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Re: [TenTec] 160 Meter Problem

To: k9yc@arrl.net, Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] 160 Meter Problem
From: Jim Allen <jim.allen@longhornband.net>
Reply-to: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 14:41:51 -0500
List-post: <tentec@contesting.com">mailto:tentec@contesting.com>
Jim, the world looks a lot different to some of us than it does to you.

I'm not an electronics tech, or trained or experienced in this stuff.  You
have some considerable experience and expertise in electronics, understand
how things work, etc.  I don't.  I came to realize, in nearly 40 years of
practicing law and running an investment company, that nothing beats
knowing what you are doing.

I say "trepidation" because there is seared into my consciousness the time
many years ago I decided to change the oil on my airplane.  I saw an
article in some pilot mag about how simple it was, so why not?  I spent
most of the day out there, ending up looking like Little Black Sambo, the
area was covered with oil and it took the A&P nearly 3 days to get the
engine running right again.  I am not mechanically inclined, completely
inexperienced, I didn't know what I was doing, and the engine was different
than the one in the article in ways I could not hope to account for on my
own.

I say "trepidation" because Mike advised to look at the mixer board 81595,
and I can't see that, top or bottom.  That's a problem.  It's not in plain
view.  If the guy on the bench in Sevierville does this, he probably knows
where that board is, knows the easy way to get to it, has the equipment to
measure what it is doing, and if he breaks something, they have to fix it
for free.  If I break it, I have to pay even more to fix the problem and
what all I broke.

BTW, I was running it with the power backed off, to 5 watts, both last
night and today.  The SWR was not high, or at least it didn't matter
because there was never any output measurable.  Had there been even .3 watt
of output, the AH-4 would have done a match, just like it did when I used
the 706MKIIG.  We know it wasn't an SWR/matching problem with the antenna
because I replicated the exact thing with the dummy load this morning.

I bought this radio a few months ago.  It seems fine but AFAIK has not been
tested as up to factory specs.   It is troubling to see low output on 30
meters as well, so we'll have them look into all those mysteries.

73 de W6OGC  Jim Allen


On Mon, Aug 18, 2014 at 1:28 PM, Jim Brown <k9yc@audiosystemsgroup.com>
wrote:

> On Mon,8/18/2014 11:14 AM, Jim Allen wrote:
>
>> I removed the covers top and bottom but find no 81595 mixer board.  I did
>> find what appears to be connector 82 on the logic board and did "remove
>> and
>> plug [it] back in" with great trepidation.
>>
>
> Why trepidation?  It's common for connector contacts to oxidize or become
> loose over the years. Disconnecting and reconnecting one or more times
> simply scrapes a bit of the oxidation off. Just be careful to remove and
> re-connect them without bending contacts, and lined up correctly (not one
> row off, for example).  And do this for ALL the connectors.
>
> Another thing I would try is to back off the power a lot (5-10W) and see
> if you get anything out. If the SWR is very high at the rig, the TX may go
> into protect mode, especially at full power.
>
>
>  I think this may be a job for Sevierville.
>>
>
> Why?  It's probably one of the first things the guy on the bench is going
> to do, and I'll bet that you work a lot cheaper than he does, especially by
> the time Paul Clinton is done with you. If these simple things don't fix
> it, THEN send it to them.
>
> 73, Jim K9YC
>
>
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