[ICOM] R71A Problems

Fri Apr 8 13:33:54 EDT 2011

Hi Guys,

Back in the day, I had the forethought to hot-melt glue a twin "AAA" plastic
battery receptacle to one of the sides in my 751A, & then solder the red &
black wires out of it (observing polarity!) in parallel with the lithium
battery's terminals on the memory board...

Whenever it came time to replace the battery (well in advance of the
prescribed ten years), I'd insert a couple of "AAA" batteries into the
receptacle to provide back-up memory voltage. I'd then remove & replace the
lithium battery, and after that, the "AAA" two-some.

Crude, maybe, but effective!

~73~ de Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ

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----- Original Message -----
From: "K8RI" <k8ri at rogerhalstead.com>
To: <icom at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, April 08, 2011 1:18 PM
Subject: Re: [ICOM] R71A Problems

> It's been a long time since I had a 751 but I knew the back up battery
> was getting weak (measured it in place) and knew better than to just
> replace it by pulling the old one out and replacing it.
>
> I called Icom and they suggested I get the new memory module from them
> already programmed with updates. Then all I'd have to do is swap them out.
>
> Things have changed. Back then the entire module was relatively
> inexpensive at well less than half of today's quoted prices.  Too bad
> they didn't use an EEProm or some form of static memory, rather than one
> that required a backup battery.
>
> Of course with the dead batter and loss of memory as indicated by the
> readouts there was nothing to lose by pulling the battery, but nothing
> to gain either.
>
> If the second source module is reliable I would think it would be
> desirable over the Icom module as the present, or future owners would
> not have to be concerned about a $3 battery replacement turning into a
> $75 project plus labor.
>
> 73
>
> Roger (K8RI)
>
> On 4/8/2011 12:20 PM, Stephen Budensiek wrote:
> > Hello,
> >     Guess the bad new is (if my memory is correct), the R71 has the OS
> > in RAM, you need to keep voltage on it while you replace the battery.
> > If you don't, it loses the OS.   You can either send it back to Icom
> > for reprogram, or buy another memory moudule from them, or go to a 3rd
> > party vendor who makes a memory replacement module with more memory
> > locations, and the OS is eeprom.  Any way you go, it will be around
> > $75 to get it back up.  There use to be one internet site with the OS
> > code, and if you had a ROM burner, you could reload the RAM module
> > with it.  Same problem in the 751, 271, 471, etc if the memory battery
> > failed.
> >
> > 73's de Stephen, K0SD in TX
> >
> > ******************************************
> >
> > On Fri, Apr 8, 2011 at 11:08 AM, Gary H. Harmon, Jr.
> > <gharmon at idworld.net>  wrote:
> >> I have a friend's R71A on the bench and before I get too crazy I
thought I
> >> would check the list.  I replaced the battery IAW instructions on the
web.
> >> The removed battery measured 0.3 volts.  It comes on with a frequency
> >> display of either 466.666.6 or 666.666.6.  There is a little hum in the
> >> speaker but no rushing noise.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Are there any other obvious issues to check?  Is there a service manual
> >> available online?
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Vr,
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Gary H. Harmon, Jr. - K5JWK
> >>
> >> 6003 Archwood
> >>
> >> San Antonio, TX 78239-1504
> >>
> >> 210.657.1549h / 210.884.6926c
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> "Retirement means every day is a Saturday except Sunday"
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> ----
> >> Your Moderator: Dick Flanagan K7VC: icom-owner at mailman.qth.net
> >> Icom Users Net: Sundays, 1700Z, 14.316 MHz
> >> Icom FAQ: http://www.qsl.net/icom/
> >> To support QSL/QTH.net: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> >>
> > ----
> > Your Moderator: Dick Flanagan K7VC: icom-owner at mailman.qth.net
> > Icom Users Net: Sundays, 1700Z, 14.316 MHz
> > Icom FAQ: http://www.qsl.net/icom/
> > To support QSL/QTH.net: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> >
>
>
> ----
> Your Moderator: Dick Flanagan K7VC: icom-owner at mailman.qth.net
> Icom Users Net: Sundays, 1700Z, 14.316 MHz
> Icom FAQ: http://www.qsl.net/icom/
> To support QSL/QTH.net: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html