[R-390] New Project (Progress)

[Carole White-Connor]

Well, we're getting somewhere:

1. The PTO problem was a loose coupler. I loosened a clamp, fit the ridges and
indentations, tightened it up, and it works. It's 25 khz off but I'll fix that
later. You folks pointed me in the right direction there. Thank you.

2. I have reception on all bands. However, there is a lot of hiss/static and
sensitivity is not where it should be. This may be a long-standing problem with
this radio. I see that the IF gain is set at max. If I back it off a bit, I lose
a lot of sensitivity. Any ideas? Reception is consistent on the bands above and
below 8 mhz. The noise limiter works well to remove a fair amount of the
hiss/static.

3. I tested the tubes and replaced 4-5 that were weak or had shorted elements. I
noted minor improvement.

4. Reception on the 0-1 mhz band is really lousy. Strong BCB stations come in
weakly. This is the only band that is this bad. (The 2-3 mhz band may be bad,
too, but I haven't played with that band too much).

5. The crystal oven heats up even though the switch on the back is off. I
disconnected a lead from this switch to disable it, but the oven still heats. Is
this a problem? Is there an easy way to disable it?

6. On a strong local AM station, the audio is strong and clear. On the strong SW
stations I receive, the audio is good, too.

I'm just wondering where I should go and what I should do next. Again, my test
equipment is limited to a VTVM, signal generator and tube tester. So far, I'm
having fun with this set and am learning a lot. The Y2K manual is a amazing. I
wish I had something comparable for every set I work on. Any ideas or
suggestions would be gratefully appreciated!!


Joe Connor