I'm still fairly new to this radio stuff and I'm still working on soaking in the tremendous amount of information out there. I read something out there that just makes a lot of sense I'd like to share around.
The guys/gals making there own radios via kits don't really have to worry about this, but anyone else with a modern store bought radio may.
Your individual radio has alignment data stored in it's memory somewhere- usually in a hidden menu system. These values are susceptible to memory loss during your experimentation with radio and the only way to retrieve them after the fact is to perform a factory alignment procedure (likely send it back to the mfr.).
I am going to take the advise I found on the internet and access my radio's menu just to copy all the values down so I can replace them if the need arises.
I think this nugget is worth sharing!
Yup. Good advice. The good news is, modern radios are both so good and so complicated that most people don't have a reason (or the skills) to open the box and tinker inside.
Still, anything can happen. I had a 2M mobile plugged into the car's cigarette lighter. The plug came out while I was transmitting and it wiped out all the repeater info I had stored. It operated OK, but I had to reprogram all the repeaters. It's an old radio so maybe alignment stuff isn't stored in software.
Mitch, Even with older analog rigs it was not uncommon for hams to mark the face of the rig to note different controls "sweet spots". Some operators I know even record that info in a notepad.
Most of the newer digital rigs have a factory reset command, is case someone adjusts a control, out of range.
With digital rigs, unless you know what you are doing and have an ESDS workstation, you should never open a rig. PERIOD!!!
On some rigs just a simple mic miss wire can cripple a rig and cause costly repairs.
Take Care, 73'S KA5SIW
I'm going to get 'picky' with this. I do agree that the settings of various menu items are important and it certainly wouldn't hurt to keep a record of them. But those 'settings' are not an 'alignment' of the radio by any means. That 'alignment' deals with the relationship of various stages in that radio and their proper adjustment. They require additional measuring equipment not included in any radio I'm aware of, most people don't have that sort of equipment or know how to use it properly. It's an entirely different thing from making adjustment settings from a menu.
I honestly don't know what word to substitute for that 'alignment' name, maybe just 'menu options'?
- Paul
Paul, Good point, you fine tuned what I wanted to say. E-bay has many rigs that were "tuned-up" by people that had no business inside a radio.