[amsat-bb] Don't kill your drake with RF

[John Wright <g4dmf@xxxxxxxxx>]

The ultimate way not to RF-Vapourize your Drake, is not to connect it to a 
device that can generate RF!

To this end, last year I purchased an ICOM PCR1000 Computer controlled 
Comms Reciever.

Its only purpose in life is as a tunable IF. No worries about pressing the 
PTT - there ain't one! Seriously though
I find that this little box, about £200 Sterling is absolutely perfect for 
the job in hand. No need to worry about IF
frequencies, it is all-mode 10Khz to 1.3Ghz. It's got outputs for 9600 
packet, audio to feed the soundcard for
P3D decoders, CTCSS functions, you can use it as a +/- 500khz spectrum 
analyzer ( from any center frequency)
Probably as essential as any other bit of kit in my shack.

Most any other GOOD scanner can be used in the same way of course.

On a different subject, I ghost power my Drake with a TV Masthead pre-amp 
power supply, available here for
about £8 Sterling. Add a series diode and 2 pieces of wire connected to the 
internal smoothing capacitor and
you can feed it with 13.8V from a mobile supply where you haven't got mains 
electricity as well.

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