[R-390] A bit more on my IF deck

JMILLER1706 at cfl.rr.com JMILLER1706 at cfl.rr.com
Tue Mar 7 13:50:14 EST 2006


Barry
I just noted you are using a 410B VTVM which should be fine.  So forget 
that part of my comment.  I can suggest no other reasons you are not 
getting -0.4... but just be sure you are reproducing the exact test 
configuration the manual calls for.  Oh, another thing that can affect 
B+ voltage (and operating points) is a conversion to solid state 
rectifiers, unless you have used a 220 ohm dropping resistor.

----- Original Message -----
From: JMILLER1706 at cfl.rr.com
Date: Tuesday, March 7, 2006 1:41 pm
Subject: Re: [R-390] A bit more on my IF deck
To: "n4buq at knology.net" <n4buq at knology.net>
Cc: R-390 at mailman.qth.net

> It could be a difference in tube performance, but also keep in 
> mind 
> that there is AGC on some grids and you could be seeing some 
> residual 
> AGC bias voltage.  Also, with the higher line voltages today (120+ 
> VAC), the B+ lines will run somewhat higher than spec. which could 
> change the operating points of the tubes.  To compare against the 
> voltages in the maintenance manual, I think you should also be 
> using 
> the spec-ed AC line voltage input.   A variac cranked down to 115 
> probably.  Finally, these are very high impedance circuits.  If 
> you 
> measure grid voltage with a standard VOM, you could be dragging 
> the 
> voltage down through the meter.  Need to use a very high impedance 
> VTVM 
> like they had in the old days for working with tube circuits.
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "n4buq at knology.net" <n4buq at knology.net>
> Date: Tuesday, March 7, 2006 1:01 pm
> Subject: Re: [R-390] A bit more on my IF deck
> To: JMILLER1706 at cfl.rr.com, R-390 at mailman.qth.net
> 
> > 
> > Pin 2 has a path to ground through R545, R546, and R547 which 
> add 
> > up to 
> > 500K.  The path through R544 meanders through the system and 
> there 
> > are a 
> > few paths to ground I see; however at 2.7M, it is a bit 
> negligible 
> > on the 
> > overall resistance.  I'm thinking the 500K listed in the manual 
> is 
> > theoretically incorrect, but I'm wondering how close that needs 
> to 
> > be.  
> > Since I'm not getting the -0.4V on that pin, I'm trying to 
> figure 
> > out why.  
> > It may just be a weak tube.  I need to try some subs and also 
> > check that 
> > pin on my other R390A just to see if I see any differences.
> > 
> > Thanks!
> > 
> > Barry - N4BUQ
> > 
> > 
> > > Let's see.... from pin 2 of V-506 it looks like paths to 
> ground are:
> > > R547 (220K) + R544 (2.7M) to ground thru whatever resistance 
> to 
> > ground 
> > > is in the B+ line in the power supply.
> > > In parallel with:
> > > R234 1.5M which is on the AGC line in the RF chassis.
> > > What's the math for those parallel resistors?  I get about 1M, 
> > which 
> > > doesn't agree with the 500K you're reading...is there another 
> > > resistance to ground I am missing?  Look all along the AGC 
> line 
> > to see 
> > > if there are others in the RF deck...I can't find any others.
> > > Or am I reading this all wrong?
> > > 
> > > 
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "n4buq at knology.net" <n4buq at knology.net>
> > > Date: Tuesday, March 7, 2006 11:46 am
> > > Subject: Re: [R-390] A bit more on my IF deck
> > > To: JMILLER1706 at cfl.rr.com, R-390 at mailman.qth.net
> > > 
> > > > Oops!!!  In my post below, I wrote Pin 6 of V506.  I meant 
> Pin 
> > 2 
> > > > of V506A 
> > > > (the grid of the AGC Time Constant Tube).  Sorry.
> > > > 
> > > > Barry - N4BUQ
> > > > 
> > > > > Isn't V-506B the AM detector?  If I am reading the 
> schematic 
> > > > right, V-
> > > > > 506B doesn't connect to the RF deck,... I htink it 
> connects 
> > to 
> > > > the AF 
> > > > > deck (it provides audio to the AF deck).
> > > > > 
> > > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > > From: "n4buq at knology.net" <n4buq at knology.net>
> > > > > Date: Tuesday, March 7, 2006 9:12 am
> > > > > Subject: Re: [R-390] A bit more on my IF deck
> > > > > To: R-390 at mailman.qth.net
> > > > > 
> > > > > > Okay, I think I'm carrying on a conversation with myself 
> > here, 
> > > > but 
> > > > > > I'll 
> > > > > > continue...
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > When I pull the main connector from the IF deck, the 
> > > > resistance at 
> > > > > > Pin 6 of 
> > > > > > V506 goes very close to 500K (what the book says it 
> should 
> > > > be).  
> > > > > > If I 
> > > > > > reconnect the IF connector and unplug the RF deck 
> > connector, 
> > > > the 
> > > > > > same 
> > > > > > thing: 500K.  So, I checked the resistance at pin "E" of 
> > the 
> > > > RF 
> > > > > > deck (the 
> > > > > > point where Pin 6 of V506 connects to the RF deck).  I 
> get 
> > > > about 
> > > > > > 1.8M 
> > > > > > here.  Those two resistances in parallel yeild what I'm 
> > seeing 
> > > > at 
> > > > > > Pin 6 of 
> > > > > > V506 when everything is connected.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > I haven't traced it out, but I assume if I'm supposed to 
> > be 
> > > > seeing 
> > > > > > 500K at 
> > > > > > Pin 6 of V506, then the resistance at Pin "E" on the RF 
> > deck 
> > > > > > should be 
> > > > > > nearly infinite.  Any comments on this?
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > Barry - N4BUQ
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > > I got the resistors replaced and all seems fine.  I 
> need 
> > to 
> > > > do a 
> > > > > > full IF
> > > > > > > alignment, but it seems to be behaving just a slight 
> bit 
> > > > better. 
> > > > > > I'm not
> > > > > > > sure, but I think it doesn't take quite as long for 
> the 
> > > > system 
> > > > > > to dump the
> > > > > > > charge from SLOW AGC as it did.  Is that perhaps a 
> > function 
> > > > of 
> > > > > > that 2.7M
> > > > > > > resistor?
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > I wanted to check the resistances and voltages around 
> > where 
> > > > I 
> > > > > > had worked.
> > > > > > > Everything looks pretty good except for pin 2 of V506. 
> 
> > > > > > According to the
> > > > > > > manual, I should have about -0.4V, but I'm getting 
> > nothing 
> > > > > > (HP410B used
> > > > > > > here).  Checking the resistance, the manual states I 
> > should 
> > > > be 
> > > > > > seeing 500K
> > > > > > > in AGC mode and I'm only seeing 400K here.  There are 
> > three 
> > > > > > resistors to 
> > > > > > GND
> > > > > > > from V506, pin 2 and they add up to 500K.  Apparently 
> I 
> > have 
> > > > > > something 
> > > > > > else
> > > > > > > parallel to this that's pulling the resistance down a 
> > bit.  
> > > > It's 
> > > > > > always> something.  Any guesses why I don't see -0.4V here?
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > Thanks,
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > Barry - N4BUQ
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > 
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