Clark, u are correct. The 374A has 160m...the 374 does not have 160m.? And on all of em, 160+10m is strictly manual tune.?
Glen, AE0Q ( who used to work for alpha....(and still answers their tech email) tells me the... 'bandpass tuning' was dumped since it did not meet the new FCC? -44 db harmonic specs. ( even though the 87A / 374 et all manuals all say they have-50 db down for harmonics).? They also don't use a progressively shorting bandswitch either.? They all used a 10 position, single pole? switch, with positions 1 + 10 used for 160+10m.? ? Positions 2-9 ( remaining 8 x positions) are used for 'manual / bandpass? for 80-40-20-15m.? ( 2 positions per band, manual + bandpass).? ? ?That's when the 87A? etc, came out, with their motorized bandswitch, and motorized tune + load caps...and microprocessor.? Later..'alpha max' software was installed on the 87A...., which fine tweaked the caps for optimized output .? IE: say ur on 3502 khz....and ur swr is 2:1.? ??
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All those pre-sets on the 87A / 9500 are into a DL.... not an ant, that may or may not look like 50 ohms and no reactance.?
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For the OP,? USE the low B+ setting...(1400 vdc).... AND also use the 'bandpass' tuning option.? And no more than 500-600 watts out on FT-8 / data modes.? ?By using the 'bandpass'? setting (80-15m), the tank Q is WAY down, which will result in way LESS RF? current through the coils, toroid's and bandswitch...and both? C1 + C2 caps + loading padder caps.? To really optimize it on bandpass mode, he may well have to get in there, and tweak the C1+C2 caps for the FT-8 freqs on 80-40-20-15m .?
