using ic 756pro as receiver for AM station

[n2jfa]

hello, im presently running a heath sb303 and dx-60.  planning to add a ranger soon.  thinking about using my 756pro as a receiver on AM. question is how to mute the pro.  no muting functions available on the receiver and nothing in the manual.  i'm very concerned about receiver overload.  presently using dow key with aux contacts muting the 303. 
anyone have any ideas how to mute the 756?   

thank you--for any input-----john...n2jfa

[N2DTS]

The easy way is to use the PTT line and put it in transmit, with the power turned down all the way.

You can also leave it in receive and use another set of relay contacts to kill the audio to prevent feedback and I would also ground the antenna input.

All my receivers stay on while I transmit but I short the audio feed to ground (line level) and the antenna to ground with its own relay.
The main TR relay opens up the feed to the receiver and grounds it, but another relay grounds it at the receiver.
Just a dow key is not enough to protect a modern radio.

For nice AM, take the line out of the Icom and run it into a HIFI audio amp with a good speaker.
That will be a bit better then the audio out of the box, but there is only so much you can do with a ricebox.
Lots of built in hash and distortion, and a very limited freq response.

[n2jfa]

N2DTS, thank you for your reply.  i was caught up in using the scope on the 756.  i don't think i will be trying to use it, it just seems to iffy.  i think the wise thing to do would be to continue to  use one of my hallicrafters,  hammarlunds or the heath.  thanks again----take care.

John n2jfa........

[N2DTS]

I used one for years, and a pro 1 and a pro 3.
Nice to be able to monitor your signal as well as others on the band scope.

I used to use the rice boxes as exciters for the big rigs, the receivers were not worth listening to, but I need a band scope.
I use sdr band scopes now, but I never damaged anything, you just have to ground the antenna input.

[WA4JK]

What I have done to try this, I put the ft-950 in transmit with a pair of contact off the T/R switch. The antenna  is connected to the Receive side of the T/R switch. Power down to 0 watts out.
I see high SWR on the meeter on the FT-950 even though I see no power out in transmit.
This is the first time I have tried this so I'm not sure if this could be a problem or not. If I ground the antenna, I don't see how it could receive off the same antenna I transmit with.
Would one need a separate receive antenna?
Any ideas of whether the high swr with no power out is an issue.
I like the ft-950 as a receiver because I have a ir-2000 feeding a LP-Pan and an e-emu 0204 making the ft-950 a SDR receiver.