Radio + appTuning1 min read
Calibration: zero-beating SSB
Why single-sideband voices sometimes sound too high or low on the ATS Mini, and how the per-band calibration offset fixes it against a known reference.
If single-sideband voices on a band sound slightly too high or too low, chipmunk-ish or unnaturally deep, the radio’s frequency reference is a touch off on that band. The calibration offset corrects it.
What calibration does
It is a small per-band frequency correction (up to about ±2000 Hz) that nudges the radio so the frequency it shows matches reality. Because it is stored per band, you can fix one band without disturbing another, and on recent firmware LSB and USB keep separate values.
How to set it
- Tune, in SSB, to a signal whose frequency you know exactly. A time station like WWV or CHU is ideal, or any carrier on a known frequency.
- Listen to the pitch. A correctly calibrated SSB signal sounds natural; a steady carrier zero-beats down to a low rumble that fades toward silence.
- Nudge calibration up or down until the pitch sounds right (or the carrier zero-beats). The current value shows in the status panel.
That is it. The band is now accurate. You normally only need to do this once per band, and only if you use SSB.
In the app
Calibration has up and down buttons, and the value (labelled calibration in the status panel) moves as you adjust it.
Recommended gear
- KZ Castor in-ear earphonesAccessoryZero-beating is done by ear — a set that resolves low pitches makes the beat note much easier to follow.