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Vintage Amateur and Military Radio Amateur/military receivers and transmitters, morse, and any other related vintage comms equipment.

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Old 10th Oct 2012, 4:51 pm   #1
Gi4CZW Cliff
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Default "power-up a transmitter" terminology

Long time ago, when the Morse key ruled, a transmitter was on, when the key was pressed down. In the broadcast world I think it used to be "bring the transmitter up". Now I hear talk of keying-up the transmitter. Did this come from the use of a different type of key or some other more interesting reason ? Cliff.
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Old 12th Oct 2012, 4:39 pm   #2
Keith
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Default Re: "power-up a transmitter" terminology

Hi cliff,

Makes no sense to me either....probably American!
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Old 12th Oct 2012, 4:50 pm   #3
Sean Williams
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Default Re: "power-up a transmitter" terminology

Almost certainly American - a lot of Military handbooks refer to a "Keying Line", or a Key socket.....
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Old 12th Oct 2012, 5:22 pm   #4
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Default Re: "power-up a transmitter" terminology

Don't UK professional broadcast engineers call them 'senders'?
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Old 12th Oct 2012, 5:33 pm   #5
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Default Re: "power-up a transmitter" terminology

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Originally Posted by Gi4CZW Cliff View Post
Now I hear talk of keying-up the transmitter.Cliff.
CB jargen - best avoided !

One is either transmitting, or not.

Ultra right-wing view from Pete
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Old 12th Oct 2012, 6:04 pm   #6
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Default Re: "power-up a transmitter" terminology

Older amateurs refer to 'key down' to indicate transmission, which makes sense. Holding down the morse key makes the TX 'go'.
'Keying up' comes from the CB brigade.
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Old 13th Oct 2012, 11:13 am   #7
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Default Re: "power-up a transmitter" terminology

I first came across 'key' or 'Tx key' as a reference to the pin, relay or line which causes the transmitter to transmit when I started as a comms engineer in the mid-70s. Prior to that I thought it referred to the active Morse key input, although I guess that causes the Tx to transmit too... It is more widely used on fixed eqpt rather than mobiles and portables, which tend to use PTT or Tx.
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Old 13th Oct 2012, 7:31 pm   #8
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Default Re: "power-up a transmitter" terminology

Those of us who deal with UHF/Microwave datalink transmitters are known to talk about 'defrost' for low-power test transmissions (usually into a dummy-load) and 'cook' for full-power operations.

A test dummy-load is sometimes nicknamed a 'chicken' - as in something-you're-going-to-roast.

I'm also familiar with some Brazilians who were described as "sweating the klystrons" when they had antenna problems and so wound their uplink-power on a satellite circuit to rather more than the equipment was officially rated for.
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Old 13th Oct 2012, 11:11 pm   #9
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Default Re: "power-up a transmitter" terminology

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Originally Posted by paulsherwin View Post
Don't UK professional broadcast engineers call them 'senders'?
Russell can probably give a definitive answer (and maybe the reason), but as I understand it "Senders" applies to HF sets, whilst MF and LF ones are referred to as "Transmitters".
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Old 14th Oct 2012, 11:25 pm   #10
Gi4CZW Cliff
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Default Re: "power-up a transmitter" terminology

Thank you all for the replys, I find Sparkie67's pin/relay/line of interest as it appears there are more items than a Morse key to operate the transmitter. Another recent thread elsewhere on this forum, used the term " fire-up " the transmitter. Sounds like rocket-speak from the space race. So I just need to broarden my awareness of current technology. And for G6Tanuki and sweating the klystrons, I remember the aftermath of an exploded Klystron, all I could do was stand and stare. Cliff.
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Old 15th Oct 2012, 4:29 pm   #11
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Default Re: "power-up a transmitter" terminology

"Fire up" probably goes back to when TX's used valves and it took a while to get the Tx ready for full power. Like old valve TV's you needed to "warm them up" before getting a picture !! - oops another term has crept in now
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Old 15th Oct 2012, 5:24 pm   #12
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Default Re: "power-up a transmitter" terminology

I suspect "fire up" derives from the practice of lighting the fire to raise steam in a steam engine.
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Old 15th Oct 2012, 11:59 pm   #13
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Default Re: "power-up a transmitter" terminology

As you would with "Steam Radio".

With a transmitter of course you would tune for maximum smoke.

I wonder if "Power up" has anything to do with transatlantic upside down switches?
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