[MRCA] U-229 & saliva lubrication

[Rich Arland]

Thanks guys! Great idea. However, I think I'll stick with the silicone. Any
particular brand? How about using something like Lubriplate (tm) which is
silicone based and I happen to have that stuff on hand?

I,  like Philip, KA4KOE, thought that the U-229 would be much easier to plug
up to my TRC-77A's audio output jack than it is. Initally I was hesitant to
try any type of lubricant since I didn't know how it would affect the
opreation of the rig or if it would possibly degrade or ruin the connector
itself.

Incidentally, I have a couple of spare U-229s and want to make an audio
patch cord using one of them to interface my W3NQN passive AF filter to the
77A. Having constructed a 6 ft AF patch cord with a 1/8" (3.5 mm) stereo
jack on one end and the U-229 on the other I get no audio from the radio at
all after hooking it up to the rig!. The schematic from the TM
11-5820-473-35, Figure: 7-6 (fold out schematic of the rig) indicates all
five pins on the U-183/U audio jack on the front of the TRC-77A are tied
together and are "hot" with receiver audio, with the grou nd side of the AF
circuit going to the shell of the audio jack.

After afixint the U-229 plug to the patch cord, I reassembled the U-229
according to specs. The U-183/U jack and U-229 plug mate together like
normal, however, I get no audio when I attach a set of Sony Noise Cancelling
headset 68 ohms, not 600) to the end of the patch cord; not even any low
level audio. There is no audio getting thru the filter to the headset when I
place the NQN AF filter in series between the rig and the headset. Am I
doing something terribly wrong? Continuity checks done on the AF patch cord
shows that there are no shorts bewteen any of the pins on the U-229 and the
shell of the connector. I am beginning to think that the schematic is drawn
incorrectly, OR Depot Level maintenance rewired the U-183/U jack to comply
with a modification and neglected to document the change in the TM.

Anyone have any ideas?

73 Rich K7SZ