[R-390] FW: R-390 Digest, Vol 2, Issue 4
Benzon Robert
BENZONR at ntsb.gov
Sat Jun 5 18:03:03 EDT 2004
Gentlemen:
Well, how does one properly pack an R-390A for shipment? I bought a great Motorola R-390A over the internet a couple of years ago and trooped up about 40 miles to pick it up personally. Works fine, I think, but you experts are waxing me with details on all matters concerning this fine receiver. This mailing list has actually made me afraid of the radio! Ha! I am a new user, rather than a repairer, and believe I have bit off too much, so to speak. It is too advanced for me now, and am thinking of selling it. My old BC-348 is about my speed. Any specific advice out there about how to safely crate up an R-390A? Thanks.
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Subject: R-390 Digest, Vol 2, Issue 4
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Today's Topics:
1. R-390 Visual Alignment (David C. Hallam)
2. Re: R-390 Visual Alignment (Kenneth G. Gordon)
3. Shipper Packing (B Riches)
4. Re: Solid State Ballast 'quirks'? (Drew Papanek)
5. Re: Shipper Packing (Barry Hauser)
6. Re: Shipper Packing (David C. Hallam)
7. Re: R-390 Visual Alignment (Kenneth G. Gordon)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Fri, 4 Jun 2004 10:27:06 -0400
From: "David C. Hallam" <dhallam at rapidsys.com>
Subject: [R-390] R-390 Visual Alignment
To: "R-390 List" <r-390 at mailman.qth.net>
Message-ID: <NFBBJDPKCPDDNNAFOPDGCEJOCNAA.dhallam at rapidsys.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Is the visual alignment procedure for the R-390 as described in US AS ATC&S
ST 32-152 a worthwhile procedure to carry out?
David C. Hallam KC2JD
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Fri, 04 Jun 2004 09:57:40 -0700
From: "Kenneth G. Gordon" <kgordon at moscow.com>
Subject: Re: [R-390] R-390 Visual Alignment
To: dhallam at rapidsys.com
Cc: R-390 at mailman.qth.net
Message-ID: <40C04794.15447.22732209 at localhost>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
> Is the visual alignment procedure for the R-390 as described in US AS
> ATC&S ST 32-152 a worthwhile procedure to carry out?
I don't know about using in with the R-390-A, but I know from
experience, it is really the only way to ACCURATELY adjust
the IF tuning in multi-transformer IF stages in most superhets.
I have used it with a number of receivers and it always
produces amazingly better results.
Ken W7EKB
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Fri, 4 Jun 2004 16:44:36 -0400
From: "B Riches" <bill.riches at verizon.net>
Subject: [R-390] Shipper Packing
To: <r-390 at mailman.qth.net>
Message-ID: <009f01c44a74$c02860f0$0200a8c0 at gateway8rv1l44>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
A heads up!! When you purchase a piece of equipment from someone make sure that the seller agrees to refund your money if it arrives damaged due to poor packing and the Post Office or other carrier refuses to honor a claim because of poor packing.
I purchased a Tek 465 scope from a person that used shredded paper along with a very beat up carton. The scope took a hit on the face and bent a few controls and ruined the attenuator. The postal inspector laughed when I tried to file a damage claim. I now have an expensive parts unit. This person sells a bit of equipment - contact me off list if you wish more info. Buyer beware.
73,
Bill Riches, WA2DVU
Cape May, NJ
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Fri, 04 Jun 2004 18:29:33 -0400
From: "Drew Papanek" <drewmaster813 at hotmail.com>
Subject: [R-390] Re: Solid State Ballast 'quirks'?
To: r-390 at mailman.qth.net
Message-ID: <BAY17-F8xq1kv33SM3t000fc66c at hotmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
Mike wrote:
>I have a Collins 390a that has a solid state ballast
>replacement that I got as part of the restoration.
>Sometimes, while listening, the station will suddenly
'>go away' and just have static.
(snip...)
... should I zero in on the solid state ballast first - I suspected that
unit since the only thing that seems to go away is the tuning/bfo
- any one seen this before??
Mike,
If the ballast is causing trouble you will see that the BFO tube (V505) and
the PTO tube (V701) will go
dark.
If those tube heaters are dark, it is also possible that one of those tubes'
heaters is thermally intermittent . Either of those tubes could be swapped
into another 6BA6 socket (IF stage); failure to light (perhaps after waiting
for the radio to quit) would indicate a defective tube.
Similarly, if during testing neither of those tubes goes dark in another
location (and tubes taken from the IF sockets and installed at V505 and V701
do go dark), suspect the ballast.
Replacements for the ballastube are myriad and controversy-generating.
For a wealth of information on the topic, go to r-390a.net Click on
references, Pearls of Wisdom.
Drew
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Getting married? Find great tips, tools and the latest trends at MSN Life
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------------------------------
Message: 5
Date: Fri, 04 Jun 2004 18:55:41 -0400
From: Barry Hauser <barry at hausernet.com>
Subject: Re: [R-390] Shipper Packing
To: B Riches <bill.riches at verizon.net>, r-390 at mailman.qth.net
Message-ID: <017301c44a87$0fdfebb0$6d0aa8c0 at V2Premiere>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Tell me about it! Some people like to sell & ship whatever without a care
about packing. Some use all new (but inadequate) materials and charge for
it. Some use trash. Before a seller ships me something delicate, I send an
email describing how it should be packed. If I get "bubble wrap and
peanuts" back, I then go into my routine.
Once in a while I get something like "don't worry -- I pack very well --
sent plenty of this stuff...." etc. Good packing is in the eye of the
beholder, I guess.
There's another issue for many pieces of gear -- prepping the unit itself.
Wobbly tubes, like 5U4's with only 5 pins of the octal? Right next to the
transformer? Chassis loose in cases? Fine if it's kept rightside up and
not moved. Other missing screws? Heavy transformers and chokes held down
with small screws... into aluminum? (Gets dropped sideways or upside-down,
heads shear off and then it's loose-cannonball-in-the-china-shop-time. Big
dial glass -- loose? (Crackaroonies are in order.) Even if super packed
with foam sheet, double boxed, etc. some radios are prone to damage from an
"inside job". Here's an example of something otherwise innocuous:
Anyone familiar with tube type Zenith Transoceanics? A major feature
affecting their value is that big clear plastic front panel. Many have
developed a few stress cracks from vibration around the screws, or worse,
from slamming the front door closed. The chassis are fastened to the wooden
center shelf of the cabinet with just two screws. If they're missing or
loose, the whole chassis can shift -- then it does a number on the panel --
through the control shaft holes or whatever. Those panels are all clear
plastic -- painted in black, grey and gold on the reverse side -- (or brown,
tan, gold for the leather models) -- so virtually impossible to detail out.
R-390's are more rugged, but there are plenty of opportunities. If a tube
shield is not fully twisted down, a bounce will activate the spring and --
according to Mr. Murphy -- it will head straight for the ballast tube which
will have no shield. If there are loose or missing screws all over the
place, the H-frame can twist a bit.
Sounds like you got what I call a "beanbag" shipment there. That's when the
carton is flimsy and the stuffing is inadequate. Got one of those a few
years ago with an SP-600 in it. Bottom right corner of the front panel was
broken right off -- and the roughly 1 inch square piece was still in the
box -- so it wasn't that way before. Packed in an oblong U-Haul box with a
trick/quick setup (criss-cross bottom), clearly emblazoned "for lightweight
items" -- stuffed with rags. Didn't bother going to UPS claims with that
one. The seller did settle privately, though. More often, one gets
stonewalled or told to send the thing back -- right -- lay out double
shipping and keep your fingers crossed.
Oh, there's the other thing -- well-intentioned folk who fashion themselves
as crate-builders. This was an SP-600-VLF (read @RARE@). The guy put a
labor of love into top and bottom plywood, with firring strips and even used
a router to groove out where the front panel set in. Then he wrapped really
good foam all around it and then put four steel strapping bands (nevermind
plastic) around the bundle. That whole assembly went into a sturdy, but
too-tall box. Built a perfect SP-600 Destructo-Wrench. SP-600 panels aren't
fastened to the chassis all that well -- eight self tapping screws into
stamped "combs" at the edges of the side panels. These weren't regular
screws, but threaded studs with acorn nuts on the panel -- some loose. The
box must have twisted a bit and the plywoods were flush with the box, so ...
ripped the upper right corner of the panel forward, wrecking the crystal
osc. switch -- yanked the shaft forward, breaking the wafers and rotors.
So, sometimes the road to Heck is also paved with good packing intentions.
Avoid crating, unless the guy knows what he's doing (hard to tell) and it's
going truck freight -- palletized. Otherwise, the crate has to be built
just so and then padded and put into an oversized box with more padding --
to protect the crate, so it doesn't break and wreck the radio. Someone can
be a pretty good carpenter/cabinet maker, but not really know how to crate
things. Otherwise, you're putting a stronger immovable object in close
proximity to the delicate goods. It's like that game -- paper, rock,
scissors or whatever -- plywood can break aluminum - and even steel on a bad
day. If a good corrugated box package gets dropped a foot on its corner, it
should dent and absorb the shock and compression. How about a wooden box?
About a half-dozen ways to go wrong.
Finally, some parts should be braced at the strong points -- not padded
over, like the front panel of a scope. I guess that one was missing it's
front cover, which might have helped. Without that, it needed a block of
styrofoam with indentations for the controls or similar -- like a modified
foam insert from a computer case so that the front was supported by the
edges. Even if heavily padded with bubblewrap or polyurethane foam, the
controls can work their way through -- and sometimes, air ain't so soft, if
you know what I mean.
Y'see, here I've been quiet and you got me started ... ;-) Well, keep up
the ol' caveat emptor-ing. I think I've beat this dead horse enough, right?
Barry
----- Original Message -----
From: "B Riches" <bill.riches at verizon.net>
To: <r-390 at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, June 04, 2004 4:44 PM
Subject: [R-390] Shipper Packing
A heads up!! When you purchase a piece of equipment from someone make sure
that the seller agrees to refund your money if it arrives damaged due to
poor packing and the Post Office or other carrier refuses to honor a claim
because of poor packing.
I purchased a Tek 465 scope from a person that used shredded paper along
with a very beat up carton. The scope took a hit on the face and bent a few
controls and ruined the attenuator. The postal inspector laughed when I
tried to file a damage claim. I now have an expensive parts unit. This
person sells a bit of equipment - contact me off list if you wish more info.
Buyer beware.
73,
Bill Riches, WA2DVU
Cape May, NJ
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R-390 mailing list
R-390 at mailman.qth.net
http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/r-390
------------------------------
Message: 6
Date: Fri, 4 Jun 2004 19:38:58 -0400
From: "David C. Hallam" <dhallam at rapidsys.com>
Subject: Re: [R-390] Shipper Packing
To: "R-390 List" <r-390 at mailman.qth.net>
Message-ID: <NFBBJDPKCPDDNNAFOPDGAEKDCNAA.dhallam at rapidsys.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
I agree that you have to be careful. It's tough to ship these heavy pieces
of electronic gear. UPS says that if the packing can't withstand a fall
from their conveyors, they don't want to take. I shipped a Johnson Invader
once. UPS just about took the package apart to see how it was packed.
I have bought and sold things on eBay for several years now. In the
beginning I used a commercial packer, who said they specialized in
electronic and heavy stuff, to prepare and ship some heavy items. He told
me he used foamed in place and other methods to protect the items. His
foamed in place turned out to be several layers of bubble wrap. I dropped
him as soon as I found out what he was doing. Now I try to stay away from
things that are difficult to pack.
I bought a capacitor checker a couple of weeks ago on eBay. When I got the
package from FedEx, it rattled, opened it up, and piece of broken tube fell
out of the holes in the bottom of the case. The exterior was fine, but the
chassis inside had broken loose. I will have to admit that the seller
handled it very well. He refunded my money within a day or two and said he
would file a claim with FedEx.
Companies have packaging engineers on staff to design shipping packages.
Even then some things get broken. Nothing is absolutely bullet proof.
If you are buying an irreplaceable piece of equipment, you are better off to
arrange for pick up.
------------------------------
Message: 7
Date: Fri, 04 Jun 2004 21:00:36 -0700
From: "Kenneth G. Gordon" <kgordon at moscow.com>
Subject: Re: [R-390] R-390 Visual Alignment
To: ToddRoberts2001 at aol.com
Cc: R-390 at mailman.qth.net
Message-ID: <40C0E2F4.6682.3D55A9 at localhost>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
> Ken, I have never heard of a visual alignment procedure for a multi-stage
> transformer I.F. strip. Where can I find out more about this? Thanks, yours
> truly, Todd Roberts WD4NGG.
For those who are not familiar with this method, it consists of using a sweep
generator covering the IF frequency, and an oscilloscope, preferably with a
triggered sweep and blanking on re-trace. It would also help if the o'scope
had a long persistence phosphor on the screen.
For a single-conversion receiver with a 455 Khz IF, you connect the sweep
generator through a DC blocking capacitor at the plate of the 1st mixer tube.
Set the sweep genny frequency so that it sweeps from 440 to 460 Khz, and
set the sweep rate as slow as it will go.
Connect the output of the sweep generator also to the scope so that it
controls the horizontal sweep and in synchronized with it.
Connect the vertical input of the scope to the plate of the detector tube. You
may find that connection to the grid of the detector tube makes a slight
difference so try it both ways. I prefer the plate. Again, I use a large value
capacitor.
With the lights dimmed so you can see the trace, start your sweep generator.
When you have everything set right, you will see, on the scope screen, a
visual representation of your receiver's IF passband.
If your scope doesn't blank on re-trace, you will see two images. By proper
manipulation of the controls, you can separate the two traces.
Now, when you make any adjustment to any transformer in the IF strip, you
will instantaneously see the effect. You may have to adjust the sweep
generator amplitude until you get a large enough trace.
Once you figure out how to use this method, it is REALLY NEAT and makes
perfect adjustment of IF strips really easy.
I hope this helps.
Ken W7EKB
------------------------------
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