Grundig Satellit 500 - Help needed
 

On 3/21/2011 2:43 PM, OnkyoMan wrote:
I've gotten some advice that it might be a trimmer capacitor which has
been known to go bad on these radios. Does that make sense as a
possibility to any of you?
[...]


Probably not, because a trimmer would be unlikely to be in both the
FM and shortwave sections since they probably use totally separate
RF and IF amplifiers.

Whatever the cause is, it is in a section that is common to all bands.

Of course, carefully changing out a trimmer capacitor shouldn't
_hurt_ anything as long as you have the ability to readjust it
properly once installed. Also, there may be message threads
somewhere out there in cyberspace that describe the symptoms caused
by that particular trimmer.


Best of luck,


Kevin, WB4AIO.
--
http://nationalvanguard.org/
http://kevinalfredstrom.com/

Grundig Satellit 500 - Help needed
 

On Mar 21, 9:57*am, dave wrote:
On 03/20/2011 09:06 PM, OnkyoMan wrote:

Yesterday, I left the radio out in my 40F degree garage for about 9
hours, then turned it on, while I was out there with it.

No difference in radio behavior... FM came in strong for 2 mins, then
disappeared. *AM was completely dead.

Do you still think it could be thermal related?

I don't think you can find a fault that way. A cold solder joint or a
faulty component would be very localized. The current flows through some
abnormally high resistance and heats that area enough to deform it
relative to surrounding areas. If you freeze the whole thing, nothing
changes.

The original symptom was stated as : A) works for a few seconds B)
reception turns to Noise (and no audio) on all bands . When left in a
cold garage at 40* for 9 hours FM started to work for Whole Two
minutes ! Thermal as thermal can be .

Grundig Satellit 500 - Help needed
 

On Mar 22, 6:46*am, Bob Dobbs wrote:
wrote:
On Mar 21, 9:57 am, dave wrote:
On 03/20/2011 09:06 PM, OnkyoMan wrote:

Yesterday, I left the radio out in my 40F degree garage for about 9
hours, then turned it on, while I was out there with it.

No difference in radio behavior... FM came in strong for 2 mins, then
disappeared. AM was completely dead.

Do you still think it could be thermal related?

I don't think you can find a fault that way. A cold solder joint or a
faulty component would be very localized. The current flows through some
abnormally high resistance and heats that area enough to deform it
relative to surrounding areas. If you freeze the whole thing, nothing
changes.

The original symptom was stated as : A) works for a few seconds *B)
reception turns to Noise (and no audio) on all bands . When left in a
cold garage at 40* for 9 hours FM started to work for Whole Two
minutes ! *Thermal as thermal can be .

Can you scan the board with one of those hand held IR thermometers
to look for hot spots? I've got a Fluke 62 that was inexpensive and gives
accurate no-touch readings.http://bit.ly/f8vdQe
--

http://bit.ly/g2PCII- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

If the trouble is 'thermal' it may just cause an open/erratic
operation . There is really not much there to get warm/hot , except a
voltage regulator or an audio output device .

Thank you for your suggestions!

It is starting to look a bit more like the problem might be centered the trimmer capacitor. One user told me to simply rotate that capacitor a bit,
and now the radio works perfectly on FM. SW and MW are still completely dead though... the volume only amplifies the white noise.

Now I'm trying to ID a good source for trimmer capacitors. If anyone has a suggestion, please let me know! I'd like to find a high quality replacement, if possible.

Thanks,

Matt

Grundig Satellit 500 - Help needed
 

On 3/22/11 15:22 , OnkyoMan wrote:
Thank you for your suggestions!

It is starting to look a bit more like the problem might be centered the
trimmer capacitor. One user told me to simply rotate that capacitor a
bit,
and now the radio works perfectly on FM. SW and MW are still completely
dead though... the volume only amplifies the white noise.



Check the antenna select switch, and the DX/Local switch. It
sounds like you have some oxidation in your unit. These switches, if
oxidized, will produce the very symptoms you describe, especially
true if FM is now working.

Throw these switches several times. Move the toggle in a circle
until you get some change in the noise.

I experience this regularly with my own Sat 500.


Now I'm trying to ID a good source for trimmer capacitors. If anyone
has a suggestion, please let me know! I'd like to find a high quality
replacement, if possible.


IF it's working, you may not need one. It sounds like you have
oxidation on the rotor contact, which is preventing this trimmer
from completing it's circuit configuration. Now that you have it
working, move the rotor back and forth a few times, it will be fine
for quite a while.


Thanks,

Matt

Grundig Satellit 500 - Help needed
 

On Mar 22, 4:14*pm, "D. Peter Maus" wrote:

* *Check the antenna select switch, and the DX/Local switch. It
sounds like you have some oxidation in your unit. These switches, if
oxidized, will produce the very symptoms you describe, especially
true if FM is now working.

* *Throw these switches several times. Move the toggle in a circle
until you get some change in the noise.

* *I experience this regularly with my own Sat 500.

Could you get the same results with a squirt of cleaner in the switch
innards?

Grundig Satellit 500 - Help needed
 

On 3/22/11 23:18 , bpnjensen wrote:
On Mar 22, 4:14 pm, "D. Peter wrote:

Check the antenna select switch, and the DX/Local switch. It
sounds like you have some oxidation in your unit. These switches, if
oxidized, will produce the very symptoms you describe, especially
true if FM is now working.

Throw these switches several times. Move the toggle in a circle
until you get some change in the noise.

I experience this regularly with my own Sat 500.

Could you get the same results with a squirt of cleaner in the switch
innards?


You could. Wearing through the oxide is a better solution for
serveral reasons. Cleaners tend to dissolve, or at least soften,
existing lubricants within the switch, which can cause them to migrate
into contact areas, attracting dirt, rehardening into films that
interfere with contact. Or worse, creating corrosive elements by
chemical actions between the cleaner, the lubricants, and some airborne
crap. Which necessitates more frequent cleaning of the switch.
Eventually, replacement is required.

Cleaning may produce a result, but it often comes at a cost of
shorter switch life.

Grundig Satellit 500 - Help needed
 

On Mar 23, 5:03*am, "D. Peter Maus" wrote:
On 3/22/11 23:18 , bpnjensen wrote:

On Mar 22, 4:14 pm, "D. Peter *wrote:

* * Check the antenna select switch, and the DX/Local switch. It
sounds like you have some oxidation in your unit. These switches, if
oxidized, will produce the very symptoms you describe, especially
true if FM is now working.

* * Throw these switches several times. Move the toggle in a circle
until you get some change in the noise.

* * I experience this regularly with my own Sat500.

Could you get the same results with a squirt of cleaner in the switch
innards?

* *You could. Wearing through the oxide is a better solution for
serveral reasons. Cleaners tend to dissolve, or at least soften,
existing lubricants within the switch, which can cause them to migrate
into contact areas, attracting dirt, rehardening into films that
interfere with contact. Or worse, creating corrosive elements by
chemical actions between the cleaner, the lubricants, and some airborne
crap. Which necessitates more frequent cleaning of the switch.
Eventually, replacement is required.

* *Cleaning may produce a result, but it often comes at a cost of
shorter switch life.

Real switches have gold plating in the contacts . For real .

Grundig Satellit 500 - Help needed
 

On Mar 24, 8:47*am, "D. Peter Maus" wrote:
On 3/24/11 24:29 , wrote:





On Mar 23, 5:03 am, "D. Peter *wrote:
On 3/22/11 23:18 , bpnjensen wrote:

On Mar 22, 4:14 pm, "D. Peter * *wrote:

* * *Check the antenna select switch, and the DX/Local switch. It
sounds like you have some oxidation in your unit. These switches, if
oxidized, will produce the very symptoms you describe, especially
true if FM is now working.

* * *Throw these switches several times. Move the toggle in a circle
until you get some change in the noise.

* * *I experience this regularly with my own Sat500.

Could you get the same results with a squirt of cleaner in the switch
innards?

* * You could. Wearing through the oxide is a better solution for
serveral reasons. Cleaners tend to dissolve, or at least soften,
existing lubricants within the switch, which can cause them to migrate
into contact areas, attracting dirt, rehardening into films that
interfere with contact. Or worse, creating corrosive elements by
chemical actions between the cleaner, the lubricants, and some airborne
crap. Which necessitates more frequent cleaning of the switch.
Eventually, replacement is required.

* * Cleaning may produce a result, but it often comes at a cost of
shorter switch life.

Real switches have gold plating in the contacts . For real .

* *Indeed they do.

* *And when those get noisy, it's because the base metal substrate
has migrated through the gold and oxidized. In which case
replacement is the only option.

* *At one station I worked, we bought a Harrison Pro 790 console for
the production studio. Tremendous console. But they cheaped out on
the switches.

* *I had to replace them all. Hundreds. They provided them for us.
And they were better switches than had been installed. But WHAT a PITA.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

C'est la vie .

Thanks again for the help guys... it turned out to be that trimmer capacitor - C138. When I had opened the radio up, I had unintentionally flipped the AGC switch on, setting it to its minimum setting. That is what killed AM when I put everything back together!

Do you think this will it be a permanent fix, or does this mean the capacitor is on its way out?