[Collins] Problem with side tone volume and no Grid Current

[David Place]

I am new to the list and perhaps I sent the message to the wrong address the
first time so here goes again.

 

I recently bought a nice Collins original S line and I have some problems.
I will deal with them individually and hope I get the transmitter working
properly.  I have fixed the receiver so it works great.

I want to know how to reduce the volume of the side tone on the 32-S1.  At
the moment I can only reduce it with the AF gain on the receiver but that
doesn't seem to be the way to run any station and I never had this problem
with other Collins stuff I have had.  I see on the 75S-3 the manual says
there is a screwdriver pot to the right of the VFO.  I have looked very hard
for this control on the S1 and I am convinced it doesn't exist.  I also note
that in the original manual for the 32S-1  there is no mention of this
control or how to lower the volume of the side tone.

 

My second problem is much bigger.  I don't have any PA Grid current.  I have
done the following:

*	I checked all the tubes and put a new 6AU6 in the VFO just to be
sure
*	Except for the side tone problem noted above I set the TX and RX the
way the original manual I have says to do it
*	I reset the ALC because it was reading -scale.  It now registers "0"
but it is a bit slow to settle when I put the meter to ALC
*	The tx VFO seems to be working because I can get the "beat frequency
tone" from it to set the tx and rx to the same frequency.  I get the canary
chirp the manual says should be there so it must be putting out something
the receiver can hear.
*	One thing I have not done is put the tx on a dummy load but have it
on my beam (bad) so maybe my TS930 tunes OK despite a very far off SWR
because of the auto tune.  Could the antenna be so far off the Collins
doesn't even recognize the antenna.  I think not but perhaps some of you
experts will advise.  I will put it on my "Cantenna" Saturday just to
satisfy myself that isn't the problem. 
*	When I go into tune, I can hear a very faint high pitched sound that
changes when I rock the Exciter knob but I don't read anything and there is
nothing showing on the Collins wattmeter on the station monitor/phone patch
so it isn't putting out any RF
*	Finally, I resorted to following the tune up procedure for the
32S-3, which is different as far as how to use the Mic Gain control to do
the initial tune.
*	Oh yes, I have 40 Ma of Plate current so I am supposing I have the
proper 800 volts on the plate but I have not meter tested it.

Would spraying the ALC screwdriver pot be a good place to start just in case
it is not allowing injection of any signal to the RF amp?

I hope someone has a simple answer.  I only have an oscilloscope and a
multimeter if I have to dig deeper.

 

TNX

Dave VE4PN

 <mailto:VE4PN at mts.net> VE4PN at mts.net