[TenTec] 238 Tuner Dial

[AL7CR]

I did this on my 238 with mixed results and the mod was not simple.

You can find a reasonable turns counter on eBay for about $10.  To 
install it you will have to disassemble the front and rear panels.  The 
stick that moves the capacitor wafer switch has to be removed when you 
do that.  The switch is a delicate and pricey item that is mounted in 
various ways depending on exactly which 238 you have.  Mine was a 4229 
which has the flimsiest mounting.

The stick that turns the inductor drive will have to be shortened as I 
recall.  The front panel needs to be drilled to accomodate the turns 
counter and then the unit reassembled.  Mine worked great for about ... 
a month.  Then the $10 turns counter started slipping.  It needs to 
generate a bit of torque to move the inductor and they are not designed 
for that.  The existing knob moves the inductor easily as it has the 
diameter of the knob as leverage.  The smallish geared knob on the 
counter I used needed to be mounted just perfectly to work and failed 
after only light use.

I had to then do the entire job AGAIN to put the original knobs back in 
place and find a replacement for the now too short inductor stick.  This 
left a couple of visible holes in the panel.  This is my test tuner 
modified with doorknob caps so I did not mind the holes.  If it is your 
main tuner though those holes will make you sad.

The dial string is not too bad really.  It works well and you can 
restring it yourself with some elastic and string from the sewing 
store.  The pointer can be a bit brittle so you should be careful 
handling it as they are hard to fix when broken.

After all the above my pointer moves easily, doesn't slip, and repeats 
fairly closely.  I also have a 238B I use as my main tuner.  In my 
opinion the string dial system works just as well.  It is certainly not 
worth the several hundred dollars extra cost of a nice 238B, at least to me.

AL7CR

> Tom Hellem <mailto:tom.hellem at gmail.com>
> August 29, 2015 at 7:44 AM
> Hi All-
> I think the 238 is a great tuner but that idiotic dial cord has got to go.
> Has anybody replaced one with a good turns counter? If so, what did
> you come up with for a turns counter and how did it work out for you?
> I don't care that much about the looks I just want it to function well.
> I'll probably never sell the tuner so the aesthetics is just not that
> important.
> On the other hand I would think that adding a good turns counter might
> make the 238 more valuable than the original.
>
> Any ideas will be greatly appreciated.
>
>
> 73
> Tom
> K0SN
> Missoula, MT.
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