Band Edge TX Inhibit with 2m Transverter IF

W9LS/HK4LS · March 2020

I recently put a 2m transverter from Transverters Store on-line with my 6300. I was pleasantly surprised with the performance of this inexpensive unit in terms of clean output, sensitivity and LO frequency stability.

I've been operating with it on FM for the past few weeks while I figure out how to get my weak signal antennas back up in the air. Two days ago, I tried to check in to my local club net on 2m and couldn't transmit. What I found was that TX is now inhibited when the IF goes above 29.7 MHz (RF>145.7 MHz). Below this frequency, operation is the same as it was before. I didn't change any software, firmware or turf files.

My question is: How do I reopen the allowed TX frequencies on the transverter port? 8 mW into a terminated line is certainly not a regulatory problem, so I must have corrupted something somewhere.

73 de W9LS - Glen

Dave Garber · March 2020

maybe check the radio setup, to confirm region is set to USA ??

Alan · March 2020

Flex hardware manual says the TX range is 100KHZ to 54MHZ on the transverter port. Other TX ports would be restricted to the appropriate ham frequencies.

Alan
WA9WUD

Gary Zabriskie · March 2020

Glen, this is Gary Zabriskie N7ARE. I am on the Beehive Utah Net, usually mobile here from southwestern Utah. I am wondering if you might assist me in figuring how to get audio to work on remote ? I was recently given a like new Flex 5000a. It works fine in the shack but I can't seem to get audio when running remote to PC with Teamviewer.

Tim - W4TME · March 2020

The region (TURF file) does not affect the XVTR port. It is always unlocked.

Tim - W4TME · March 2020

Most transverters on 2m are only 2 MHz wide. To operate on the FM portion of the band, you have the change the 2m frequency to 146 MHz and then change IF (usually to 30 MHz) so that the LO is correct (usually 116 MHz) for your transverter

W9LS/HK4LS · March 2020

Thanks to everyone for all the help! This problem was fixed accidentally. All my remote equipment is controlled via Sonoff switches. When I shut down one day, I mistakenly disabled the DC power to the radio before I disabled the radio (oops). When I rebooted the radio, the problem was gone. Now this problem sort of randomly comes and goes.

I now have 3 problems that pop up randomly:

1) Xvrtr port inhibits TX at IF band edge (when IF goes above 29.7 MHz in this case)
2) No RF output at HF. Everything looks and acts normal (waterfall, VOX, etc.) but no RF output indicated on the bar graph and no actual output.
3) No RX audio with Smartlink remote.

All of these issues can be fixed with (sometimes multiple) radio reboots. I don't know what the root cause might be, but at least I'm in the USA where the equipment is and not remote in HK4-land. Silver lining to sheltering in place!

73 de Glen - W9LS/HK4LS

Band Edge TX Inhibit with 2m Transverter IF

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