It would be difficult to rewire the S-40B to allow balanced input on Bands 1 and 2. The S-40A uses transformers with primary and secondary windings and resonance of the secondaries on all four bands. The S-40B does that same thing for Bands 3 and 4 but connects antenna terminal A1 directly to the "hot" end of each resonant coil for Bands 1 and 2, with a series 1000 ohm resistor between A1 and the coil for Band 1. So there are no primary windings for Bands 1 and 2.
If someone really wants a balanced input below 5.3 MHz with an S-40B or S-85, it might be useful to wind a 1:1 input transformer to place between the receiver and the transmission line.
73,
Maynard W6PAP
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On 2/10/25 10:13, Maynard Wright via groups.io wrote: Well! The email system seems to have stripped the tabs out of my chart, but I hope it's readable.
73,
Maynard W6PAP
On 2/10/25 09:34, Maynard Wright via groups.io wrote:
Hi, Don,
I measured my S-40B's antenna terminals with an old analog VOM, so don't take the measurements to be exceedingly precise, but I think that they do tell the story:
Band A1-A2 A1-G A2-G 1 540-1680 kHz OPEN 1200 ohms OPEN 2 1680 kHz - 5.4 MHz OPEN 4 ohms OPEN 3 5.3 - 15.5 MHz 0.4 ohms OPEN OPEN 4 15.5 - 44 MHz 0.5 ohms OPEN OPEN
I conclude from this:
1. My S-40B (top of chassis stamped "AUG 3 1953"; back of chassis stamped "70E937") does not have the input coils reversed as shown in the schematic diagram;
2. My S-40B does feature the curious input wiring that would make a balanced line input useless on bands 1 and 2.
Added to this, my S-40B is quite sensitive and usable on Bands 1 and 2. I use it for CW QSOs on 80 meters (and 40 on Band 3). I have always used it with the A2-G link in place and with an unbalanced input, so I haven't previously noticed the curious input wiring.
73,
Maynard W6PAP
On 2/10/25 05:43, Maynard Wright via groups.io wrote:
Hi, Don,
I did check the S-40A schematic and it shows all the input coils wired so that on all bands they can function as balanced input circuits unlike the S-40B and S-85 that leave terminal A2 open on Bands 1 and 2.
Now, is the receiver really wired that way or is the schematic wrong? Later today (or tomorrow) I'll turn my S-40B around and measure terminal A2 (DC continuity to A1 and G) with the bandswitch in all 4 positions.
73,
Maynard W6PAP
On 2/9/25 23:57, don Root wrote:
Maynard
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I did not get that far. My coils between the hears are smoked now, How it works or doesn’t gets more mysterious by the hour.
*From:*[email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] *On Behalf Of *Maynard Wright via groups.io *Sent:* Monday, February 10, 2025 12:04 AM *To:* [email protected] *Subject:* Re: [HallicraftersRadios] S-85 refurbish: I've got a problem during the RF alignment of bands 1 and 2 - trimcaps don't peak!
Hi, Don,
Oops! I lost track of who was doing what here.
I have only your diagram, not the S-85 manual, but note that when the bandswitch is set to Band 1 or Band 2, antenna terminal A2 is not connected to anything that provides continuity except for some possible stray coupling. The manual for my S-40B shows the same circuit but with Bands 1 and 2 as they should be.
The alignment instructions for the S-40B specify connection of A2 to G using the supplied link, so they are ok. The operating instruction, though, specify removal of the link when a doublet antenna with a balanced feedline is used without pointing out that this would lead to a connection of one side of the transmission line to A1 and the other side, connected to A2, open.
If the S-85 manual is similar, it might be important to take into account the disconnect of terminal A2 on Bands 1 and 2, depending on how you are using the receiver or feeding it signals for adjustment.
73,
Maynard W6PAP
On 2/9/25 13:46, don Root wrote:
Emanuele, no need to reply to this, it is more for others that have an S-85. I don’t blame you for being fed-up with this radio, and giving up; we all have had that feeling, ?but for the benefit of others we wonder if ?yours is wired as per the schematic, or is it actually wired like I suggested it should be. You seem to be very good at tackling all this stuff, so if the wiring is apparently wrong at R65, you no doubt changed it and tried it again, I would think but I saw no comment on that point.
I don’t have an S-85, but, for any others with an S-85: does it have the same alignment problem?, and poor sensitivity below 1Mc? ….and is it wired as per the schematic? as I highlighted before? ?I don’t believe they BUILD them using a schematic, instead they use a more practical physical wiring drawing; so it is hard to believe that they went out the door wired, and working incorrectly, but I have seen worse cases when I was in industrial electronics manufacturing, so impossible things do happen, then I had to find and fix the impossible out in the field. The big boss says “ship it anyhow”, and QA succumbs.
Emanuele mentioned the S-99 is an exact copy in *some detailed respects*, so I looked and found that the S-99 eliminates all capacitors for the 1^st RF tanks and the slugs for bands 3,4.? ?It is interesting that? they still list C3 with L3, but C3 itself has vanished.. ???typical copy and paste draughting [drafting if you’re in USA]
*From:*[email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] *On Behalf Of *Emanuele Girlando via groups.io *Sent:* Sunday, February 9, 2025 12:56 PM *To:* [email protected] *Subject:* Re: [HallicraftersRadios] S-85 refurbish: I've got a problem during the RF alignment of bands 1 and 2 - trimcaps don't peak!
Guys,
one of the reasons I wants to give up with this one is the poor design in the ANT RF circuitry.
I noticed the schematic diagram anomalies, both the 1&2 bands wiring error and the fancy S1A-REAR layout, at the same time as Don did. I was shocked and disappointed by that.
Days ago, while approaching the refurbishing project of my S-85, I did read that the SX-99 is a S-85 plus IF-XTAL and S-Meter. So I download the SX-99 schematic diagram to compare with but I discovered:
1.the 1&2 bands wiring error and the fancy S1A-REAR layout are? exactly the same in SX-99 as in S-85; that was shocking and disappointing for the second time (!!).
2.the ANT RF circuitry design has been completely reviewed in SX-99 eliminating TRIMCAPs and introducing a more useful antenna trimmer you can adjust while switching between? bands and/or connecting different antenna types input socket.
My conclusion was that the S-85 ANT circuit doesn't worth any additional effort to be understood or further analyzed: The Hallicrafters it self changed its design in successive projects..
Furthermore, IMHO, there is no point in having a ANT tuned circuit inside the radio when, in everyday use, you would have to retune it every time you change bands or the type of antenna connected to the radio. Consequently? I got the conclusion that leaving it as "wide" as possible sounds like a good choice.
In the hope of modifying my S-85 by reproducing the solution found in the SX-99, I also checked if the coils part numbers were the same but, unfortunately, they are not.
The only remaining test I want to do on this one is to align ANT and MIX RF stages with the chassis inside the cabinet.
In other words I want to check if the service manual statement:
should be read as: "RF alignment *_MUST_* be made with chassis in the cabinet. ...".
Thank you all once again.
--
Emanuele (IU1KNR). <> < <> < <> <> <> < <> < <> < <> <> <> < <> < <> < <> <> <> < <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
-- don??? va3drl
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