[ARC5] "The ATC and Me," Addendum(b)

[arc5 at ix.netcom.com]

One thing I forgot to mention, and it's important, about:

> 8.  The Frequency Multiplier chassis.
>  ... The bandswitch segments are held together 
> with another Collins screw-up; a "U"-shaped clip 
> that holds tension on the segments and which falls-out 
> if you hold your mouth wrong. ....

How this clip falls out:
The rotor part of the rear bandswitch is exposed at the 
back of the little chassis and at the back of the transmitter
when you pull the side cover off.  The "U" clip is engaged 
in a groove around the shaft coupling that connects the
switch rotor to the bandswitch shaft.  Normally,
the rotating contacts on the rotor apply pressure,
pushing the "U" clip into a fitted round channel on the 
stationary part of the switch.  

Keep your fingers and stray do-hickys away 
from this exposed switch rotor, for 
if you press on the exposed rotor part of the switch, 
even a little, the rotor contacts compress, 
the rotor moves forward on the shaft, 
the "U" clip moves forward with the rotor coupling, 
out of the round channel in the stationary part 
of the switch and then falls out 
of the rotor coupling groove and "PLING!"
into the bowels of your radio or under the bench 
where a Screw Gremlin will instantly
 make away with it. 
With the clip gone, the switch contacts 
no longer make good contact and the switch itself 
can become misaligned.  
The mechanical coupling to the rotor is so constructed
that, once you put the clip back in, the rotor 
will be in one of three positions, 
only one of which is correct.
You'll see this if you look at the construction 
of the switch.  Normally, there is a paint mark 
on the coupling and a paint mark on 
the ceramic switch rotor that will show you 
in which configuration it should go.

With this information, you'll probably be able to 
re-align the switch correctly the first try, unlike 
a certain doo-fuss I know well, who pulled the chassis 
back out twice, trying to get it right, before he 
finally saw the blasted paint marks (DOH!).
Talk about "learning as you go,"
by then I figured-out that I could just remove the
back cover of the transmitter, which exposed the rear switch
and remove the "A" autotune unit, pull the bandswitch shaft forward 
out of the second switch segment, rotate the switch to the 
proper position and re-insert the shaft.  Now the paint marks
don't match but the switch is right.  Only took me 
12 tries to get the autotune back on that time.

73 Dave S.