[Drakelist] Trouble with TR4 ?
First, I would like to thanks those who p osted info on whitening pointer knobs and the TR4 tube shields. Now, after having cleaned the switches and cleaned/reseated all the tubes, etc., I am trying out receive side on the radio with a 75ft. random wire. 20 and 80 have signals, but thats about it. Fairly low volume and no movement on the S meter ( S meter zero works fine). Also when switching between 20, 40, 80M, the sideband switches everytime and I have to correct it with the sideband switch ( normal?). When the calibratetor is used, I have it fine on 80 and 20 (with a constant low tone in background) but not on 40. Also no indication of calibrate on S meter. I got spare tubes with the radio (boxed but unchecked) and went through and subbed all the tubes in the receive line one by one, no change. Thoughts, suggestions? Mike. ___ Drakelist mailing list Drakelist@zerobeat.net http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist
Re: [Drakelist] Trouble with TR4 ?
- Original Message - From: "m coffey" To: Sent: Monday, March 05, 2012 4:16 PM Subject: [Drakelist] Trouble with TR4 ? First, I would like to thanks those who p osted info on whitening pointer knobs and the TR4 tube shields. Now, after having cleaned the switches and cleaned/reseated all the tubes, etc., I am trying out receive side on the radio with a 75ft. random wire. 20 and 80 have signals, but thats about it. Fairly low volume and no movement on the S meter ( S meter zero works fine). Also when switching between 20, 40, 80M, the sideband switches everytime and I have to correct it with the sideband switch ( normal?). When the calibratetor is used, I have it fine on 80 and 20 (with a constant low tone in background) but not on 40. Also no indication of calibrate on S meter. I got spare tubes with the radio (boxed but unchecked) and went through and subbed all the tubes in the receive line one by one, no change. Thoughts, suggestions? Mike. I found the some positions of the bandswitch on my TR-4 were persistently intermittant. I would clean them with Deoxit and work them and all would be fine. Then, the next day all 10 meter bands were dead. I finally cleanded the switch and coated it lightly with Tuner-Lub. That resulted in a pretty much permanent fix. I am not sure what happens to these switches but suspect the pressure of the contacts against the sliding part becomes weak. Rotary switches are _supposed_ to be self cleaning because of the sliding action. I suppose it works better if switches are constantly in use. I had a similar thing in an SP-600-JX where the IF bandwidth switch became intermittant. Cleaned several times with Deoxit but it became noisy and intermittant again in a few days. Here again Tuner-Lub seems to have given a long term fix. Of course, there may be other problems with the TR-4 but I suggest that even if you have gone through and worked the screws and cleaned the switches to do it again. Its simple and might fix the problem. Its also possible that the thing is way out of alignment. If the above voodoo doesn't fix it I suggest going through the alignment procedure. Its normal for the side band indicator to switch with the band. Its set up for the most commonly used sideband on each band. -- Richard Knoppow Los Angeles WB6KBL dickb...@ix.netcom.com ___ Drakelist mailing list Drakelist@zerobeat.net http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist
Re: [Drakelist] Trouble with TR4 ?
FYI. After the DeOxit treatment I usually follow with ProGold. The latter is a preservative for precious metal surfaces, but also leaves a lubricating film. If the switch contact plating is worn through or lightly touching, I can see where leaving some lubrication behind may help. After DeOxit dries there isn't much lubricating action. As with DeOxit, use it sparingly. In fact, it takes even less ProGold to do the job. My tiny costly bottle will probably last a lifetime. Dennis AE6C On 3/5/12, Richard Knoppow <1oldle...@ix.netcom.com> wrote: > > - Original Message - > From: "m coffey" > To: > Sent: Monday, March 05, 2012 4:16 PM > Subject: [Drakelist] Trouble with TR4 ? > > >> First, I would like to thanks those who p osted info >> on whitening >> pointer knobs and the TR4 tube shields. >> >> Now, after having cleaned the switches and >> cleaned/reseated all the >> tubes, etc., I am trying out receive side on the radio >> with a 75ft. random >> wire. 20 and 80 have signals, but thats about it. Fairly >> low volume and no >> movement on the S meter ( S meter zero works fine). Also >> when switching >> between 20, 40, 80M, the sideband switches everytime and I >> have to correct >> it with the sideband switch ( normal?). When the >> calibratetor is used, I >> have it fine on 80 and 20 (with a constant low tone in >> background) but not >> on 40. Also no indication of calibrate on S meter. I got >> spare tubes with >> the radio (boxed but unchecked) and went through and >> subbed all the tubes >> in the receive line one by one, no change. >> Thoughts, suggestions? Mike. >> > I found the some positions of the bandswitch on my TR-4 > were persistently intermittant. I would clean them with > Deoxit and work them and all would be fine. Then, the next > day all 10 meter bands were dead. I finally cleanded the > switch and coated it lightly with Tuner-Lub. That resulted > in a pretty much permanent fix. I am not sure what happens > to these switches but suspect the pressure of the contacts > against the sliding part becomes weak. Rotary switches are > _supposed_ to be self cleaning because of the sliding > action. I suppose it works better if switches are > constantly in use. I had a similar thing in an SP-600-JX > where the IF bandwidth switch became intermittant. Cleaned > several times with Deoxit but it became noisy and > intermittant again in a few days. Here again Tuner-Lub seems > to have given a long term fix. Of course, there may be > other problems with the TR-4 but I suggest that even if you > have gone through and worked the screws and cleaned the > switches to do it again. Its simple and might fix the > problem. > > Its also possible that the thing is way out of > alignment. If the above voodoo doesn't fix it I suggest > going through the alignment procedure. > > Its normal for the side band indicator to switch with > the band. Its set up for the most commonly used sideband on > each band. > > > > > -- > Richard Knoppow > Los Angeles > WB6KBL > dickb...@ix.netcom.com > > > > > > > ___ > Drakelist mailing list > Drakelist@zerobeat.net > http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist > ___ Drakelist mailing list Drakelist@zerobeat.net http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist
Re: [Drakelist] Trouble with TR4 ?
I still have my 20-year-old 2 oz bottle of Cramolin (the precursor to deoxit) and it's 3/4 full :) A toothpick works for switch contacts. I do use a Q-tip on the tube pins when needed. Steve, W1ES/4 -Original Message- >From: Dennis Monticelli >Sent: Mar 5, 2012 11:52 PM >To: Richard Knoppow <1oldle...@ix.netcom.com> >Cc: drakelist@zerobeat.net, m coffey >Subject: Re: [Drakelist] Trouble with TR4 ? > >FYI. After the DeOxit treatment I usually follow with ProGold. The >latter is a preservative for precious metal surfaces, but also leaves >a lubricating film. If the switch contact plating is worn through or >lightly touching, I can see where leaving some lubrication behind may >help. After DeOxit dries there isn't much lubricating action. > >As with DeOxit, use it sparingly. In fact, it takes even less ProGold >to do the job. My tiny costly bottle will probably last a lifetime. > >Dennis AE6C > >On 3/5/12, Richard Knoppow <1oldle...@ix.netcom.com> wrote: >> >> - Original Message - >> From: "m coffey" >> To: >> Sent: Monday, March 05, 2012 4:16 PM >> Subject: [Drakelist] Trouble with TR4 ? >> >> >>> First, I would like to thanks those who p osted info >>> on whitening >>> pointer knobs and the TR4 tube shields. >>> >>> Now, after having cleaned the switches and >>> cleaned/reseated all the >>> tubes, etc., I am trying out receive side on the radio >>> with a 75ft. random >>> wire. 20 and 80 have signals, but thats about it. Fairly >>> low volume and no >>> movement on the S meter ( S meter zero works fine). Also >>> when switching >>> between 20, 40, 80M, the sideband switches everytime and I >>> have to correct >>> it with the sideband switch ( normal?). When the >>> calibratetor is used, I >>> have it fine on 80 and 20 (with a constant low tone in >>> background) but not >>> on 40. Also no indication of calibrate on S meter. I got >>> spare tubes with >>> the radio (boxed but unchecked) and went through and >>> subbed all the tubes >>> in the receive line one by one, no change. >>> Thoughts, suggestions? Mike. >>> >> I found the some positions of the bandswitch on my TR-4 >> were persistently intermittant. I would clean them with >> Deoxit and work them and all would be fine. Then, the next >> day all 10 meter bands were dead. I finally cleanded the >> switch and coated it lightly with Tuner-Lub. That resulted >> in a pretty much permanent fix. I am not sure what happens >> to these switches but suspect the pressure of the contacts >> against the sliding part becomes weak. Rotary switches are >> _supposed_ to be self cleaning because of the sliding >> action. I suppose it works better if switches are >> constantly in use. I had a similar thing in an SP-600-JX >> where the IF bandwidth switch became intermittant. Cleaned >> several times with Deoxit but it became noisy and >> intermittant again in a few days. Here again Tuner-Lub seems >> to have given a long term fix. Of course, there may be >> other problems with the TR-4 but I suggest that even if you >> have gone through and worked the screws and cleaned the >> switches to do it again. Its simple and might fix the >> problem. >> >> Its also possible that the thing is way out of >> alignment. If the above voodoo doesn't fix it I suggest >> going through the alignment procedure. >> >> Its normal for the side band indicator to switch with >> the band. Its set up for the most commonly used sideband on >> each band. >> >> >> >> >> -- >> Richard Knoppow >> Los Angeles >> WB6KBL >> dickb...@ix.netcom.com >> >> >> >> >> >> >> ___ >> Drakelist mailing list >> Drakelist@zerobeat.net >> http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist >> > >___ >Drakelist mailing list >Drakelist@zerobeat.net >http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist ___ Drakelist mailing list Drakelist@zerobeat.net http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist
