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.
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