VK5 HYBRID RADIO GROUP

VK5 HYBRID RADIO GROUP

This WEB Site is Devoted to Maintaining Hybrid ( Transistor/Valve ) Ham Transceivers

Sunday 6th July 08

We have a regular Net on 7065kHz Sunday afternoons around 3.30pm South Australian Time. When conditions are poor on the 40M band, then we move down to 3666kHz

Visit our Hybridradio Group at http://au.groups.yahoo.com/group/hybridradio/

Click to join hybridradio

Minimum requirements to join in is a Radio with at least one Valve inside. We welcome anyone that has any of the Hybrid Radios, Including any pre 1980's Radios & old all Valve Boat anchors. Hybrid Radios are a combination of Transistors & Valve Driver & Outputs. They are sometimes referred to as a complete Radio in a Box.

HYBRID RADIO RESTORATION

Please read the Safety Information below before attempting to turn on or repair an old Radio

1/ Never ever plug into the mains without the covers in place for the first time. Capacitors & other things can explode if they have not had power across them for some time.

2/ Check the Mains Cable, Plugs & that the correct fuse is fitted carefully before plugging into the mains. I am amazed by the stupid things people do wiring auxiliary mains connected things on the backs of old radios to power other things like Linear Amplifiers.

3/ Never Pickup a Radio without the covers in place if it is plugged into the mains power. Many Hybrid Radios have high voltages inside that are often not covered by insulation. Also be aware of mains voltages that are present on the mains input plug to the Radio & high voltages on the accessories connector. Some Radios have high DC voltages on the power supply boards that can take hours to discharge, & can bite if you pick the Radio up & brush fingers across the connections on the board.

4/ After disconnecting mains power, Always wait for the mains & DC filter capacitors to discharge before placing your hands inside a radio that has high voltages. It is always best to check with a multimeter on any high voltages power supply rails to check that they have discharged before doing any work on the radio. It is ok after a few minutes to completely discharge any capacitors that may not have completely discharged with an insulated screwdriver. Never Ever remove the high voltage cover over the Valve PA unless you have discharged the high voltage electrolytics. There is enough storage in the capacitors to cause severe burns & electric shock.

5/ When doing any alignment on a Radio that is powered up, always use insulated alignment tools, & Never put both hands inside. Never hold the radio chassis with your spare hand which can create a return path if you touch something when you are inside the radio. Make sure that you are aware of where the high voltages are, & be careful not to short any out with tools.

BUYING YOUR FIRST HYBRID RADIO

The most important thing is to check that the front panel, knobs pots etc are in good condition, not broken or scratched. Parts are mainly no longer available, & very few get wrecked for parts so it can be near impossible to even find a knob or pot. Many Hams are reluctant to wreck faulty Radios & tend to store them in the cupboard waiting for a miracle to happen. Repairing scratches on front panels is difficult to do, & can sometimes look worse than leaving a scratch visible. Another problem tends to be finding mains transformers if you have a burnt out one. I recently got caught with a FT101ZD that had a faulty display chip, the 100Hz digit did not light up & was not obvious at first, so it was an extra cost to get a PIC replacement from Japan.

I HAVE GOT MY NEW HYBRID RADIO SO WHAT DO I DO NEXT? ( FOR BEGINNERS )

1/ Read the Safety section above first before plugging in the radio or removing any covers. Don't think that it will all be ok.

2/ Read the Owners manual & become familiar with the Radios operation before plugging it in. Before turning on make sure that the TX & Heater switches are off.

3/ Refer to Restoration pages below for information on how to Restore your Radio.

REPAIRS & RESTORATION

FT101Z/ZD RESTORATION

FT901/2 RESTORATION SOON

FT101B/E & FL101 RESTORATION

FT102 RESTORATION

TS520S RESTORATION SOON

KENWOOD SERVICE BULLETINS

RADIO MANUALS MANY OLDER MODELS

YAESU / SOMMERKAMP DL5OAQ Yaesu / Sommerkamp Picture Galleries

RADIO PICTURE GALLERY

BOATANCHORS DOWNUNDER

KK5DR NOTES ON TS830

PARTS FOR SALE

The various restoration pages above list many parts that are available to repair or restore your Radio.

Relay Catalogue Download Section15 Includes Relays for Yaesu FT102
Capacitor Catalogue Download Section1
Light Globes, Fuses Download Section13
Trimpots Download Section6
Transistors / Fets Section9

( BEWARE ) EBAY STORES That strip Radios & Sell the Parts. We have had some expensive experiences with goods supplied not being as advertised or in bad condition or faulty. One particular seller in the UK is not to be trusted, & is quite rude when you question goods that were supplied unlike the pictures listed, or in a serviceable condition. I don't believe that they were honest mistakes more a way of making easy money.

The Ebay rating system can be extremely unfair to buyers that expect a fair deal. It is often better to not give any feedback if you are unhappy with the goods purchased, else face the roth of the sellers feedback.

Second hand part prices are often very inflated & you would be better off trying to locate an unserviceable old Radio for parts locally. We hope that someone in Australia can eventually set up a supply of parts at reasonable prices.