RadioGuy wrote:

Hi Steve, I've been away for awhile... happy to see you are still here; lots
of folks have left it seems.

Yea... halfbaked... you know me... remember that long thread years back
where we picked at the R8B? I still haven't changed my mind about it! My
R8B gets a serious workout; it's on everyday and sometimes all day too.
Over the years since I had it little glitches keep coming up. I've reached
the point where it might be a cheaper to trade it in on a new one instead of
sending it back to Drake for repair---labor was $70.00/hour a couple of
years ago, maybe more now. Besides, every time it comes back there is a new
ding here and there.

Problems I notice now is drifting of the notch, passband control has slowly
moved off center, some crystal must have drifted off frequency as I get a
beat when it should be zero beat in LSB and USB mode during exalted carrier
reception and a quirk that comes and goes---It take a couple of three
seconds to get audio after the receiver is turned on and sometimes I have to
crank the audio gain way up to get it to go. I just don't feel exicited
about trouble shooting it myself.

BTW, I guess it's been a year since I did a clean job on the
encoder/switch. Everything is running fine. I am really beginning to think
its the grease that the encoder/switch is packed with that is the problem
with the premature failing of the control that folks are experiencing---you
might have read my analysis a year ago. I cleaned mine with DeoxIT and
lightly lubed it with CaiLube---that's after I cleaned all the grease out of
it.

Best Regards,

RG

My R8B has been quite reliable except for the notorious encoder wheel
too. I agree that the factory lube seems to be the problem. After
thoroughly cleaning it and relubing with 'Super-Lube' (a synthetic
grease) I've had no further problems with the encoder for over a year
now. Do you power your R8B with AC or DC? I use a 12-V regulated supply.
The radio is usually on all day and most of the evening. It runs quite
cool on DC. How old is yours? Mine was made in late 2000.


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starman wrote in message
...
RadioGuy wrote:

Hi Steve, I've been away for awhile... happy to see you are still here;
lots
of folks have left it seems.

Yea... halfbaked... you know me... remember that long thread years back
where we picked at the R8B? I still haven't changed my mind about it!
My
R8B gets a serious workout; it's on everyday and sometimes all day too.
Over the years since I had it little glitches keep coming up. I've
reached
the point where it might be a cheaper to trade it in on a new one
instead of
sending it back to Drake for repair---labor was $70.00/hour a couple of
years ago, maybe more now. Besides, every time it comes back there is a
new
ding here and there.

Problems I notice now is drifting of the notch, passband control has
slowly
moved off center, some crystal must have drifted off frequency as I get
a
beat when it should be zero beat in LSB and USB mode during exalted
carrier
reception and a quirk that comes and goes---It take a couple of three
seconds to get audio after the receiver is turned on and sometimes I
have to
crank the audio gain way up to get it to go. I just don't feel exicited
about trouble shooting it myself.

BTW, I guess it's been a year since I did a clean job on the
encoder/switch. Everything is running fine. I am really beginning to
think
its the grease that the encoder/switch is packed with that is the
problem
with the premature failing of the control that folks are
experiencing---you
might have read my analysis a year ago. I cleaned mine with DeoxIT and
lightly lubed it with CaiLube---that's after I cleaned all the grease
out of
it.

Best Regards,

RG

My R8B has been quite reliable except for the notorious encoder wheel
too. I agree that the factory lube seems to be the problem. After
thoroughly cleaning it and relubing with 'Super-Lube' (a synthetic
grease) I've had no further problems with the encoder for over a year
now. Do you power your R8B with AC or DC? I use a 12-V regulated supply.
The radio is usually on all day and most of the evening. It runs quite
cool on DC. How old is yours? Mine was made in late 2000.

Howdy Starman, I remember swapping email with you; I've been away for
awhile.

My R8B was bought back in January,1998. If I remember how to read the
serial number mine was made in 1997.

I run the receiver off the mains but use battery when we loose power (which
is often in summer during the monsoon).

RG

How do you find the year it was made in the serial #?

I hooked mine up to a wheelchair 12v battery. They are filled with gel and
can be charged indoors without fumes.


Pierre
"RadioGuy" wrote in message
...

starman wrote in message
...
RadioGuy wrote:

Hi Steve, I've been away for awhile... happy to see you are still
here;
lots
of folks have left it seems.

Yea... halfbaked... you know me... remember that long thread years
back
where we picked at the R8B? I still haven't changed my mind about it!
My
R8B gets a serious workout; it's on everyday and sometimes all day
too.
Over the years since I had it little glitches keep coming up. I've
reached
the point where it might be a cheaper to trade it in on a new one
instead of
sending it back to Drake for repair---labor was $70.00/hour a couple
of
years ago, maybe more now. Besides, every time it comes back there is
a
new
ding here and there.

Problems I notice now is drifting of the notch, passband control has
slowly
moved off center, some crystal must have drifted off frequency as I
get
a
beat when it should be zero beat in LSB and USB mode during exalted
carrier
reception and a quirk that comes and goes---It take a couple of three
seconds to get audio after the receiver is turned on and sometimes I
have to
crank the audio gain way up to get it to go. I just don't feel
exicited
about trouble shooting it myself.

BTW, I guess it's been a year since I did a clean job on the
encoder/switch. Everything is running fine. I am really beginning to
think
its the grease that the encoder/switch is packed with that is the
problem
with the premature failing of the control that folks are
experiencing---you
might have read my analysis a year ago. I cleaned mine with DeoxIT
and
lightly lubed it with CaiLube---that's after I cleaned all the grease
out of
it.

Best Regards,

RG

My R8B has been quite reliable except for the notorious encoder wheel
too. I agree that the factory lube seems to be the problem. After
thoroughly cleaning it and relubing with 'Super-Lube' (a synthetic
grease) I've had no further problems with the encoder for over a year
now. Do you power your R8B with AC or DC? I use a 12-V regulated supply.
The radio is usually on all day and most of the evening. It runs quite
cool on DC. How old is yours? Mine was made in late 2000.

Howdy Starman, I remember swapping email with you; I've been away for
awhile.

My R8B was bought back in January,1998. If I remember how to read the
serial number mine was made in 1997.

I run the receiver off the mains but use battery when we loose power
(which
is often in summer during the monsoon).

RG

Peter wrote in message
le.rogers.com...
How do you find the year it was made in the serial #?

Howdy Teleamon...

Please someone correct me if I'm wrong... It's the first digit in the
serial number. For instance, 7Lxxxxxxxx is 1997 manufacture date.

RG

Mine is *2J1294etc...
It was made in 2002. Does the J mean it was made in the 10th month, October?

Pierre
"RadioGuy" wrote in message
...

Peter wrote in message
le.rogers.com...
How do you find the year it was made in the serial #?

Howdy Teleamon...

Please someone correct me if I'm wrong... It's the first digit in the
serial number. For instance, 7Lxxxxxxxx is 1997 manufacture date.

RG

Peter wrote in message
news
Mine is *2J1294etc...
It was made in 2002. Does the J mean it was made in the 10th month,
October?

You know I think you are right... J is October and my L is December.

The 1294 is the model number and is the same as mine---interesting... no
changes to the R8B between December 1997 and October 2002.

Gosh... it's been a long time... I just can't be sure about it.

RG

"RadioGuy" wrote in message
...

Peter wrote in message
news
Mine is *2J1294etc...
It was made in 2002. Does the J mean it was made in the 10th month,
October?

You know I think you are right... J is October and my L is December.

The 1294 is the model number and is the same as mine---interesting... no
changes to the R8B between December 1997 and October 2002.

Gosh... it's been a long time... I just can't be sure about it.

RG



That the model number is the same means little w.r.t. changes. Since there
is a manufacturing date included, thre could be design changes every month.

I know for a fact there was a design change between "9L" and "1I". The RF
boards are different.

craigm

In article
,
"RadioGuy" wrote:

Peter wrote in message
le.rogers.com...
How do you find the year it was made in the serial #?

Howdy Teleamon...

Please someone correct me if I'm wrong... It's the first digit in the
serial number. For instance, 7Lxxxxxxxx is 1997 manufacture date.


According to thread posted earlier this year between N8KDV and Al
Patrick you are right about the year. The "L" denotes the month December
the "L" being the "12" letter in the alphabet and if you have an R8B the
next four digits are 1294, which is the model number.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California