Tips for Tuning SSB on SW Radios

(Re-post)

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.

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

Comments

[Radio Russ]

I found this very helpful and interesting. So much so that I have my Sangean ATS-909 out and warming up.

I'd like to see a list of SW stations that Herculodge readers find interesting along with frequencies, best time of day to hear them, why they're interesting, things like that.

[ix]

this will make the frequency readout accurate, but not the best tuning for SSB

you want to center the SSB signal in the passband, which amounts to tuning 1 or 2 khz below in LSB, and above in USB. then spinning the BFO knob til its zerobeat

[Shawn Patrick]

ix, that works on the Grundig G6 but only for USB. I either have a defective unit or the G6 does not do LSB right.

However, on the Grundig G5, this technique does not work, I can't zero beat any WWV signals tuning 2khz up or down. I can zero beat it easy when it's set right on freq. at when it's right on freq.

I bet your technique would work on a analog radio with a digital reader. Cheers.

[ix]

the g5's bfo range is just over +-1 khz, not 2

its pointless to zerobeat on WWV anyways since when you get back to util/ham band a readjustment will be needed anyways - the bFO pull seems dependent on frequency/inductance variances