HW-7 - QRP Forum at eHam.net

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eHam.net Forum : QRP : HW-7

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HW-7	Reply
by KE7WAV on May 11, 2009	Mail this to a friend!
Okay---I inherited an old HW-7 after a little work I managed to get it up on the air. This question is specifically aimed at CW ops who have experience with this radio. My first two attempts at QSO's I fell flat on my face and lost the contacts by answering on the wrong sideband. (dumb mistake easy to fix) Then it seemed now one could hear me reply to their CQ's. Well I am only putting out 3 Watts so maybe...? Then after doing a little more research I learned that the rig only has an offset of about 30hz instead of the usual 600-800hz used in most rigs! (the HW-8 has an 750hz offset) So I tuned way down low on a station calling CQ and got him at about 300hz and finally I got an answer! (got a 569 bk with 3W fed into a 40M dipole up 11 feet at about 1200 miles!) For those of you who have used these rigs what do you normally do to get and maintain a decent workable QSO with an HW-7? (They fixed the problem in the other heathkit rigs.) How can you put a better offset into the rig? Thanks sorry for the long explanation

RE: HW-7	Reply
by W3JJH on May 12, 2009	Mail this to a friend!
QST had info on adding RIT to the HW-7 in the June, 1973, and July, 1975, issues.

RE: HW-7	Reply
by KE7WAV on May 21, 2009	Mail this to a friend!
How do you guys who own and operate these radios without RIT normally tune to be able to maintain a QSO with the lack of a regular offset? TNX fer the help!

RE: HW-7	Reply
by W8ZNX on May 22, 2009	Mail this to a friend!
hello first the HW-7 is a dog second the HW-7 is a pile there is lots of info on making it better just look around a bit there was a small book published on HW-7 mods running cw there is no wrong side band if your transmitted signal is on the same freq as the station your calling side band your listening to does not matter you should see some of the junk i run on cw nearly anything goes just so long as you can put out a signal ive owned more than one HW-7 and HW-8 a few Power Mites, NorCals, Oak Hills, Small Wonder Labs, Argonauts, the HW-7 was the worst stock its the pits with some mods its useable, but still not much of a radio lets look at it this way the HW-7 was a first generation new age qrp rig we are now on to 4th generation new age qrp rigs yours truly mac dit dit

RE: HW-7	Reply
by WX7G on May 26, 2009	Mail this to a friend!
Tune down the band and work the other station on the upper frequency. He will appear on two frequencies.

UPDATE	Reply
by KE7WAV on September 30, 2009	Mail this to a friend!
Well I've been using this rig and with such a small offset on 40 Meters, 30-70hz on a "stock" HW-7. At first I thought my radio was malfunctioning, but I have confirmed this with several other HW-7 owners. I've learned that the best way to work this is to tune to the zero beat of the station calling CQ and answer right there in the zero beat. Sure enough they come right back but in order to hear them I have to tune up or down to RX. Then, when I'm ready to TX I just have to go back to the zero beat freq. again. (Mark your freqs. carefully in your log.) No more walking up the band; no more missed QSO's; no modifcations expenses on my extremely small hobby budget. Sometimes I can tune real low and it works fine especially if the other op has and uses an RIT. On 20 Meters the offset is about 200hz so you can stay put and listen to a deep air horn type signal and not have to jump back and forth. I've never tried 15M so I can't tell you. I hope this helps others who buy these rigs.

RE: HW-7	Reply
by WB8YYY on October 9, 2009	Mail this to a friend!
I am surprised to learn of the tiny offset. I have an HW-8 and it has a customary offset! Normally QRP rigs (even modern superhets) have an adjustment on the receive BFO to make it different than when it is used on transmit (by around 700 Hz). Certainly info is out there on how to do the modification -- and likely its a trimmer cap and an inductor! I can predict you won't want to use the HW-7 every day! But if you with to make this historic item 'useful' reasearch how to modify it. Email me (see QRZ) if you need additional support on where to look.

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