Hey, I'm only teasing. I'll take an R-4(*) as a shack receiver any day over a 2B. I am having fun fixing these puppies up, and *hopefully* when I'm done I'll have three good working units. In a message dated 9/15/2010 10:20:44 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [email protected] writes:
Paul - I don't think it's quite fair to diss Drake because some clown stuck an ice-pick in a tube socket! :-) I ran three A / B lines back in the 60's on autostart teletype for a half-dozen years. This consisted of 24/7 operation, with full power transmissions often exceeding 30 minutes. There was a small fan on the back of each PA cage, and one fan blowing across the back of the desk. The receivers were crystal controlled, and each pair was locked together on 14.100 MHz. 170 shift of course, with 400 Hz b/w. The PA tubes would last about two years, ( end of life determined when output power dropped to 100W on 20M,) and only ONE failure, a 12BY7 filament that just opened up. The 2-B is a great, reliable receiver, but ... I suspect the R-4As have all been fixed, fixed ....... :-) 73, Garey - K4OAH Glen Allen, VA Drake 2-B, 2-C/2-NT, 4-B, C-Line& TR-4/C Service Supplement CDs <www.k4oah.com> [email protected] wrote: > The problem is the tube socket itself. Upon magnified examination > I observed that the inserts for the tube pins have been mangled by > someone pushing something down into them that spread and twisted them > and all but eliminated the nice "friction fit" around the tube pins. > As a result the tube fits too loosely and occasionally loses contact. > SIDE NOTE: I bought four receivers over the past 2 months > but *ONLY ONE* has operated flawlessly from Day 1 with no work having > been done on it, and that one is the 1961-vintage 2B, s/n 2052, which > means it was the 52nd unit built. All three of the R-4A's have > problems, problems......... ;-) > Hmmmm, from a longevity standpoint maybe Drake should have quit > while they were ahead..... ;-) > 73/arf, > Paul, K4MSG > In a message dated 9/15/2010 8:22:21 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, > [email protected] writes: > > */Hi Paul,/* > Years ago I purchased an old Heathkit SB-102 transceiver as a > back-up set, and all was well until one day it stopped "hearing" > on CW on a consistent basis. There was an intermittent that drove > me nuts! > I checked the schematic for all of the usual "suspects", and > determined that the issue was with the crystal oscillator/BFO > stage---I even pinpointed (on paper, anyway!) the exact area where > I thought the trouble was coming from...yet to the eye everything > looked A-OK, & the components checked-out. > The design of the thing incorporated printed circuit mounted tube > sockets. In desperation, I re-heated just that contact point at > the socket that I thought was causing the intermittent. Lo & > behold, I guess the heat caused enough solder to flow in the > socket that bridged the gab, & the intermittent was gone forever. > I think re-heating those socket pins is probably a good idea. > /*~73~ de Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ*/ > /**/ > ******************************************************** > ----- Original Message ----- > > *From:* [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > *To:* [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > *Sent:* Wednesday, September 15, 2010 3:49 PM > *Subject:* Re: [Drakelist] R-4A anomoly > > Just to reiterate from the original email: Different > tubes *WERE* tried (including two NOS) and > loosening/tightening the tube socket & PCB mounting screws. > More work on this tonight. > Meantime, I ordered a new 7-pin, > bottom-mount-with-grounding-lugs socket from Antique Elex and > if worse comes to worse I'll just replace the socket. It > is possible that one of the socket pins has actually separated > into two pieces, upper & lower, that lose contact when the > tube heats the socket and the metal expands and changes > shape. It's rare, but I have seen it before. > And I'll stick an extender in it tonight and compare > voltages top & bottom. > 73/arf, > Paul, K4MSG > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > _______________________________________________ > Drakelist mailing list > [email protected] > http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist > > > > _______________________________________________ > Drakelist mailing list > [email protected] > http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist > > > _______________________________________________ > Drakelist mailing list > [email protected] > http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist > _______________________________________________ Drakelist mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist
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