Tips for Tuning SSB on SW Radios

Thanks to "3/4 Blind" for this helpful info:

Here's a tip for tuning SSB on SW radios with coarse digital tuning steps and a fine tuning BFO "clarifier." Tune to a WWV time signal on 5, 10, or 15 mHz. etc. whichever signal is strongest, then switch to SSB mode. Fine tune the BFO (On an Eton E5 it's the "fine" knob on the right hand edge.) to zero-beat the audio. As you adjust the BFO the audio changes from a tone to a "thump, thump, thump" until the beat frequency is zero, no tone, no "thump thump...". Then, while still in SSB mode and without further adjusting the BFO, tune to the frequency of interest. If that station is broadcasting right on the kHz. and not a fraction of a kHz. the radio will be properly tuned. For inexpensive portables you may have to repeat the above steps to fine tune the BFO until the tuner stabilizes; things should settle down after about a half hour. A "broadcast" station one might try in American Forces Network on 10320 kHz. evenings PST and 6350 kHz. around 3 a.m. PST. One last point, radios which do not have separate lower sideband (LSB) and upper sideband (USB) filters receive LSB and USB simultaneously. This is usually not a problem as most broadcasters do not use the same frequency for both LSB and USB. I have heard hams do this. It could have been an experiment to test their receivers' filters, or it could have been that two parties wanted to use the same frequency and neither party would move.

Comments

[Tom Welch]

What bands have the most SSB activity?

[¾ Blind]

Try tuning around the ham radio voice (phone) bands: During the day 40 meters (40m) 7125 to 7300 kHz., 20m (14150 to 14350 kHz.), and 10m (28300 to 29700 kHz.). Evenings and nights 80m (3600 to 4000 kHz.) is active. Saturday evenings I always check the defacto pirate frequency of 6925 kHz. USB. Most pirates operate out of the east coast and Middle America, consequently signals on the west coast tend to be weak. But when conditions are right one can receive such pirates on a portable using just the telescoping whip.

[wulf]

Thanx for the information. Its really helpfull. I have Sony 7600 GR.