Connect the whip to the wire antenna hanging off the back or connect to the ATU connection?
How do you connect the whip antenna? Connect it to the antenna wire hanging out the back or connect it to the ATU connector?
The built in automatic ATU only works with the wire antenna connection. Not sure how the TH2 is setup, but there is a switch on mine that changes transmission output to either the wire antenna connection or the type f coaxial connector for the external ATU.
How do you connect the whip antenna? Connect it to the antenna wire hanging out the back or connect it to the ATU connector?
The external antenna connection on the TH is meant for a tuned (50 ohm nominal) antenna, such as a 10 foot whip with a loading coil. If you only have a whip, you would attach it to the wire antenna connector, and use the internal ATU to tune it.
Always dedicated to the SSTran AMT3000 and AMT5000, I have never experienced a "Talking House" except through the many posts over the years about them.
Everything I've heard about the TH transmitters has made me doubt their quality... such things as "chronic hum" and "dull audio" and "so-so range".
On the positive side, the TH has tended to be the least costly certified transmitter for those without kit-building skills, so that is their place in part 15 history.
What puzzles me most is that no one ever posted a schematic nor the instructions for upgrading the audio.
After seeing a few YouTube videos on the subject, I wonder if real estate agents might have had better sales results with a better transmitter.
Not that I doubted him before, but my move to the SSTRAN AMT3000 definately was an improvement in range and tone quality! I want an AMT5000 now!
I have 5 of the TH II. Out of the box the audio passband is lacking on the low end but there is a very easy fix for that.
Also, they tend to be just a little off frequency. I was able to install a small air variable capacitor which I can use to zero the frequency. Doing so also eliminated an annoying "warbling" effect when my signal beat against a weak signal on the same frequency at night.
The internal tuner works best if you keep the length of a whip antenna the same as the antenna wire supplied. To long or short and the tuner has problems.
The "F" connector is for connecting the external antenna tuner/antenna assembly. When you activate the "F" connector with the selector switch, a red LED on the front pannel will light. The external "ATU" uses the same type of loading coils as the TH itself. The main difference is you turn a knob and watch a meter to tune up the antenna.
As the TH ages the internal tuner becomes problematic as the mechanism sticks and won't tune. You'll hear a "click, click, click" as the gears slip. Sometimes a very small amount of white grease will cure the sticking. I only use the external ATU so it's not a problem for me.
The TH is a great starter transmitter and a little bit of EQ can go a long way with these transmitters. The audio quality is seriously lacking for music but big band and some lower quality vintage tunes should sound just fine, they are really great transmitters for talk programming. There are modifications you can make to improve audio responce by switching out a few parts. Once upon a time there was a guide either here or at HB that showed what changes Radio Systems made when they upgraded the old TH 5.0s.
Got the Talking house II today (22.95 shipped)
First, I will say, It works.
Second it sounds like crap but to be fair I only tested with a recorded message on the transmitter built in microphone. I need to order a cable to connect another audio source to it.
Third thing was range, not good. Once again to be fair, I used the wire antenna strung up the siding of the condo. The signal got static pretty quick but it was mostly listenable oout to about 300 feet on a car stereo. I remember reading about a thing called a ground plane, I have no idea what that is but I placed the transmitter on an cookie sheet not much bigger than the transmitter itself. This seemed to help range some getting me out to about 600 ft listenable and almost a thousand feet with a good bit of static.
Question to get mono audio should I just use an adapter I have that takes stereo rca plugs down to one rca plug? Should I get my stereo to mono some other way first?
Any other comments, suggestions, praise, or critisism is welcome and encouraged
Since we've been talking about "Talking House" I've been reading For Sale signs as I roll around and have yet to see a "Talking House" mentioned.
There probably aren't too many part 15 transmitter salesmen making calls these days.
Some self-starting individual with a lot of energy might do very well promoting part 15 transmitter applications. Everybody talks about schools, churches and real estate, but there could be many more points of sale...
Political campaigns good put message transmitters all over the place, including the homes of constituants. Protesters could go on the air to announce their cause to a wider area. We could drink beer and come up with more ideas as long as the beer held out.
I like the Beer idea
Fortunatly the TH sums to mono internally IIRC.
That coverage is about right for an indoor installation like that. You might try moving it to different locations in the house or switching power outlets. At my old house there was one outlet that gave me far superior coverage compared to another, I assume it had something to do with the ground.
You might also try running the wire antenna out a window.
My test was out doors on the porch. The transmitter sat on the concrete pad with the wire antenna extended up the vinyl siding.
You day the th ii sums the mono internally, what does that mean?
I've had good results with a Talkinghouse sitting on a concrete pad! The bigger issue is getting the antenna away from any other objects, especially that wall. The short antennas like on the Talking House work best in open areas, the ideal would be the concrete pad in the middle of the yard with nothing around it for a hundred feet, or mounted on a rooftop above other buildings and trees.
You might not be able to do that, but use the idea, get it into the open as much as possible, I'm almost sure the range will go up a lot!