#83 Back to Basic Radio Troubleshooting 

Wow, thanks!

I appreciate the kind words.

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for stopping in,

Thanks for the nice comment. I always try and use basic logic when trouble shooting radio.

I couldn't have said it any better! I'm not into transceiver repair per se', but it's always great to see the basics executed so perfectly, I always learn some cool trick to use, which means they did their job as an educator! ~Jack, VEG

Thank you Scott.

Thanks also for that nice comment Jack.

No problem, Just showing like if you were there beside me. :-) Thanks my friend.

Most appreciated Greg. Yep those big diodes spell disaster lol. Thanks for watching.

Thanks Joel. I will be doing a series of videos on basic troubleshooting like this in the future. For the X/Y box I will post a video link from Alan w2aew that has already done a video on.

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-y4Zt_LJX1Tc.html

You are very welcome Darryl and thanks for watching.

Thanks for watching. Appreciate the kind words.

Thank you for watching

Hi Dino, Just simple stuff my friend. Thanks for commenting.

Thanks for watching.

Thank you very much

Thanks Grant. Good to see you.

Our pleasure!

Thanks for the kind words my friend

Thank u very much

Thanks for watching Peter. Simple troubleshooting.

Wait till I get all the other video stuff set up. Hope it will be better. The 1801 is still a rock solid counter. Thanks Dennis

Thanks for watching Bill

Thanks Edward

I will do a series on this using the 29 in the future. Thanks for watching.

Thanks Nigel/ It is fun to help others.

Thanks Gary for the kind words. It was just a last minute decision to do the video. Really glad I did.I plan to do more using the Cobra 29 as a standard learning platform. Cover each section and pork through them.

@@TheRadioShop Amen

Thanks for the kind words Tom. Glad you found it of interest.

Glad to hear it

That's my first test after a visual inspection. Grab a scope probe and check for proper frequency generation.

Good Point!

First thing I do after looking around is to check if the radio VCO is in lock. These days I will not look at a radio that a screwdriver so called expert has been inside, it is so time consuming! Trying to hunt down missing parts for some radios is just almost impossible.

Thanks alan. I need to do a video on that but Alan w2aew has already.ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-y4Zt_LJX1Tc.html

Thanks Aaron.

Thanks Richard

My pleasure

Thanks, Glad it helps.

I cannot find the schematic for this board? where did you find it at?

I cannot remember which radio this was. but go to this link and pick anything older galaxy. All the same. www.cbtricks.com/radios/index.htm

Thanks

Thanks very much Scott.

Thank you

Sometimes it is a challenge. Thanks for watching.

Thanks Vern. Yep, simple problem and the voltmeter sniffed another one out. Thanks for stopping in.

Thanks Chuck, always good to hear.

In the past alignment procedures told you to adjust the 54MHz trap circuit for minimum shown on a television. A simple little old analog black and white portable television works just fine.

Yep Mike is right about using the TV, Also a scanner that receives 50 MHz will work. I will most likely do a lot more videos on troubleshooting for the beginner using the Cobra 29. Thanks for commenting

I'm a long-time CB "fixer-upper", and I can tell you this: Even a used, "cheaper" spectrum analyzer can be VERY pricey! The idea of using an old TV that is set to channel 2, or a scanner set to around 54 mHz will get the job done.

And thank you for the time you put in to watch

If you have any experience with the Yaesu FT-301S, I'd love to watch hours worth of your work on that. Callsign here is NG7I by the way. Just got an FT-301S from eBay and it's DOA. Well, it turns on and the controls function but the VFO isn't tuning or the clarifier. I injected a 9MHz signal to the RF section and it saw that, but I couldn't tune around it. The 6V v-reg supplying the various parts of the radio is good too (5.98v). Trying to locate a service manual for it but I'm not sure one exists. The operating manual is fairly extensive and it's gotten me to where I am now, but I really need test point voltages and expected waveforms at various spots with the scope. Not in any hurry to get this rig on the air, and I really kinda relish the idea of refreshing my electronics knowledge with it. So it's become my project. It's a really cool radio too. Kinda partial to the old analog stuff. It's a solid state version of something you'd expect to find from a WW2 military surplus outlet. At least that's the vibe I get when I look at it. Like a BC-348 or a BC-344. They made a digital display version (FT-301D) but the analog version just seems cooler in my opinion -lol

Thanks Kevin for that great comment and question. First when ever tracing through tube radios it is always good to have a DC block attached to the test gear. This will stop any voltage from taking out the front end of generators and SA. Make sure your scope can handle the voltage of the circuit. Most test points would be the grids of the tubes. I think it was Paul at Mr Carlsons lab and Do at Restoroldradios have shown this in their videos. I will make this a future video.

Thank you very much and I look forward to your instructional video

Thanks for the kind words. The liquid you saw was my homemade flux. It helps the solder to flow better.Thanks for stopping in.

Are you willin' to disclose your flux to the rest of us? Or, is it a trade secret? I, too have often thought of making my own flux. Most recipes are pretty simple and can be made from all natural ingredients like pine cone leaves.

Just pure rosin and IPA

Thanks you

Yep the solder is almost just a layer. No puddles at all. Those halo's form quick. reminds me when I worked at Curtis Mathis, A roll of solder and a iron would fix most of the TV sets I worked on.

@@TheRadioShop It still does

The difference between classical and punk rock ...to the truck driver, and your local agitator that likes loud distortion.

I got a used Mirage 88 that smells like a pork bbq. It must have been used close to a smoker. It's a splatter box. I use it on 27.185 in my big truck. I love it.

ab5ni still laffin and well said...i use one word ”urban”, ha

Thanks for watching.

As of yet know. No one seems to want that.

LOL, Yep they can name things funny.

Thanks Hugo. Yep lived near to some like that also. Finally got him to let me tune up his radio and the problem went away. Crappy signal into a crappy amp makes it worse.

Mad just need the audio ic replaced have you checked it? 73s

Hi William. I just posted video #107 and your answer is there my friend. I think the video will help better.

One question. Did the radio work ok before you started changing all those parts?

The Radio Shop This Uniden PC78LTW has not worked in years so I wanted to bring it back to life. The radio tweaked in very well after the mosfet mod, variable power, talkback, enhanced receive, echo board mod and led receive indicator. Now the radio only has great receive, but when keyed transmit LED goes out and there is no transmit. Have checked various transistors, caps and diodes. There is no voltage to c71 or IC # 3. Whatever was temperature sensitive has opened up and not allowing the radio to key up. Still checking components......

Yes the NTE replacements should work fine in these. And watch out for the fakes out there. Have a Merry Christmas

It is best to replace with the same as what was used in the radio. If unsure or cannot find a schematic a 1N4003 will work.

@@TheRadioShop thank you

Brother you said what I been trying to teach guys for years when I ran a cb shop. Tuning for maximum smoke on a cb radio does nothing but make it sound worse. I used to wonder why folks saw that until the internet came around. Golden screwdriver techs preach this stuff to the unknowing. Great comment!

True Clint. The actual radio is not that bad in design. But the PLL is the weak link in them.

Interesting. I cannot find a substitute for that. I will check around.

Thank you very much.

Thanks for pointing this out Adam. That was a mistake on my part.

Yep, line voltage and old parts. Planning on covering this in a future video. I had footage of this already but during Mathew I lost my main computer in the shop which corrupted the drive. Lost over 50 hours of footage. Thanks for watching and glad you like them.

Lots of good questions here. I did make a comment in the video that this chassis was based off the original export radio board 11B. It is the basic building block. so if you went to cbtricls and went to the galaxy radio schematic database you will find the DX11B. Now about all those manuals in there are off this original. I will leave a link below to the 11B. Next question answer is in cb radios these signals are pretty strong so loading them down is not much of a problem. However in this demonstration the probe I used was isolated wit ha capacitor. Next question on bench equipment., I always start off with the lowest setting first then move up till I hear the required signal. Again a signal generators should not damage a cb radios receiver. And for the last question. Yep, my camera is a pita to go in and change the settings for exposure. If the video was mostly about waveforms then yes I change it. But for a few second shot I just leave it as is. Another reason I want to upgrade my video equipment in the future. So I do not have such a hassle at changing settings and the videos will be more pleasant for you guys. Appreciate the response you provided.

Link to DX11www.cbtricks.com/radios/galaxy/dx11b/index.htm

lol, Not chicken this time.