3880 Carrier

[K5UJ]

When I call it a night and go QRT one of the items in my shutdown list is grounding or disconnecting all the feedlines.  I don't know why but I guess it is just a precaution I made a habit of many years ago.  I might be overly protective of my gear I guess, but some of it is stuff I'd have a hard time replacing if at all.  I guess the carrier might have to be DFed.  Maybe the op fell asleep.  Hope nothing worse happened.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

I am sorry Mike. You are wrong this time bud.  It was an epidemic with the Flex radio.  There was a situation where if you powered down the rig, it would key up the last mode it was on. If it was SSB, Nobody noticed as there was no audio and little no power output. But on AM, It would carrier all night long.  I am sure there where cirumstances that had to be met on setup and hardware for this to happen, Software or hardware updates fixed it I believe. I remember talk of some relay issue.

Its been years since this was happening so maybe the person here has an older 5000 and he or she does not even know the radio is on and throwing a carrier.  We all sat there talking over the top of carriers from the guys that owned those radios after they went to bed.

C

There was no epidemic. That's just plain silly. As Bruce pointed out, back in the early days of the SDR-1000, there were some report cases of a failed relay that could cause the transmitter to stay in a locked position (with possibly some miniscule power) if the computer or PowerSDR were shut down. The Flex 1500, 3000, and 5000 circuitry are totality different and if PowerSDR or the computer is shut down or locked up, the rigs will not transmit. In looking at the schematics for the Flex 5000, I can see no way for that rig to transmit without PowerSDR and the computer running.

[WA3VJB]

Saaaaaaay...

If it's gonna do weird stuff like this, aaaaaah dunnno,

I wouldn't be very smug and I don't think I ought to buy one after alllll..

[kb3ouk]

When I call it a night and go QRT one of the items in my shutdown list is grounding or disconnecting all the feedlines.  I don't know why but I guess it is just a precaution I made a habit of many years ago.  I might be overly protective of my gear I guess, but some of it is stuff I'd have a hard time replacing if at all.  I guess the carrier might have to be DFed.  Maybe the op fell asleep.  Hope nothing worse happened.

That's ok if you're worried about lightning strikes. But doing that really doesn't make much sense in this case, unless you enjoy replacing the finals in your rigs. Wouldn't it be easier just to make sure everything was powered off?

[KF1Z]

Wouldn't it be easier just to make sure everything was powered off?

 

[W7TFO]

This carrier could be nothing more than a ham burning in a new rig, and thinking it was on dummy when it actually is going to antenna.

73DG

[Edward Cain]

Who's the dummy?

[W1AEX]

...The Flex 1500, 3000, and 5000 circuitry are totality different and if PowerSDR or the computer is shut down or locked up, the rigs will not transmit. In looking at the schematics for the Flex 5000, I can see no way for that rig to transmit without PowerSDR and the computer running.

That's correct Pete. Unlike the SDR-1000, the 1500/3000/5000 all do their A to D and D to A internally. PowerSDR is the "exciter" and generates the low-level signal. Without the software running, all three current models are simply dumb boxes that can do nothing. All the smugness comes from PowerSDR...

:O)

Rob W1AEX

[flintstone mop]

This carrier could be nothing more than a ham burning in a new rig, and thinking it was on dummy when it actually is going to antenna.

73DG

you are spot on!!
Like the audio people who like to burn-in a tube amplifier to get all of the components to spec.
Somebody has a new TX they want to make sure it is ready for the rough service days ahead.
Commercial Cellular companies may request burn-in on new amps they use for reliability issues.

[KF1Z]

Most likely is that someone wanted to see how much attention they could get.

 

[kb3ouk]

I think listening to a carrier with no audio would be more interesting than the conversation about toilets that I'm listening to on 40 meter ssb right now.   

[Pete, WA2CWA]

I think listening to a carrier with no audio would be more interesting than the conversation about toilets that I'm listening to on 40 meter ssb right now.   

Toilet design can be a fascinating topic of conversation akin to hole migration on a semiconductor substrate or radiation efficiency of a water stray hose antenna or why some toe nails curve in a particular direction.