Chaucer was a ham?
Barry - N4BUQ
From: "Frank Barnes via groups.io" <fbw4npn@...>
To: "DRAKE-RADIO" <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, January 18, 2025 9:49:02 AM
Subject: Re: [DRAKE-RADIO] TR4 Poem
Chaucer is turning over in his grave.? Nice!
Aimless amusements....
I asked Chatgpt to write a poem about fixing a TR4.? In the style of
Geoffrey Chaucer, please:
----------- snip ------------
A Tale of Drake TR4, Wrought with Care
Whan once upon a winter¡¯s night so cold,
A ham with solder¡¯s skill in hand so bold,
Did sit before his TR4, so old,
A transceiver, once so pure, now grown dull,
Its circuits twisted, tangled like a thread,
Its signals weak, its lights were dimly spread.
¡°Alas!¡± quoth he, ¡°this rig, so much I prize,
Now dead as stone beneath these weary skies.
What fate hath wrought this cruel, forsaken plight?
O broken Drake, restore to life thy light!¡±
So, to the workbench he did swift repair,
With gentle touch and steady hands, aware
That circuits fine did oft require great care.
First came the screws, which slow did he unscrew,
And open wide the casing, to review
The insides dark, where many parts did lay,
A tangled mess, a sight most foul and gray.
A glance upon the capacitors old,
The solder joints, now cracked and turning cold,
The weak and weary resistors did he find,
Each test and check did humble heart and mind.
But lo! A faulty diode made its mark,
A silent culprit, hiding in the dark.
With steady hands, he swapped and soldered tight,
Till all was fixed, and signals came to light.
The hum, the crackle, oh! It pleased him so,
As voices came through clearer, steady flow.
The meter danced, the frequency was clear,
A TR4, revived, was now sincere.
¡°O blessed rig!¡± he cried with joy and pride,
¡°The power of the air, no longer tied!
Thy call shall travel far, through hills and dales,
And through the ether¡¯s vast, mysterious veils.
No more shall I be vexed with faulty ways¡ª
Thou art reborn, in ham¡¯s most gleaming praise!¡±
So thus, the ham did leave the shop behind,
His TR4 now humbly redefined.
And in the night, 'neath stars that gleamed so bright,
His voice did echo far, a wondrous sight.
----------- endsnip ---------
? ? ? ? ? ? - Jerry, KF6VB
--
Frank Barnes
W4NPN
Chapel Hill, NC
Grid Square FM05
Cell 919.260.7955
|
Chaucer is turning over in his grave.? Nice!
Aimless amusements....
I asked Chatgpt to write a poem about fixing a TR4.? In the style of
Geoffrey Chaucer, please:
----------- snip ------------
A Tale of Drake TR4, Wrought with Care
Whan once upon a winter¡¯s night so cold,
A ham with solder¡¯s skill in hand so bold,
Did sit before his TR4, so old,
A transceiver, once so pure, now grown dull,
Its circuits twisted, tangled like a thread,
Its signals weak, its lights were dimly spread.
¡°Alas!¡± quoth he, ¡°this rig, so much I prize,
Now dead as stone beneath these weary skies.
What fate hath wrought this cruel, forsaken plight?
O broken Drake, restore to life thy light!¡±
So, to the workbench he did swift repair,
With gentle touch and steady hands, aware
That circuits fine did oft require great care.
First came the screws, which slow did he unscrew,
And open wide the casing, to review
The insides dark, where many parts did lay,
A tangled mess, a sight most foul and gray.
A glance upon the capacitors old,
The solder joints, now cracked and turning cold,
The weak and weary resistors did he find,
Each test and check did humble heart and mind.
But lo! A faulty diode made its mark,
A silent culprit, hiding in the dark.
With steady hands, he swapped and soldered tight,
Till all was fixed, and signals came to light.
The hum, the crackle, oh! It pleased him so,
As voices came through clearer, steady flow.
The meter danced, the frequency was clear,
A TR4, revived, was now sincere.
¡°O blessed rig!¡± he cried with joy and pride,
¡°The power of the air, no longer tied!
Thy call shall travel far, through hills and dales,
And through the ether¡¯s vast, mysterious veils.
No more shall I be vexed with faulty ways¡ª
Thou art reborn, in ham¡¯s most gleaming praise!¡±
So thus, the ham did leave the shop behind,
His TR4 now humbly redefined.
And in the night, 'neath stars that gleamed so bright,
His voice did echo far, a wondrous sight.
----------- endsnip ---------
? ? ? ? ? ? - Jerry, KF6VB
-- Frank Barnes
W4NPN
Chapel Hill, NC
Grid Square FM05
Cell 919.260.7955
|
Aimless amusements....
I asked Chatgpt to write a poem about fixing a TR4. In the style of Geoffrey Chaucer, please:
----------- snip ------------
A Tale of Drake TR4, Wrought with Care
Whan once upon a winter¡¯s night so cold,
A ham with solder¡¯s skill in hand so bold,
Did sit before his TR4, so old,
A transceiver, once so pure, now grown dull,
Its circuits twisted, tangled like a thread,
Its signals weak, its lights were dimly spread.
¡°Alas!¡± quoth he, ¡°this rig, so much I prize,
Now dead as stone beneath these weary skies.
What fate hath wrought this cruel, forsaken plight?
O broken Drake, restore to life thy light!¡±
So, to the workbench he did swift repair,
With gentle touch and steady hands, aware
That circuits fine did oft require great care.
First came the screws, which slow did he unscrew,
And open wide the casing, to review
The insides dark, where many parts did lay,
A tangled mess, a sight most foul and gray.
A glance upon the capacitors old,
The solder joints, now cracked and turning cold,
The weak and weary resistors did he find,
Each test and check did humble heart and mind.
But lo! A faulty diode made its mark,
A silent culprit, hiding in the dark.
With steady hands, he swapped and soldered tight,
Till all was fixed, and signals came to light.
The hum, the crackle, oh! It pleased him so,
As voices came through clearer, steady flow.
The meter danced, the frequency was clear,
A TR4, revived, was now sincere.
¡°O blessed rig!¡± he cried with joy and pride,
¡°The power of the air, no longer tied!
Thy call shall travel far, through hills and dales,
And through the ether¡¯s vast, mysterious veils.
No more shall I be vexed with faulty ways¡ª
Thou art reborn, in ham¡¯s most gleaming praise!¡±
So thus, the ham did leave the shop behind,
His TR4 now humbly redefined.
And in the night, 'neath stars that gleamed so bright,
His voice did echo far, a wondrous sight.
----------- endsnip ---------
- Jerry, KF6VB
|
Ron,
Haven't followed this thread but had a couple of random thoughts.
Are you using the non-polarized PTT connector? ?Have you tried reversing it in case ?it is installed incorrectly? You should not have any plate current with no grid current.
There are experts on the reflector that should be able to help you out.
73,
Evan, K9SQG
Got the solid state relay in my L4B this past week. Got her on the bench with my TR4C this morning. All cabled up
When I key the xcvr in cw the amp shows no power output. Plate current abou 100ma but can¡¯t be dipped and NO GRID current. It has HV
I suspect the relay but wanted opinions first
Yesterday when I hooked the xcvr to it there was no pass through. I cleaned the contacts on the relay and got RX through it now. i cleaned the N/O contact for rf in and out also.
But maybe the relay is bad? I cannot hear it pic
Will take bottom off soon and see if it actually picks when I key it
Ron W5sum
|
Ron, what's the SWR at your exciter when transmitting? Can you hear the relay pulling in?
Steve Wedge, W1ES
Time flies like an arrow.? Fruit flies like a banana.
Sent with Proton Mail secure email.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Saturday, January 18th, 2025 at 10:22 AM, Ronnie Hull - W5SUM via groups.io <w5sum@...> wrote: Got the solid state relay in my L4B this past week. Got her on the bench with my TR4C this morning. All cabled up
When I key the xcvr in cw the amp shows no power output. Plate current abou 100ma but can¡¯t be dipped and NO GRID current. It has HV
I suspect the relay but wanted opinions first
Yesterday when I hooked the xcvr to it there was no pass through. I cleaned the contacts on the relay and got RX through it now. i cleaned the N/O contact for rf in and out also.
But maybe the relay is bad? I cannot hear it pic
Will take bottom off soon and see if it actually picks when I key it
Ron W5sum
|
Got the solid state relay in my L4B this past week. Got her on the bench with my TR4C this morning. All cabled up
When I key the xcvr in cw the amp shows no power output. Plate current abou 100ma but can¡¯t be dipped and NO GRID current. It has HV
I suspect the relay but wanted opinions first
Yesterday when I hooked the xcvr to it there was no pass through. I cleaned the contacts on the relay and got RX through it now. i cleaned the N/O contact for rf in and out also.
But maybe the relay is bad? I cannot hear it pic
Will take bottom off soon and see if it actually picks when I key it
Ron W5sum
|
Re: TR-4C Problems with 28.0 and 28.5 bands
OK, I'll do that!
Thanks, Dave
|
Re: T4XB/R4B Transceive problem
Glad to help. I¡¯m wrapping up a transmitter today and should be getting a receiver in.?
Keeps me busy¡
Steve Wedge, W1ES
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
On Sat, Jan 18, 2025 at 02:05, Tony Sokol via groups.io < tony.sokol@...> wrote: By the way, thank you for all the help.?
Tony
On Jan 18, 2025, at 1:03?AM, Tony Sokol <tony.sokol@...> wrote:
?
Okay, final report. Tonight I got on with the Friday night 75 meter group and tried her out. I spent quite a bit of time switching between lower and upper and even switching mic¡¯s. The verdict: Don¡¯t touch it! ?Not absolutely perfect but more than acceptable. A tiny bit less base on upper but unless you ask for a critical report it¡¯s just fine. On to the next project. Here¡¯s a picture of the two culprits. :-)
73
Tony - W9JXN?
On Jan 16, 2025, at 2:03?PM, Tony Sokol <tony.sokol@...> wrote:
?
Mine compares close to my HP counter. Lucky I guess. We¡¯ll see how it sounds on the air Friday. :-)
On Jan 16, 2025, at 1:25?PM, Steve Wedge, W1ES/4 via groups.io <w1es@...> wrote:
?
I¡¯ve got a Tek 2465, so it doesn¡¯t measure exact frequency.?
Steve Wedge, W1ES
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
On Thu, Jan 16, 2025 at 13:41, Tony Sokol via groups.io <
tony.sokol@...> wrote:
Thanks for the feedback. Rather than another receiver I used a scope and it does show a dip. My digital scope also has a built in frequency counter display which matches my HP counter exactly.?
Tony
On Jan 16, 2025, at 6:37?AM, Steve Wedge, W1ES/4 via groups.io <w1es@...> wrote:
?
Lately, my go-to for setting C2 has been setting my IC-7610 to 5645 and setting it to CW. I listen to the note on CW and reverse CW. I can also see the carrier on the spectrum display but the correct frequency is there when the beat notes are the same on CW and CW-R. Much better than trying for zero beat in SSB.?
Setting the carrier null is easy using a scope.?
I¡¯ve not found a really good way of setting the filter match than using the method in the manual, so you will be messing with the balance adjustment and C2 no matter what.?
BTW, it¡¯s easier as well to use a scope to watch the amplitude of the transmitted signal, if you otherwise prefer using the by the book method.?
73,
Steve Wedge, W1ES
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
On Thu, Jan 16, 2025 at 02:29, Richard Knoppow via groups.io <
1oldlens1@...> wrote:
If the carrier balance adjustment does nothing something is
seriously wrong. Go over the carrier balance adjustment on P,15 of the
handbook. The balance control should show an definite null. It is more
common that a good null can not be achieved than that the modulator can
not be unbalanced but in either case something is wrong. When working
properly the balanced modulator has a very good null, you really need to
set it using a receiver lightly coupled to the output. C-6 will affect
the null but usually in making it impossible to get a null.
Go over the adjustments again and see what you find. I am disturbed
that the original problem may not have been a bad filter but whatever is
causing this to happen.
A story: when I first got my T4XB I could not null the carrier.
After I got Garry's discs I found the wiring in the photographs didn't
look write. I asked Garry and he confirmed that what was in mine was not
correct, although it looked factory. In fact, the circuit is quite
sensitive to stray capacitance. With the wires as they were the
modulator could not be balanced. I moved them and got the correct deep
null. So, look for something out of place. You should be able to get a
substantial amount of carrier by unbalancing the pot. Actually, you need
it for alignment.
On 1/15/2025 10:28 PM, Tony Sokol via groups.io wrote:
> ?Hi Gang,
> I thought I¡¯d update my progress on the T4XB filter issue that I brought up just before Christmas. I found that I had the mate for the blue USB filter I had mounted years ago. Mounting the new filter which is on the bottom was exciting. Now they match pretty well. I was not able to match them per the manual though. You are told to unbalance the balanced modulator by turning the pot fully CCW. This did nothing so I didn¡¯t have a carrier feeding the filters to balance. Rather than detuning the coil possibly opening another can of worms, I simply went to transceive mode and tuned C2 till they ¡°birdied in¡±. Then I went back and forth between upper and lower sideband listening to myself. Not only did it sound good but the transmitter oscillator ended up on 5.645008. Close enough. The acid test will come when I check in with the Friday evening gang. Hopefully they will not tell me my shorts are way too tight. ?
> Thank you for all the help and suggestions.
>
--
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles
WB6KBL
SKCC 19998
|
Re: TR-4C Problems with 28.0 and 28.5 bands
Look carefully for any signs of rework around the circuit.?
I seem to recall that you said that some switch contacts looked ¡°funny¡±. Messing with switch contacts can ruin them. Check the resistances through the switch contacts for each of the two bands.?
73,
Steve Wedge, W1ES
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
On Fri, Jan 17, 2025 at 20:37, Dave KD5FX via groups.io < land.dave@...> wrote:
All tubes tested good except for V2 and V17. I replaced both of them with 'new' ones I got from vacuumtubes.com.
73, Dave KD5FX
?
|
They are good fun! ?I still need to pair mine up with an available transmitter.?
For those of you who don¡¯t want to spend big bucks on the can cap, there are also PCB¡¯s available that attach to the chassis where you simply put the caps in and solder the wires right into the vias.?
Steve Wedge, W1ES
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
On Fri, Jan 17, 2025 at 20:07, Craig W8CS via groups.io < craig_severson@...> wrote:
I roasted my Drake 2B filter cap 20+ years ago by putting a manual on top of the radio and the resulting heat dried out the electrolytic. HUMMMM....
?
I've been "meaning to" fix this dude for a long time. Finally ordered 4 electrolytics from DigiKey and tackled it today. The key is taking pictures beforehand and taking very good notes about how it's wired. I've never done a recap like this so I figured my best bet would be to cut the "head" off of the old can and then re-use the base to mount the new caps. It's ugly but passed the smoke test first try.?
?
Man, I forgot how fun this 2B/2BQ is to use on cw. You can tune in a station, and then match the pitch on the Q-mult and literally make the radio "sing" with the incoming cw as the q multiplier starts to oscillate.
?
Few things compare to reviving a radio. At least, to me.?
--
Craig/W8CS
Greenville, SC
|
Re: Back on the air - Finally (long)
Nice going, Jay! ?It¡¯s always a great feeling when you put the covers back on and fire them up!
Steve Wedge, W1ES
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
On Fri, Jan 17, 2025 at 16:50, Jay W6CJ via groups.io < lastradioman@...> wrote:
Group,
As of today, my T4XC and R4C are reunited.
I bought them last spring, and over the months have been equipping them with Noble filters, band crystals, Shure 444,? W4 wattmeter...and RTFM.? Each had to go to Ron Baker for work beyond my skill? (patience?) level.??
Thanks to your help, I was able to repair the finals (slagged by a failed Morse key).? I replaced the 15-ohm resistors with a higher wattage;? 68-ohm resistors; parasitic suppressors and the GE 6JB6As with the same.? On the low bands, power out is 130 watts.? On 15 & 10, about 90 watts.? PO and Ip seemed to track, so little or no neutralization needed.
73 from the LA dystopia? ???????
Jay
W6CJ
|
Mark, I was wandering if you still have any of the L4B Blower Wheel?? My email is good on QRZ
73, Ron
ND4R
?
|
Re: T4XB/R4B Transceive problem
By the way, thank you for all the help.? Tony
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Jan 18, 2025, at 1:03?AM, Tony Sokol <tony.sokol@...> wrote:
? Okay, final report. Tonight I got on with the Friday night 75 meter group and tried her out. I spent quite a bit of time switching between lower and upper and even switching mic¡¯s. The verdict: Don¡¯t touch it! ?Not absolutely perfect but more than acceptable. A tiny bit less base on upper but unless you ask for a critical report it¡¯s just fine. On to the next project. Here¡¯s a picture of the two culprits. :-)
73 Tony - W9JXN?
On Jan 16, 2025, at 2:03?PM, Tony Sokol <tony.sokol@...> wrote:
? Mine compares close to my HP counter. Lucky I guess. We¡¯ll see how it sounds on the air Friday. :-)
On Jan 16, 2025, at 1:25?PM, Steve Wedge, W1ES/4 via groups.io <w1es@...> wrote:
? I¡¯ve got a Tek 2465, so it doesn¡¯t measure exact frequency.?
Steve Wedge, W1ES
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
On Thu, Jan 16, 2025 at 13:41, Tony Sokol via groups.io < tony.sokol@...> wrote: Thanks for the feedback. Rather than another receiver I used a scope and it does show a dip. My digital scope also has a built in frequency counter display which matches my HP counter exactly.?
Tony
On Jan 16, 2025, at 6:37?AM, Steve Wedge, W1ES/4 via groups.io <w1es@...> wrote:
?
Lately, my go-to for setting C2 has been setting my IC-7610 to 5645 and setting it to CW. I listen to the note on CW and reverse CW. I can also see the carrier on the spectrum display but the correct frequency is there when the beat notes are the same on CW and CW-R. Much better than trying for zero beat in SSB.?
Setting the carrier null is easy using a scope.?
I¡¯ve not found a really good way of setting the filter match than using the method in the manual, so you will be messing with the balance adjustment and C2 no matter what.?
BTW, it¡¯s easier as well to use a scope to watch the amplitude of the transmitted signal, if you otherwise prefer using the by the book method.?
73,
Steve Wedge, W1ES
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
On Thu, Jan 16, 2025 at 02:29, Richard Knoppow via groups.io <
1oldlens1@...> wrote:
If the carrier balance adjustment does nothing something is
seriously wrong. Go over the carrier balance adjustment on P,15 of the
handbook. The balance control should show an definite null. It is more
common that a good null can not be achieved than that the modulator can
not be unbalanced but in either case something is wrong. When working
properly the balanced modulator has a very good null, you really need to
set it using a receiver lightly coupled to the output. C-6 will affect
the null but usually in making it impossible to get a null.
Go over the adjustments again and see what you find. I am disturbed
that the original problem may not have been a bad filter but whatever is
causing this to happen.
A story: when I first got my T4XB I could not null the carrier.
After I got Garry's discs I found the wiring in the photographs didn't
look write. I asked Garry and he confirmed that what was in mine was not
correct, although it looked factory. In fact, the circuit is quite
sensitive to stray capacitance. With the wires as they were the
modulator could not be balanced. I moved them and got the correct deep
null. So, look for something out of place. You should be able to get a
substantial amount of carrier by unbalancing the pot. Actually, you need
it for alignment.
On 1/15/2025 10:28 PM, Tony Sokol via groups.io wrote:
> ?Hi Gang,
> I thought I¡¯d update my progress on the T4XB filter issue that I brought up just before Christmas. I found that I had the mate for the blue USB filter I had mounted years ago. Mounting the new filter which is on the bottom was exciting. Now they match pretty well. I was not able to match them per the manual though. You are told to unbalance the balanced modulator by turning the pot fully CCW. This did nothing so I didn¡¯t have a carrier feeding the filters to balance. Rather than detuning the coil possibly opening another can of worms, I simply went to transceive mode and tuned C2 till they ¡°birdied in¡±. Then I went back and forth between upper and lower sideband listening to myself. Not only did it sound good but the transmitter oscillator ended up on 5.645008. Close enough. The acid test will come when I check in with the Friday evening gang. Hopefully they will not tell me my shorts are way too tight. ?
> Thank you for all the help and suggestions.
>
--
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles
WB6KBL
SKCC 19998
|
Re: T4XB/R4B Transceive problem
Okay, final report. Tonight I got on with the Friday night 75 meter group and tried her out. I spent quite a bit of time switching between lower and upper and even switching mic¡¯s. The verdict: Don¡¯t touch it! ?Not absolutely perfect but more than acceptable. A tiny bit less base on upper but unless you ask for a critical report it¡¯s just fine. On to the next project. Here¡¯s a picture of the two culprits. :-)
73 Tony - W9JXN?
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Jan 16, 2025, at 2:03?PM, Tony Sokol <tony.sokol@...> wrote:
? Mine compares close to my HP counter. Lucky I guess. We¡¯ll see how it sounds on the air Friday. :-)
On Jan 16, 2025, at 1:25?PM, Steve Wedge, W1ES/4 via groups.io <w1es@...> wrote:
? I¡¯ve got a Tek 2465, so it doesn¡¯t measure exact frequency.?
Steve Wedge, W1ES
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
On Thu, Jan 16, 2025 at 13:41, Tony Sokol via groups.io < tony.sokol@...> wrote: Thanks for the feedback. Rather than another receiver I used a scope and it does show a dip. My digital scope also has a built in frequency counter display which matches my HP counter exactly.?
Tony
On Jan 16, 2025, at 6:37?AM, Steve Wedge, W1ES/4 via groups.io <w1es@...> wrote:
?
Lately, my go-to for setting C2 has been setting my IC-7610 to 5645 and setting it to CW. I listen to the note on CW and reverse CW. I can also see the carrier on the spectrum display but the correct frequency is there when the beat notes are the same on CW and CW-R. Much better than trying for zero beat in SSB.?
Setting the carrier null is easy using a scope.?
I¡¯ve not found a really good way of setting the filter match than using the method in the manual, so you will be messing with the balance adjustment and C2 no matter what.?
BTW, it¡¯s easier as well to use a scope to watch the amplitude of the transmitted signal, if you otherwise prefer using the by the book method.?
73,
Steve Wedge, W1ES
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
On Thu, Jan 16, 2025 at 02:29, Richard Knoppow via groups.io <
1oldlens1@...> wrote:
If the carrier balance adjustment does nothing something is
seriously wrong. Go over the carrier balance adjustment on P,15 of the
handbook. The balance control should show an definite null. It is more
common that a good null can not be achieved than that the modulator can
not be unbalanced but in either case something is wrong. When working
properly the balanced modulator has a very good null, you really need to
set it using a receiver lightly coupled to the output. C-6 will affect
the null but usually in making it impossible to get a null.
Go over the adjustments again and see what you find. I am disturbed
that the original problem may not have been a bad filter but whatever is
causing this to happen.
A story: when I first got my T4XB I could not null the carrier.
After I got Garry's discs I found the wiring in the photographs didn't
look write. I asked Garry and he confirmed that what was in mine was not
correct, although it looked factory. In fact, the circuit is quite
sensitive to stray capacitance. With the wires as they were the
modulator could not be balanced. I moved them and got the correct deep
null. So, look for something out of place. You should be able to get a
substantial amount of carrier by unbalancing the pot. Actually, you need
it for alignment.
On 1/15/2025 10:28 PM, Tony Sokol via groups.io wrote:
> ?Hi Gang,
> I thought I¡¯d update my progress on the T4XB filter issue that I brought up just before Christmas. I found that I had the mate for the blue USB filter I had mounted years ago. Mounting the new filter which is on the bottom was exciting. Now they match pretty well. I was not able to match them per the manual though. You are told to unbalance the balanced modulator by turning the pot fully CCW. This did nothing so I didn¡¯t have a carrier feeding the filters to balance. Rather than detuning the coil possibly opening another can of worms, I simply went to transceive mode and tuned C2 till they ¡°birdied in¡±. Then I went back and forth between upper and lower sideband listening to myself. Not only did it sound good but the transmitter oscillator ended up on 5.645008. Close enough. The acid test will come when I check in with the Friday evening gang. Hopefully they will not tell me my shorts are way too tight. ?
> Thank you for all the help and suggestions.
>
--
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles
WB6KBL
SKCC 19998
|
Re: TR-4C Problems with 28.0 and 28.5 bands
All tubes tested good except for V2 and V17. I replaced both of them with 'new' ones I got from vacuumtubes.com.
73, Dave KD5FX
?
|
Re: TR-4C Problems with 28.0 and 28.5 bands
Yes, I tweaked the L2. and the other 2 also according to that section of the manual.
I test the 6EA8 and it's OK too.
73, Dave KD5FX
|
Re: TR-4C Problems with 28.0 and 28.5 bands
I borrowed a friend's Xtal tester today and all 3 10 meter xtals test OK on it. Just to compare, I also tested the 15 meter Xtal and they all showed about the same amount on the test meter. So I think the Xtals are OK.
73, Dave KD5FX
?
|
I roasted my Drake 2B filter cap 20+ years ago by putting a manual on top of the radio and the resulting heat dried out the electrolytic. HUMMMM....
?
I've been "meaning to" fix this dude for a long time. Finally ordered 4 electrolytics from DigiKey and tackled it today. The key is taking pictures beforehand and taking very good notes about how it's wired. I've never done a recap like this so I figured my best bet would be to cut the "head" off of the old can and then re-use the base to mount the new caps. It's ugly but passed the smoke test first try.?
?
Man, I forgot how fun this 2B/2BQ is to use on cw. You can tune in a station, and then match the pitch on the Q-mult and literally make the radio "sing" with the incoming cw as the q multiplier starts to oscillate.
?
Few things compare to reviving a radio. At least, to me.?
--
Craig/W8CS
Greenville, SC
|
Re: Not all problems are Single-point Failures...
I had heard about some strange keying issues due to leaky diodes. I seem to remember either D7 or D9 causing trouble.?
With the two bad diodes, when you plug in a key and select CW, the relay pulls in then stays at around 100 mA. The only way to stop it was to shut the transmitter down.?
It is important to check that the diode shows an open when reverse biased. They still show a forward drop of 0.4 - 0.6 V.?
These diodes started being used with the last production T-4X¡¯s. If your T-4X doesn¡¯t transmit in CW mode with no key in the jack, you have a later one.?
73,
Steve Wedge, W1ES
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
On Fri, Jan 17, 2025 at 17:15, John K5MO via groups.io < johnk5mo@...> wrote:
Wow... bad diodes are not something I expect to see.?? Good detective work Steve
John K5MO
On Fri, Jan 17, 2025 at 4:15?PM Steve Wedge, W1ES/4 via
<w1es=
[email protected]> wrote:
I figured that I'd pass this one along today, as I wind up fixing a T-4XB that had a number of problems.? It got sent to me because the owner has having trouble aligning it and got down a rabbit-hole.? It happens.?
It's a nice-looking example; cosmetically about an 8/10 with all controls having decent feel, etc.? I inspected it for charred components because the owner mentioned that he smelled smoke before boxing it up.
I couldn't find any burnt parts.? I begin testing and quickly find that I can get good output on 80 and 15, lower output on 10 and nada on 40 & 20.? I deceided that starting an alignment was the best start, as the owner said he had tried making adjustments.? Yep -- 40 & 20 had trimmers that were way off.? The best way to find these is to see if you can get the wattmeter to budge even a tiny bit.? That allowed me to get 40 & 20 back into the ballpark.?
A full alignment followed.? I could see that the finals had been replaced at least once because the Phillips screw was reinstalled on the back of the cage cover.? Checking neutralisation showed that it was off.? I did the normal tune for a dip, remove screen voltage and adjust the cap for minimum.? In this case, this gave me no joy.? I had to end up setting the neut cap by "feel".? This doesn't happen often but it happens.
Happy with plenty of power out on 160-10, I checked with a mic and had output.? Checked on CW with no key in the jack and got output.? Not thinking, I figured -- Oh, OK, CW has power (this would be okay with early T-4X's but not the B!).? Put it into my B Line station and CW isn't working right!
I find that the can cap is open.? This was the 60 uF part, as the 20 uF part was still reading 22 uF.? Replaced both with discrete caps underneath.
Go back on CW and... Still acting wonky!??
As it turned out, D9 and D12 were leaky.? In the diode test position of my Fluke 77, they tested okay on forward drop and something like 980 and 1100 on reverse,? I unsoldered one side of each and confirmed that they were leaking when reverse biased.??
It's best to partially remove that board to gain access to these diodes, which are close to the underside of the chassis.? Two lead connections to the tube and it was nicely accessible.? Replaced the diodes and everything now works.
There were two issues causing trouble with the VOX (and thus, CW).? One was the open cap and the other the two bad diodes.? Some had also replaced R94 with a 220k (should be 680k).? I will assume that someone played around and got the rig to work for a while before the parts got really bad.
Moral of the story is to try and find all problems.? If you replace a part and it still isn't working right, look for more problems!
73,
Steve Wedge, W1ES
Time flies like an arrow.? Fruit flies like a banana.
Sent with
secure email.
|
Re: Not all problems are Single-point Failures...
Wow... bad diodes are not something I expect to see.?? Good detective work Steve
John K5MO
On Fri, Jan 17, 2025 at 4:15?PM Steve Wedge, W1ES/4 via <w1es= [email protected]> wrote: I figured that I'd pass this one along today, as I wind up fixing a T-4XB that had a number of problems.? It got sent to me because the owner has having trouble aligning it and got down a rabbit-hole.? It happens.?
It's a nice-looking example; cosmetically about an 8/10 with all controls having decent feel, etc.? I inspected it for charred components because the owner mentioned that he smelled smoke before boxing it up.
I couldn't find any burnt parts.? I begin testing and quickly find that I can get good output on 80 and 15, lower output on 10 and nada on 40 & 20.? I deceided that starting an alignment was the best start, as the owner said he had tried making adjustments.? Yep -- 40 & 20 had trimmers that were way off.? The best way to find these is to see if you can get the wattmeter to budge even a tiny bit.? That allowed me to get 40 & 20 back into the ballpark.?
A full alignment followed.? I could see that the finals had been replaced at least once because the Phillips screw was reinstalled on the back of the cage cover.? Checking neutralisation showed that it was off.? I did the normal tune for a dip, remove screen voltage and adjust the cap for minimum.? In this case, this gave me no joy.? I had to end up setting the neut cap by "feel".? This doesn't happen often but it happens.
Happy with plenty of power out on 160-10, I checked with a mic and had output.? Checked on CW with no key in the jack and got output.? Not thinking, I figured -- Oh, OK, CW has power (this would be okay with early T-4X's but not the B!).? Put it into my B Line station and CW isn't working right!
I find that the can cap is open.? This was the 60 uF part, as the 20 uF part was still reading 22 uF.? Replaced both with discrete caps underneath.
Go back on CW and... Still acting wonky!??
As it turned out, D9 and D12 were leaky.? In the diode test position of my Fluke 77, they tested okay on forward drop and something like 980 and 1100 on reverse,? I unsoldered one side of each and confirmed that they were leaking when reverse biased.??
It's best to partially remove that board to gain access to these diodes, which are close to the underside of the chassis.? Two lead connections to the tube and it was nicely accessible.? Replaced the diodes and everything now works.
There were two issues causing trouble with the VOX (and thus, CW).? One was the open cap and the other the two bad diodes.? Some had also replaced R94 with a 220k (should be 680k).? I will assume that someone played around and got the rig to work for a while before the parts got really bad.
Moral of the story is to try and find all problems.? If you replace a part and it still isn't working right, look for more problems!
73,
Steve Wedge, W1ES
Time flies like an arrow.? Fruit flies like a banana.
Sent with secure email.
|
Ronnie Hull - W5SUM
Craig W8CS
