Bummer

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Brian D

Brian D

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Feb 17, 2006
5,274
Lancer 27PS MCB Camp Pendleton KF6BL
Well, so much for HF. I was experimenting with random lengths at home before going to the boat. But now it is a moot point. My TS-50S Tx does not Tx anymore. Seems that possibly my tuner (MFJ-904) may have been a bad match for the radio.

Oh, well. What else could go wrong. :cry:
 
Brian D

Brian D

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Feb 17, 2006
5,274
Lancer 27PS MCB Camp Pendleton KF6BL
Don, sure does look like that. I built a 10M dipole so I could have a close 50 ohm impedance, but it might be too late. Not sure if I want to spend the money to have it looked at. At least not until I become employed again.

Would be nice if there was some kind of protection circuit that just needs to be reset or replaced. To lose an entire final section is just bad engineering in my opinion.
 
Don S/V ILLusion

Don S/V ILLusion

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Sep 25, 2008
7,095
Alden 50 Sarasota, Florida
Brian D said:
Don, sure does look like that. I built a 10M dipole so I could have a close 50 ohm impedance, but it might be too late. Not sure if I want to spend the money to have it looked at. At least not until I become employed again.

Would be nice if there was some kind of protection circuit that just needs to be reset or replaced. To lose an entire final section is just bad engineering in my opinion.
Click to expand
I'm not familiar with the circuitry in that rig but it might be worth getting the service manual to see if it can be resets
 
Brian D

Brian D

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Feb 17, 2006
5,274
Lancer 27PS MCB Camp Pendleton KF6BL
I was up at QRZ.COM and posted about my problem. One suggestion was to use a receiver and tune to a frequency I will key on. Then listen. If there is no low-level tone then the finals are fine, it would be an oscillator that is toast. However, if I hear a tone in the separate receiver then the finals are indeed toast. This is what he said:

"Do you have a separate receiver? Even if your finals are blown, you should be able to hear a transmitted signal in a nearby receiver. Even shorted transistors have a bit of blowby! If you hear nothing, your finals are probably good, and you've lost a lower level oscillator or something."

Unfortunately I don't have a separate receiver. LOL Oh well. I do have the service manual and schematic and I don't see anything. Shame on the appliance manufactures for not putting in more protection to their solid-state products. This would never have happen if I had a tube rig. This would probably have never happen had I had an antenna analyzer instead of my rig. LOL

Thanks, Don.
 
F

Forrest15112

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Jan 22, 2008
423
Catalina 30 Mandeville, La.
Brian D said:
I was up at QRZ.COM and posted about my problem. One suggestion was to use a receiver and tune to a frequency I will key on. Then listen. If there is no low-level tone then the finals are fine, it would be an oscillator that is toast. However, if I hear a tone in the separate receiver then the finals are indeed toast. This is what he said:

"Do you have a separate receiver? Even if your finals are blown, you should be able to hear a transmitted signal in a nearby receiver. Even shorted transistors have a bit of blowby! If you hear nothing, your finals are probably good, and you've lost a lower level oscillator or something."

Unfortunately I don't have a separate receiver. LOL Oh well. I do have the service manual and schematic and I don't see anything. Shame on the appliance manufactures for not putting in more protection to their solid-state products. This would never have happen if I had a tube rig. This would probably have never happen had I had an antenna analyzer instead of my rig. LOL

Thanks, Don.
Click to expand
Sorry to hear about your problems Brian, but doesn't the MFJ tuner have a meter on it? The TS-50 does have a protection circuit that reduces the power out if VSWR is >2.5:1. There's also a heat protection circuit should the cooling fan fail. Hope the reset gets you up and running again.- Good Luck & 73
 
Brian D

Brian D

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Feb 17, 2006
5,274
Lancer 27PS MCB Camp Pendleton KF6BL
I have tried multiple things to include putting a 50ohm dummy load on the radio in hopes it will see that and start working again. But no love there. I found in the service manual a few diodes on the Final Board that is the "protection" circuit but do not know there state; failed or good.

I contacted (by email) a guy who services Kenwood Radios but did not get a reply. Does anyone know of someone who is knowledgeable enough to diagnose and fix?

Thanks
 
F

Fred Villiard

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Dec 28, 2009
397
Macgregor M25 trailer
Brian, there in an ad in ham ads QST by K3TEN 603.846.5190, roy@k3ten.com, www.k3ten.com repairs Kenwood.

I do not know anything about other than seeing the ad, I have 2 TS-440's that haven't been used in for or five years and they won't receive and I've been thinking sending them to him.

Fred Villiard
K3VKY
 
Brian D

Brian D

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Feb 17, 2006
5,274
Lancer 27PS MCB Camp Pendleton KF6BL
Thanks, Fred! I will shoot him an email and see what his pricing is like. I do not have any intent to repair this radio if it well cost equal to buying another one on ebay. I will just sell it as-is and be done with it.
 
Brian D

Brian D

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Feb 17, 2006
5,274
Lancer 27PS MCB Camp Pendleton KF6BL
Whoot! The radio has been repaired. Total cost $156. Problem was a busted, leaky capacitor. It did some damage to the PCB is was on but both are fixed. The repairer also replace the backup battery. I should get the radio sometime next week.

Now, to continue on with my plans.
 
F

Fred Villiard

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Dec 28, 2009
397
Macgregor M25 trailer
Good news Brian, by the way who did you use? I have 2 dead TS-440s that I need to get repaired.

Fred Villiard
K3VKY
 
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