[Icom] IC 746 problem, followup

[Rick Stealey]

>Short of sending the thing back to Icom, does anyone else have any ideas.

Tom,
I often give this kind of advice in other groups (Drake, etc.) regarding 
troubleshooting.
      ---  Don't guess ----

Find a way of signal tracing in your rig.  One way is to use an rf probe.  
Then inject enough signal to be able to read the output of the rf probe and 
watch for the problem.
For example, lets say the problem IS a filter that intermittantly opens up 
due to a bad solder joint.  You put the rf probe at the input to the product 
detector and inject enough signal so you get a reading.  Eventually you see 
the signal die off - you know the problem is somewhere in the IF or RF 
stages (somewhere between the antenna and the product detector).  So you 
move the probe to the input of the IF filters and wait.  Now the signal 
drops out (by ear), but the RF probe stays high.  Now you know the rig is 
good from the antenna to the IF filters.
etc.  etc.

Otherwize you ask ten well meaning hams and you will get ten answers.  Most 
likely all are wrong.


Rick  K2XT


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