Yaesu FTdx10: Reference Oscillator Fine Adjustment (Video #29 in this series)

[@WilliamParmley]

Cool! Yaesu needs to pay you a sales commission because I know this series has sold at least one radio -- to me! I have learned so much and I really appreciate these videos. I did a similar TCXO adjustment on my TS2000 a while ago, except that involved a screwdriver and removing one half of the radio's case. This is so much easier. And now... I'd like to make a small philosophical nit-pick with regard to the idea that "You're off frequency!": No, I'm not, not if I'm within the band edges and in the appropriate segment for my emission mode. Everybody seems to think you need to be exactly on frequency to the nearest one kHz for some reason, which is not al all the case. Really. just grab that big round knob and twist it until the other guy sounds right, or the frequency is clear, or whatever you need, and use RIT and/or XIT if necessary. Absolutely no need to be exactly on any particular frequency. Heck, way back in the crystal-controlled days the most likely situation was that two stations in QSO weren't on the same frequency at all. (Well, maybe it's different for nets, but even then I can still find MIDCARS if they are a few Hz off of 7.258. In which case everybody needs to zero beat net control and be done with it.) So again, thank you very much for this video series, and thanks also for listening to my rant! :-)

[@n4hnhradio]

Well, I remember the Vernier dial days. But when someone posts that they are on 14.335 and they sound off frequency, I know its not me. It is more noticeable with CW. They post a spot for 14.060, and with my 50 Hz filter I don’t hear them. I widen my filter and/or go looking, and I find them at 14.059.930; 70 Hertz low. Because I’ve verified my reference oscillator with WWV, I know that I’m not off frequency. I notice many operators will chase them from 14.060, their published frequency. I could use APF or Clarifier and do the same. But I tend to just work them wherever they are.

[@WilliamParmley]

@@n4hnhradio Thanks!

[@n4hnhradio]

And I don’t mind if you call John Kruk at Yaesu and suggest a commission. Hi! Hi! Like that would happen. They don’t even send me radios to show off. I have to beg, borrow, or buy. But I really don’t want their involvement. They could control my objectivity. That’s why I prefer Patreon member support. 73, de N4HNH

[@Highlander_UDX498]

@@n4hnhradioridiculous…,you have sold more radios than I bet most of the current sales force…lol.

[@n4hnhradio]

Only because I just so happen to have purchased Yaesu radios when they were on sale and I use them to teach operating techniques. I’m certainly not trying to boost their sales. That said, even though they aren’t perfect, Yaesu radios are generally the closest to the mark where it matters most. But I’m certainly not allied with Yaesu. Apparently I irritate them.

[@JamesHindsW5ATJ]

Great video Doug. This just gives me another reason to set my sites on the FTdx101D, +/- 0.1ppm vs +/- 0.5ppm of the DX10😂. All kidding aside, I am going to have to give this a try. Thanks, Jim

[@n4hnhradio]

Hi Jim! I find the +/-0.5ppm of the FTdx10 to be plenty stable enough.

[@rk3bu]

In Your exellent video in the best, N2 setting the 300 HZ sound wave makes the full turn (360 degrees) in about 7 seconds. It looks like the accuracy of your FTDX-10 is one of seventh of a HERZ !!! We are ready even to fly to the moon !!! :))))

[@n4hnhradio]

Yes, it is quite good for a +/- 0.5ppm TCXO. The FTdx5000MP is even better at +/- 0.05ppm, with its OCXO. But the FTdx10 is quite adequate, holding within 1 Hertz of stability. 73, de N4HNH

[@SteveG4YTK]

Many thanks for a great video. Here in the UK WWV is not always possible to hear it. I could on 10mhz this morning. Your video once again shown me how to do it easy. My FTDX10 was -2 out. Made a big difference to my old tinnitus ears to us my headphone, I really could hear the difference. Many thanks.

[@n4hnhradio]

I’m glad you were able to get it dialed in Stephen. I check mine any time the ambient temperature changes significantly in my shack, basically a Winter check and a summer check. 73, Doug

[@jaym1301]

Mine needed to be set to -4. Now I know that my radio's frequency is dead-on. Thanks!

[@n4hnhradio]

You’re welcome.

[@32leatherneck]

Was discussing this with a fellow ham just today. You really cleared it up for me on how to do this. Thank you for your videos.

[@n4hnhradio]

You’re very welcome! Thanks so much for letting me know. 73, de N4HNH

[@JohnVK5JAK]

Thanx Muchly. I watched the video you referenced for me yesterday. But this relates to my new 101D much better.

[@n4hnhradio]

Hi John! Yes, the 101D and the 10 share the same architecture, so anything I show on the FTdx10 can definitely apply to the FTdx101D or MP. 73, de N4HNH

[@Lync512]

Thanks for making this! Just adjusted my radio And a setting of +2 worked for me as well

[@n4hnhradio]

+2 isn’t very far off, but why not put it dead on, right? These newer transceivers are very close and stable, compared to the old radios. 73, de N4HNH

[@Lync512]

@@n4hnhradiowon’t be hearing me complain about extremely stable oscillators. Always a good thing.

[@dougn7bfs]

You'll also find that the oscillator will 'age', check it again a year from now to see how much (if any) it has drifted... Nothing like my old Drake 2a would drift I'm sure ;^) Remember, we used to have a 'calibration' oscillator in our older radios :) Good info Doug for those that don't know and you demonstrated how it could be done without any external test equipment. Thanks for the videos on this great little radio, I'm probably going to get one this December if Santa is good to me 73 N7BFS

[@n4hnhradio]

Yes and interestingly enough, my FTdx5000MP hasn’t budged in the 20 months that I’ve owned it. It is incredible. 73, de N4HNH

[@dougn7bfs]

@@n4hnhradio That says a lot for the build quality of the components they are using, sounds like another great radio :) 73 N7BFS

[@n4hnhradio]

The FTdx5000MP is still my favorite. 73, de N4HNH

[@theroguetomato5362]

That beat when two frequencies are off by a certain amount is what piano tuners use to tune pianos. Only in the case of a piano, you WANT the beat, in order to create a well-tempered keyboard where you can play in any key.

[@n4hnhradio]

Exactly. I have a friend who tunes pianos for a living. 73, Doug

[@glennstevenson6242]

I am learning lots form you! Thanks.

[@n4hnhradio]

You are very welcome! 73, de N4HNH

[@Homer19521]

WWV has added 25MHz, if you are lucky to hear it. I have not. The higher the frequency, the better the zerobeat resolution. Great vid as always.

[@n4hnhradio]

I almost listed 25MHz. But 25MHz is experimental, so I didn’t. But alignments are performed at 14.2MHz, so 15MHz WWV is close to that. I have definitely heard radios that seem on frequency at 3.8MHz, but at 14MHz you can start detecting a few Hertz off frequency. I sometimes wonder if Elecraft aligns the KX3 at 3MHz or maybe 7MHz. I’ve heard numerous KX3 radios that were noticeably off frequency at 14MHz and higher. Maybe the owners didn’t purchase a TCXO option. 73, de N4HNH

[@10RM555]

i hear it very often, im in north Mexico

[@Homer19521]

I heard it last nite. It was 5x9. So I tweaked my FTdx10 using Doug's technique. My 10 was very close & tweaked the Ref to +1.

[@n4hnhradio]

It usually only takes +/- 1 or 2. I check mine when the season changes, since my radios are in a basement. But with the TCXO in the 10 and the OCXO in the 5000, both radios are usually within 0.5 Hertz accuracy. No one can hear that. 73, de N4HNH

[@richylad]

Fantastic information from you again 👍🏻

[@n4hnhradio]

Thank you! 73, de N4HNH

[@6643bear]

Hi great video, I see the ftdx 10 packed with features. Regards mark G8rde

[@n4hnhradio]

Indeed it is. 73, de N4HNH

[@nsk.2206]

Very informative! Thanks Doug.

[@n4hnhradio]

Glad it was helpful! 73, Doug

[@bommel88]

Very informative video, even if I don't have a FTDX10. Thanks!

[@n4hnhradio]

Just about any radio can be checked this way. But some don’t have a menu setting for fine tuning the reference oscillator. It has to be done with an internal adjustment. 73, de N4HNH

[@tomkissinger83]

It seems like the DNR & APF with a narrow width combo works better after doing this adjustment as well. Maybe it's in my head.

[@n4hnhradio]

Having the oscillator on the money keeps us from needing to move the APF off of zero, except when the sending station is off frequency. But I tweak my receive frequency to match them, so my sidetone pitch stays the same. Of course ZIN can make that adjustment automatically. 73, de N4HNH

[@NSNorfolk]

Before calibrating, have the radio powered up for a couple or 3 hours.

[@n4hnhradio]

These have a TCXO. It doesn’t take hours. They settle quickly, usually in minutes. The FTdx5000MP has an OCXO. It settles in 2 minutes. I give the TCXO 20 minutes, though 5-10 minutes should be enough. My old ICOM IC-725 has no TCXO. I let it warm up for a couple of hours before calibration. 73, de N4HNH

[@mahargkp]

Hi...I'm in the UK and the tone on 150.000 I cannot hear..Is there a way I'm able to check easily..Many thanks for all your time giving the ham community useful info..

[@n4hnhradio]

If you cannot receive the 15MHz signal, try 20 or 25 Megahertz. It is best to use 15, because it is in the middle of the HF spectrum. Yaesu uses 14.2MHz to align their transceivers, because it is closer to the middle of the HF spectrum. You might try a different time of day and see if you can hear the 15MHz signal. Or, at night, try the 5 or 10 Megahertz signal.

[@mahargkp]

@@n4hnhradio Many thanks for your info...will try what you say... Appreciate your time sir..

[@n4hnhradio]

You’re very welcome. 73, de N4HNH

[@CamilleCullen-ow6qj]

Great video thanks!! I will use this to check my FTDX101MP. Robert K5TPC

[@n4hnhradio]

Glad it was helpful!

[@SteveG4YTK]

Another question Doug. I have checked my FTDX10 against WWV like you shown and I am happy with the calibration. Now my question most SOTA stations don't seem be be on freq ie 14.064980 not 14.06500. Have I set something up with my cw freq display wrong. Steve

[@n4hnhradio]

No, you did great. Many QRP transceivers don’t have a TCXO. But I’ve even worked Elecraft KX3’s that weren’t dead on. 73, Doug

[@n4hnhradio]

I find the CW SOTA stations are quite often slightly low in frequency or slightly high. It’s more noticeable with CW than with SSB, since they could be 50 Hertz low and throw off our sidetone by 50 Hertz. 50 Hertz is noticeable. Your ZIN button will compensate for their frequency variance. 73, Doug

[@marks2254]

That was informative!!

[@n4hnhradio]

I’m glad you like it Mark. 73, Doug

[@robertbird7297]

Thank you for this video. A question…..while watching I noticed a carrier traveling across the span of frequencies show on the radio. Would you happen to know what that carrier is? Thank you for taking your time to answer my question!

[@n4hnhradio]

You probably saw the Ionosonde pulse travel across the display, checking propagation. 73, de N4HNH

[@jaym1301]

@@n4hnhradio Oh, that's what those are? I always suspected they were some form of over the horizon radar. I used to hear them all the time when I was an SWL back in the early 1990s. Of course we didn't have waterfalls or spectrum scopes in those days so I couldn't see them coming like I can now. 73, de DW7GDL

[@KK4DF]

Is it worth checking the frequency on both USB and LSB? What if the BFO frequency is a bit off, and the frequency calibration shifts?

[@n4hnhradio]

Hi Walter! It shouldn’t matter. The BFO is either injecting the carrier on the high side or the low side. If you are experiencing QRM with CW-U, you just switch to CW-L. The BFO adjusts the carrier insertion accordingly. For what it’s worth, I checked the FTdx10 with CW-U and CW-L. There is no difference in the accuracy. 73, de N4HNH

[@kennethlapham9054]

Great tip thanks ke6iev 73

[@toddsternish]

man, i love this stuff... having some/any idea what those CW specific buttons do greatly increases my enjoyment of this radio...even if I'm not going to be using them for a while... great video, thanks! 73 de KD2TJU

[@n4hnhradio]

You’re quite welcome Todd! If you are interested in easing into CW, use the 5 memory slots to send your callsign and signal reports in CW, you can use the decoder to read out what the other station is sending. It’s a great way to learn. Bring up the decoder first, then bring up the message memory display. The best thing to start with is chasing SOTA activators. You can see their spot post on the SOTAWATCH web site, so you already know their frequency and callsign. All you need to do is send your callsign, perhaps from message memory slot 1. If they hear you and respond, the decoder should display your callsign and a signal report. Then send them RR UR 559 73 de KD2TJU BK. Store this in memory slot 2, then a 579 version in slot 3, a 599 (use 5NN) in slot 4, and EE (dit dit) in slot 5. Send EE after they send 72 or 73 EE. As long as the other station’s signal is strong enough and pure enough, 559 or higher, the decoder should be able to lock on. Note that if you narrow the filter to 50-100 Hertz, the S-meter might show a S5 as S0, but it’s clarity that you want. If they sound clear at S0, after I filter them, I give them a 559. And the decoder doesn’t care as much about S meter level as it does clarity. The S/N ratio is what helps the decoder. 73, de N4HNH

[@JxH]

1:10 "TCXO...using a stable environment of temperature..." Nope. You've just described an Oven Controlled Crystal Oscillator (OCXO) [mentioned later in the context of the other radio] that provides 'a stable environment of temperature'. A TCXO simply measures the temperature and adjusts its clock (perhaps even as bad as stealing cycles) according to a look-up table. Advantage is less power than an oven; disadvantage can be phase noise as the TCXO adjusts.

[@n4hnhradio]

As I recall, the video was about adjusting the reference oscillator. The focus wasn’t about whether the oscillator used a thermistor to compensate (TCXO) or an oven-controlled environment (OCXO). Those would be side notes if I did mention them. But again, the purpose of the video is about checking/adjusting the reference oscillator. Maybe I described OCXO and inadvertently called it TCXO. I don’t remember. It was long ago. I hope I didn’t. But, if I did, it doesn’t change the purpose of the video. It sounds like you are smart enough that you don’t even need to watch the video. But I have heard from viewers who used the video to check/adjust their reference oscillator and it worked for them.

[@RA4FOC]

Good job!

[@joelraf]

"Rock" solid

[@n4hnhradio]

Indeed it is Joel! It stays within 0 to 0.5 Hertz stability. Very impressive!

[@sylvainlatulippe8428]

Hi ..at 25mhz when the propagation is good , i can do the same way you did ??? with my FTDX-10 73

[@n4hnhradio]

25MHz should be good enough. It’s best to tune closer to the center of the HF spectrum, which is why I use 15MHz. But, if you can’t receive 15MHz, you might have to use 25MHz.

[@sylvainlatulippe8428]

@@n4hnhradio ok. Thank you 73

[@robertallbright]

Thank you Doug 73 Rob G3RCE

[@n4hnhradio]

You’re welcome Rob! 73, Doug

[@BobMulder-ow6ms]

Nice trick, but did’t you now “adjust” the rig to the accuracy of the internal BFO in this case 300Hz? How are you so sure this is exactly 300Hz? 73,Rob

[@n4hnhradio]

It is as accurate as the BFO. That’s why I call this a “poor man’s frequency counter.” The resolution of the BFO puts it into an acceptable margin of error. The frequency of the BFO is in the hundreds of Hertz range, so it is probably within 1 or 2 Hertz accuracy at 300Hz. That’s plenty close for SSB (undiscernible) and even close enough for CW. I’ve worked with service monitors as a radio technician. I trusted them, but even they could be off slightly, though within specified limits. The service monitor was calibrated against the National Institute of Standards, to within a specified accuracy. Still, it could be off an incremental amount. At least I’m checking the radio directly against the National Institute of Standards; no “middle-man”. So the only unknown is the BFO. But at 300Hz, the BFO can’t be off by much. And I mostly work CW. I can tell by the number of people I work who are zero beat that my reference oscillator is probably within 1 or 2 Hertz accuracy.

[@BobMulder-ow6ms]

Depends how this BFO signal is generated. If this from an adjustable counter from the 10MHz ref osc this must be pretty close to 300Hz.

[@BobMulder-ow6ms]

The accuracy of this rig is more then adequate! I have both the ftdx10 and the ft5k. Nice rigs. Also have tentec corsair 2, which is a FB classic CW trx! 👍73, ON1LW

[@n4hnhradio]

@BobMulder-ow6ms I don’t care how it’s derived. The end result matters. On air it is zero beat with CW signals from other high-end radios. That’s close enough for amateur radio. I had a radio calibrated at a service shop a few years ago. It was off enough that it was noticeable with SSB. I calibrated it to WWV and it now zero beats with other signals. But, if you prefer a service monitor, and you have one available, use it. Don’t trust a stand-alone frequency counter though. I’ve seen many of those that weren’t completely accurate. They were more like a toy.

[@BobMulder-ow6ms]

BTW: an extra 300Hz CW xtall roofing filter makes a differnce on vy strong signals. I noticed this in last russian cw contest. Signals were 599++. First hop and extremely strong. 300Hz makes a difference as compared to 500kHz to pick the weak singals with the ftdx10. GL, and your video posts are FB and good quality.

[@2metercrew389]

Does it have to be on 15 mhz or can it be on 10 MHz

[@n4hnhradio]

10MHz is fine, but 15MHz is my first choice. The transceiver is aligned at 14.2MHz. 15MHz is close to that.

[@2metercrew389]

Ah ok 👍🏽

[@xjohn1970]

military uses a modern crystal radios to

[@n4hnhradio]

Even the synthesized radio needs a clock. Just like a computer needs one. We just aren’t “rock-bound” like in the old days. A transceiver needed multiple crystals. My first CB radio had tubes, instead of transistors, and it required a separate TX and RX crystal for each of its 12 channels. You bought the crystals for each channel you thought you might use. There were 23 channels back then, but the radio only had 12 places for TX crystals and 12 places for RX crystals.

[@paulhastings3109]

Wow though I can say I guess someone had to be get me a FX10 going watch this again and maybe more. Can I say thick headed. Received my ZS6BKW now to get it up 45'-50' and be good to go. Need someone with a way to get it up. Text one and have not received any response. Guess I am not like any more. More on that later KQ4CD

[@n4hnhradio]

I used a slingshot and a sinker. I shot the sinker over a limb and then pulled some Dacron rope over the limb. I doubt your FTdx10 will be off frequency enough to be noticeable. Don’t make any adjustments until it has been powered up for an hour or so anyway. And I wouldn’t adjust a new one until it has been used for a while. Maybe after a few weeks. But, like I said, the radio will probably be within a few Hertz anyway. It has a TCXO. 73, de N4HNH

[@MONTY-YTNOM]

I can't hear anything on 15.000

[@n4hnhradio]

It depends upon your location and the time of day. WWV is in Fort Collins, Colorado. You could try 10 or 20 Megahertz, 20 would be preferable. They have an experimental broadcast on 25MHz that you might also try. 73, de N4HNH

[@MONTY-YTNOM]

@@n4hnhradio I'm in Wales in the UK

[@n4hnhradio]

Whenever 20m is open to the U.S. I would think you should be able to hear the 15MHz signal. 73, de N4HNH