range portion.
This means antenna selection, filters, preamp level, AGC_t, and more change.  Once in a new segment, set these up.

W7CHW

Thanks All for leading  me in the right direction. I found the answer to my issue. About a month ago I installed a antenna switch with a BCD interface and connected it to the radio via a USB to BCD cable. For the sake of brevity I won't explain much more except to say that radio now controls the antenna selection. Ops, except when the Slice falls outside of the ham bands then it puts all antennas to ground. 
Thanks Again to the community.