@richpowers You could always look around and is if you could find a cheap matching box to use High Impedance output of sound cards down to 600 ohm balanced. I seem to recall some of them on ebay a while back, for like 30 bucks. But probably could get them from amazon etc. If all else fails you can check progressive and see what they have. It'll be a lot cheaper than 100 bucks.
the 1630 freq module for the Rangemaster transmitter came today. I will be installing that when the rain breaks to do so, to see if it will give me a little better field and get back near the coverage I had on 1700. Will report back on the results.
I got the Rangemaster on the air today. It'll provide coverage on 1630 very close to what the Procaster did on 1700, and Rangemaster couldn't on 1700. I have to figure out the audio. It's not as powerful as the Procaster was. To get it to that level the Rangemaster will over modulation into disortion. So I'll have to play with that until I hit the right mix between the transmitter and processor.
@richpowers You could always look around and is if you could find a cheap matching box to use....
@wefr oh I don't need another, I still have my audio interface that came with the Rangemaster, I'm just saying that I was surprised they were asking $100 for one.
I got the Rangemaster on the air today. It'll provide coverage on 1630 very close to what the Procaster did on 1700, and Rangemaster couldn't on 1700. I have to figure out the audio. It's not as powerful as the Procaster was. To get it to that level the Rangemaster will over modulation into disortion. So I'll have to play with that until I hit the right mix between the transmitter and processor.
Was it you a few months ago saying something about the Rangemaster performing very poorly? Several, including myself responded that there must be a malfunction in the unit and to send it to Keith to check out.. I've never had a Procaster to compare, but what your describing just doesnt jive with the established status quo of the Rangemaster being the top dog both in quality and performance. So it seems to me (as I said before) if your Rangemaster is performing that poorly, then there must be something wrong with the unit (or the something with the installation itself.)
Something with the Rangemaster must be malfunctioning.
@richpowers That problem was taken care of. I don't know what they done. But it works now. it's just the audio level is not as powerful or has to punch as the Procaster does. That's just a matter of me getting the audio settings peaked where they need to be. Other than that it's working fine.
@wefr Well the Procaster has onboard proccessing right? The Rangemaster does not. I presume you are proccessing for the Rangemaster with some gear...
@richpowers I have a SW200 processor. On the Procaster I had the onboard processing disabled to use the SW200
@wefr Yeah that's what I figured you did. So your saying with the identical proccessing, settings, unit, setup and location, your Rangemaster neither sounds as good nor goes as far as your Procaster.
That's a stumper, and I'm sure pretty frustrating for you. I don't know what else it could be other than some failing component in the transmitter. That's all I can think of.
@richpowers Not the transmitter. It's the audio chain. Anyway, I'm think I have it almost figured out. I increased the drive on the processor and doing some other tweaks. It's getting close to where it needs to be. I keep forgetting about the Rangemaster has a wider audio bandwidth than the Procaster. The Procaster has around a 6K audio bandwidth, where the Rangemaster has a 10K with the Processor at the 10K Pre-Emph cutoff.
I have finally got the audio issue resolved. It's now sounding good with more of a punch to it. It was the adjustments combination between the processor and transmitter. Now I have nearly the same coverage as I did on 1700. With warmer weather it gets a little noisier anyway. And tends to decrease coverage a little. Same as did on 1700.
You know what surprises me is the Rangemasters audio interface is $99. I usually didn't have to use it, it's a small board of circuitry wrapped in a kind of intertube material, that's it! I still have it and will be requiring it this upcoming installation, but I never would have guessed this little board would be 100 bucks - I would have guessed like maybe $20.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/277075048957
Well.. I bought one of those on ebay, he was asking $30... I offered $18 and he accepted, but the audio interface was not actually what I wanted, already have one and didn't need it, but the auction included a 1690 crystal - and that's why I placed the offer.
But I really want to try some lower frequencies, like between maybe 1400 - 1600, for the sake of old radios. But I'm not sure what kind of Crystal's I need, sockets are different and Rugster actually told me exactly what to look for before right on this forum but I havent been able to find it again.
So.. when looking for crystals compatible with the original model Rangemaster.. Im still unclear what should I be looking for.
But anyway I thought it was cool I got one of those outrageously priced $100 adapters for only $18 that came with a Rangemaster crystal to boot!
..By the way, if anyone is looking for 45rpm records, that's looks like it's the only other thing that seller sells.. he's got hundreds to select from. I thought that was kind of cool.. about 20 years ago I had an old 45 jukebox in my diner.. the only place I could get 45s back then was from an old record store - no new hits? but was able to fill the jukebox with 200 45 records for about $300
... and just bought 2 "HC-6/U - 1400 KHz Radio Crystal", they were only $7 each and it looks the same as what's used in the Rangemaster, so I guess I find out.
The ones mine used were flat had 4 prongs on it. Kind of like a tiny chip.
... and just bought 2 "HC-6/U - 1400 KHz Radio Crystal", they were only $7 each and it looks the same as what's used in the Rangemaster, so I guess I find out.
So did it fit @richpowers?
So did it fit @richpowers?
Embarrassed to say haven't even taken them out of the package except to look at them. I'm getting to it, there really more I have to do getting things situated for broadcast on the boat - the greatest of which is how I'm going to ground it. The proper way evidently involves attaching a copper screen or plate to the hull, and I don't like the idea of (or the expense) pulling the boat out of the water and drilling holes through the hull for the plate and ensuring it's properly resealed so the boat don't sink. There's also methods of using copper sheeting on the inside of the hull that's supposed to still enable some kind of capacitance to the ocean, but it sounds to me that could be viewed as essentially a elevated ground plane, although it would actually be positioned below the water line but still exposed inside the boat.. Not sure how I'm going to do it, but I'm thinking about maybe simply attaching the ground plate to a broomstick or 2x2 or something and strapping/clamping/securing the post to my railing so that the other end is submerged in the water with the plate and the ground lead running down to it. My aim is a compliant install.
Oh... I can't find it now but Artisan (I think) recently was saying something about if I wanted, say to broadcast on 1600 with a Hamilton then I have to get a 700 or something multiples of what the actual frequency is.. I never heard anything like this and still not sure what he's talking about..
@Artesian, I can't find the post, but it was recent and you essentially said the above crystals I bought will not work in the Rangemaster, that it has to be multiples of 6x or something???