Yeah, but when it's done, the fruit fly is really, really, really, really dead.................................   

No point in it. You're the one with the radio that might benefit from an alignment check, and if I needed to I could probably find the instructions for a very similar model on the web. The RatShack CB's were Uniden and not every model had a unique design.

BTW:  I really do have an HP 334A on the bench and although it's quite the piece of test gear, the basic concept is simple.

Imagine a wideband audio amplifier with a really good notch filter in the front end and a precise AC voltmeter on the back end. Feed it a steady tone test signal, notch out the tone, and what's left? Anything that wasn't part of the fundamental audio signal and most likely the products of distortion. To use an RF analogy, if you wanted to check for spurs and harmonics a wideband amplifier with the fundamental carrier notched out would see only the harmonics. Same deal with a distortion analyzer.

The HP has a diode detector good to 65 MC's so it can measure distortion on an AM signal. Like when SportsTalk 1480 runs a periodic proof on their transmitter. I rarely use mine for distortion measurements but the Decibel & AC voltmeter does come in handy.

The HP is no Extech... Which is why I like it.

I suppose the CB alignment instructions calling for a distortion analyzer really meant to say 'adjust for best audio'. Considering it's a CB I wouldn't expect Hi-Fi anyway and IMHO that makes the distortion analyzer concept technical overkill. It's also possible that was one way to idiot proof the factory alignment procedure for a noisy place where hearing 'center slot' isn't that easy to do........... 

Yeah, but you didn't confirm it, so now we're able to move forward...

T7 is the detector coil and should be peaked at 455 KC's - if - CF1 (upstream from Q6) is still on frequency. Ceramic filters can drift and that's why I tend to align to wherever the filter wants to be. You could tune channel 19 then peak T6 and T7 for maximum S-Meter, or AC volts across the speaker coil. It's a dual conversion receiver with a crystal and ceramic filter so most of the selectivity is upstream from the second IF.

You should also note that XF, the crystal filter that was originally on 10.7 MC's, may have drifted with age so a little compensation on T4 wouldn't hurt. If you want to try a Q&D alignment, here's the way I'd go:

Peak T1 for maximum signal on Channel 19. Peak T2 for maximum signal on Ch 10 and T3 for maximum signal on Ch 30. The goal is to give the 1st mixer & IF a fairly flat bandpass from Ch 1 through Ch 40. Peak T4, T5, T6 and T7 for best audio with maximum signal on Ch 19. That should get the receiver back in shape. It's also a good idea to rough check the sensitivity on Ch 1 and 40 by switching between the two with the audio turned up and no antenna. If the hiss level is about the same that's good. If not, try re-tuning T2 and T3 with T2 on Ch 30 and T3 on Ch 10. Those two 'cans' are in cascade so a little stagger tuning is probably a good idea.

As for the TX alignment... By the book.

Instead of clicking reply, click 'quote', then erase any irrelevant portions of the original message. Add your comments below the quote.

You can also highlight, copy & paste from a previous message within a thread, then make it a quote by clicking the yellow quote icon above the row of emoticons. Second from the right, looks like a cartoon balloon. Be sure to mention who you're quoting when you do this as the forum won't auto-ident the quote. In long threads remember that a quote from six messages up can be confusing for a reader to follow, so make it obvious who the quote came from...

How does an LM-723 voltage regulator chip work?

If a relatively simple chip can correct for over / under voltage by comparing the Vout to a reference and generate a +/- error signal, why couldn't you do the same with forward / reflected power?  Sure, there's more involved than tweaking the base voltage of a pass transistor, but the basic concept of better / worse then knowing when to stop is essentially the same.

Throw in a simple CPU with a little RAM and the ability to recall previous trial & error adjustments and you have an ATU with smarts.

The alignment instructions you quoted recommend 27.195 as the alignment frequency........ If you have stable signals on Channel 19 you know are on frequency, yeah, you could do that, but the chances of hearing stable and accurate signals on 19 isn't that great.

I mean.........  AREN'T YOU THE GUY WHO PLAYED SIGNAL GENERATOR ROULETTE LAST YEAR ?  You'd think a guy with a rebuilt Iggy-42 could manage to..............

BTW:  Since there is a schematic, what's the problem with sharing the part designator of the 'can' you're talking about?

You do recall that an IF strip is nothing more than a TRF receiver tuned to only one frequency, and alignment is the way you adjust all gain stages to perform best at that frequency. In the case of a radio with a ceramic filter that was on 455 KC's but has drifted to 456 KC the new alignment point is 456 KC. It does you no good to have a 'can' adjusted off center relative to a ceramic filter as the audio will (probably) sound Winchester Cathedral. Since you can't QSY the ceramic filter, QSY the 'can' adjustment to match.

God forbid you should tell us it's T7 on this schematic..........  http://www.cbtricks.com/radios/realistic/trc_422a/index.htm

Even though my guess was wrong, I'm not changing it because it was so well written.

Betcha' the 'can' is the detector coil on the last stage of the 455 KC IF. That's a no-brainer usually tweaked by an AC meter across the speaker. Adjust for peak voltage. I usually adjust them by ear and a 'scope. What I'm listening for is center slot on the channel, same as you would when tuning a regular radio. Too high / too low the audio goes tinny, find the center. If the 'scope shows a peak on the waveform that sounds about right that's what I want.

BTW:  I was cleaning out the garage last year and had a stack of HP 334A distortion analyzers until......................

As is your habit, you have failed to mention what is being aligned and specifically how a distortion meter would be used...

This means I'm forced to guess you're working on a consumer grade stereo receiver with two slug tuned transformers in the detector. One is adjusted for zero volts DC at a test point, the other for minimal distortion at the Tape Out phono jack.

If I didn't have a distortion analyzer I'd likely consider three things and two of them use a 'scope on the Tape Out jack:

*  Fuhgedaboudit. Don't touch the slug that needs a distortion analyzer, even if you have a golden screwdriver.

*  Mark the slug position with a Sharpie. Pump a 400 cycle tone through an FM signal generator @ 10.7 MC's through the IF strip, then watch the audio output on the 'scope as you run through the adjustment range. With a little luck you'll see distortion at both ends of the range. Split the difference.

*  Mark the slug position with a Sharpie. Disconnect the antenna, turn off the muting, then tune to the bottom or top of the band where you hear nothing but noise. While watching the noise on the 'scope, rock the distortion slug to see if there's a null or a peak. If you can see one or the other that's probably where you want it.

Note that any adjustment more than a quarter turn from original is probably wrong, anything over half a turn is most likely bo-gus. That's why you marked the slug before you tweaked it..............

On a related note........... Everyone needs to read this:  http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/01/11/169156325/computer-users-should-disable-java-7-due-to-security-flaw-experts-say

Years ago I scored a 'Victor' commercial SVHS tape duplicator built for the domestic market... That's JVC to us and the amusing part was a front panel in English with a back panel ratings tag in Japanese. Not saying that I'm fluent, but the 100 something @ 50-60 something told me it was wired for JA domestic power.

Opened it up to find the transformer primary was soldered to a PC board with a pair of empty jumper holes plainly labeled '120'.

Absolute no-brainer, the primary had three wires for 0 - 100 - 120 volts.

The short path is that you don't build your own............. You study the tube data charts to find similar tubes then adapt the tester setup to match.

Example: http://www.nj7p.org/Common/Tube/SQL/Tube_query.php?Type=6AQ5

The 6AQ5 is a seven pin Noval base miniature tube and the electrical equivalent of the 6V6, an eight pin Octal based tube. If you can transpose the switch settings from the Octal to the Noval socket, a 6AQ5 should test the same as a 6V6.

Didja' know that a 6C4 is half of a 12AU7?

Even if you did build your own tester for 'modern' tubes you'd still need to determine the test voltages and pinouts. Same as you would on an old tester.

BTW:  Tubes developed in the 70's were relatively few and tended to be Compactrons, which makes them somewhat rare today, so there's not much point in developing a tester unless you're really in to refurbing 19" portable TV's...

Everything works.

When you remember the difference between 10 and 100 watts is 10 dB, then recall that band conditions from one day to the next can vary by 20 dB or more, you realize power and antenna efficiency are only part of the consideration.

Then there's the concept of receive capability..........  If it was my choice I'd likely go with the full sized antenna if only for the ears.