R71A Dead Below 7998!
 

My R71A just died below 7998.0 - completely dead air! Above that freq is
just fine. Anyone know what might have caused this? I seem to remember once
someone told me something about a 'paper' something that might go bad and
have to be changed to ceramic. Can someone fill me in please? Is this
expensive? Are there directions somewhere on the net? The problem seems to
be intermittent - comes and goes, abnormal static, then it went dead. Any
help/suggestions greatly appreciated!

- I'd call Universal radio, C Crane or some shop of the ilk..

They are usually good with bits of information; or would know who might
have a clue as to whats going on inside the set.....

On the bright side, if its bad bad news, you can spend some time
shopping for a replacement..

Something similar happened on a car radio I had.. I gave it a nice
funeral & bought an electronically superior replacement..

"DX99" wrote in message
news:zwaoe.424$xI2.58@trnddc09...
My R71A just died below 7998.0 - completely dead air! Above that freq is
just fine. Anyone know what might have caused this? I seem to remember
once
someone told me something about a 'paper' something that might go bad and
have to be changed to ceramic. Can someone fill me in please? Is this
expensive? Are there directions somewhere on the net? The problem seems to
be intermittent - comes and goes, abnormal static, then it went dead. Any
help/suggestions greatly appreciated!



It shouldn't cost much if you find a competant repair person. It sounds like
a bad conection in the RF deck.

B.H.

I vaguely remember reading about this problem. Try posting it on the
Yahoo R71a group. Or as others suggested call Universal Shortwave, or
call Icom themselves.

"DX99" wrote in news:zwaoe.424$xI2.58@trnddc09:

My R71A just died below 7998.0 - completely dead air! Above that freq is
just fine. Anyone know what might have caused this? I seem to remember once
someone told me something about a 'paper' something that might go bad and
have to be changed to ceramic. Can someone fill me in please? Is this
expensive? Are there directions somewhere on the net? The problem seems to
be intermittent - comes and goes, abnormal static, then it went dead. Any
help/suggestions greatly appreciated!



This may help :D

http://www.dobe.com/wts/funk/R71A.txt

The first section on capacitors seems to point in your direction :)


--
Panzer

There's a good chance that one of the input bandpass filter switching
relays went out. I'm pretty sure they used relays instead of switching
diodes in this radio because you could hear them click when you changed
band ranges.

Frank

Ahh thanks for that link. Thats it - the trimmer capacitors - they are made
of some degradable paper material and should be replaced with ceramic.
Called a radio place here in Tampa - its about a $65 repair (he estimates).
Guy says he's reluctant to work on R71s but wouldn't elaborate other than to
simply say they're 'older radios'. Says I can drop it off and pick it up in
3 days. I have a feeling it will be more than $65 when I get there. Thanks
for the info


"DX99" wrote in message
news:zwaoe.424$xI2.58@trnddc09...
My R71A just died below 7998.0 - completely dead air! Above that freq is
just fine. Anyone know what might have caused this? I seem to remember
once
someone told me something about a 'paper' something that might go bad and
have to be changed to ceramic. Can someone fill me in please? Is this
expensive? Are there directions somewhere on the net? The problem seems to
be intermittent - comes and goes, abnormal static, then it went dead. Any
help/suggestions greatly appreciated!

In article . com,
wrote:

Good point from DK! These receivers are absolutely notorius for solder
joints that go bad over time. I have several friends with R-71As that
have had numerous solder connection problems over time but have been
able to fix them themselves. The radio is a "rat's nest" of cables and
wires inside unfortunately.

That's not the only radio with soldering problems. My couple year old
$4K Ten-Tec started dying on me after a few minutes of operation. It
would be working normally and then light for the signal strength meter
would go out, the meter would go to half scale and the audio would drop
out. That was to many things failing at the same time so I suspected
power supply problems. This radio has a status led for each of the four
power supply voltages and looking through the top grill sure enough I
saw one of them go out when the radio malfunctioned. Turned out to be
the +12V supply. Turned out that most of the solder connections on the
power supply output connector were cracked on the power supply board.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California

"Telamon" wrote in message
...
In article . com,
wrote:

Good point from DK! These receivers are absolutely notorius for solder
joints that go bad over time. I have several friends with R-71As that
have had numerous solder connection problems over time but have been
able to fix them themselves. The radio is a "rat's nest" of cables and
wires inside unfortunately.

That's not the only radio with soldering problems. My couple year old
$4K Ten-Tec started dying on me after a few minutes of operation. It
would be working normally and then light for the signal strength meter
would go out, the meter would go to half scale and the audio would drop
out. That was to many things failing at the same time so I suspected
power supply problems. This radio has a status led for each of the four
power supply voltages and looking through the top grill sure enough I
saw one of them go out when the radio malfunctioned. Turned out to be
the +12V supply. Turned out that most of the solder connections on the
power supply output connector were cracked on the power supply board.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California

What Model is your Ten-Tec Tel?

Solder problems seem to be the case in all the cheezy "yellow board",
single-sided consumer grade pc boards. I see it all the time in cheap
power supplies. If the boards have plated thru holes the problem is
almost non-existent.

Frank

In article ,
"Brian Hill" wrote:

"Telamon" wrote in message
..
.
In article . com,
wrote:

Good point from DK! These receivers are absolutely notorius for solder
joints that go bad over time. I have several friends with R-71As that
have had numerous solder connection problems over time but have been
able to fix them themselves. The radio is a "rat's nest" of cables and
wires inside unfortunately.

That's not the only radio with soldering problems. My couple year old
$4K Ten-Tec started dying on me after a few minutes of operation. It
would be working normally and then light for the signal strength meter
would go out, the meter would go to half scale and the audio would drop
out. That was to many things failing at the same time so I suspected
power supply problems. This radio has a status led for each of the four
power supply voltages and looking through the top grill sure enough I
saw one of them go out when the radio malfunctioned. Turned out to be
the +12V supply. Turned out that most of the solder connections on the
power supply output connector were cracked on the power supply board.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California

What Model is your Ten-Tec Tel?

RX340, the $4,000 buck radio with the $100 switching power supply that
runs to hot due to restricted air flow.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California

In article . com,
wrote:

Solder problems seem to be the case in all the cheezy "yellow board",
single-sided consumer grade pc boards. I see it all the time in
cheap power supplies. If the boards have plated thru holes the
problem is almost non-existent.

It's a single sided board. You think the hole plating is going to help
relieve mechanical or heat stress? I think you mean an actual rivet
right?

A hole in a circuit board can have three types of through construction
in increasing order of duty:

1. Plated through.

2. A cylinder of copper inserted and then plated to the top and or
bottom pads.

3. A rivet of copper. The cylinder of copper is inserted in the board
longer than the board thickness and crimped to the board pads.

My descriptions are a little clumsy as I don't know the exact board
fabrication terminology.

I expect you mean #3.

These power supply manufacturing companies have a lot of tough
competition and try to figure a way to squeeze every penny out of the
cost of a supply.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California