[Milsurplus] WTB: PRC-1099A Channel Switch

[Mark]

Message: 5
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:14:28 -0400
From: Al Klase <al at ar88.net>
Subject: [Milsurplus] WTB:  PRC-1099A Channel Switch
To: milsurplus <milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>
Message-ID: <4A6E7B24.7030003 at ar88.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

I find myself in need of a channel select switch for a Transworld/Datron
PRC-1099A, Part number: 510028.  Same part is used in the PRC-1099.

Any help appreciated,
Al

-- 
Al Klase - N3FRQ
Jersey City, NJ
http://www.skywaves.ar88.net/

Howdy Al,

It seems every mil radio has some sort of drawback, wart, pain in the backside, whatever.  The 1099 is not immune.

It's really not a question of whether the original Grigsby (now Electroswitch) channel switch will fail, but when.

To be slightly fair to Transworld/Datron, I doubt if they thought their original switch would still be in operation after 20+ years.  That's a lotta cycles.  It's still annoying when they fail.

After the switch on my original set began to get ragged, I searched for a LONG time for a replacement.  It has direct BCD readout and was custom-made for Transworld.  Electroswitch was still honoring their agreement with Transworld and would not sell me a replacement directly; they said I had to go through Datron.  

Datron had since replaced the enclosed switch with an open-frame unit, and the cost was something on the order of $85.00.  Ridiculous, I said and continued my search.  Came up with zilch, zero, nada.

I even worked up a decoder circuit that would convert the outputs of a standard 10-position switch to BCD.  When I realized how much time and trouble it would take to do that, I just bit the bullet and ordered the blasted thing from Datron.  Chalked it up as one of things I just have to do to maintain availability of a radio I really like. Ended up getting about half a dozen in the same order (five for various other people; they've been distributed).

So that's your choice I'm afraid: NO choice, order from Datron.  But at least the current switch looks like something that will hold up, and can be cleaned with De-Oxit if necessary.

My old Grigsby switch has very rough detents, but still works for the most part.  So I'm keeping it for a last-ditch spare instead of drilling it to see what went wrong.

--Mark Francis
  KI0PF

Author of "Mil Spec Radio Gear Volume 2"
Available direct from the author, Universal Radio, and a 
"surprise" source to be named later.  
$29 cash/check/M.O. or $30.17 via Paypal, when ordered direct 
& shipped to the U.S. (Foreign buyers please contact me). 

See: www.mmfrancis.com/MSRG2/MSRG2.jpg

Volume 1 is still available from CQ, Universal Radio, and 
Amazon.