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I am great!
16 October 2011 | by 
Do you see those numbers on the display? Cool, isn’t it? That means I’m smart. Very smart. Bright and clever too. I admit I’m not too good looking, but I do have something of a genius in me. Come on guys, give me a round of applause. I did it! Finally fixed my Kenwood TS-440S. I feel like a million…..whatever currency is worth something nowadays. So, how did this sharp and brainy fellow do it? Simple: follow the 8 Volts.
After I rebuild VFO#5 last week I measured 8 Volts where I should measure 5. This bugged me for a week: where did those 8 Volts come from? So on Sunday morning I fed the family, kissed them good-bye and locked the door of my shack. With schematics, PCB layout and a DVM in hand I started out on my journey following the 8 Volts. It was a difficult track with many resistors on its path, a conductor or two and inductors to counter them. And then I arrived at a three-way junction called FET. Junction FET is known for regulating those obstinate Volts. But what do you know? Junction FET was tired beyond repair and those 8 Volts were going all three ways, where they clearly shouldn’t be. Now those of you who have travelled similar paths before (or should I just call you “old geezers”) know that you should handle junction FET with care. But until now I got away with rough-handling them. Not this time, so I quickly made amends and put in another junction with loads of TLC and some solder. And my journey ended there and then.
My thanks goes out to my family, the Yahoo TS-440S group, Mr. Liu for the components and to you, my dear readers, for putting up with me. SEE YOU ON AIR!!!
P.S. Your turn. I think I deserve at least 10 comments telling me how great I am, don’t you think?
9 Responses to “I am great!”
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You are awesome! 🙂 That is the spirit of ham radio – to create, to fix and to solve the ex intricacies of electronics (without letting out the “Magic smoke”).
73 de Mike KD0MCV
Good afternoon Han’s and let me begin by saying “your great”…very good on you for fixing the Kenwood. It sure is a nice feeling when once a radio was dead and you were the one that brought it back to life again. Nice YouTube video as well. What did you use to film the video?
Have fun with the rig
Mike
VE3WDM
Great job. Now if I can keep my TS-2000X from unlocking and displaying . . . . . . . On 1296.
You are great! Now…on the way to ten comments! Seriously, I hope you enjoy your newly-repaired radio.
Outstanding Hans..FB indeed, glad you could and did repair your TS-440. Hoping to maybe work you one day soon.
73 de Mark
W3LZK
Yup, FB on the repair and you’re great! =D
@Mike KD0MCV: no smoke for me. Have quit that habit for several years now.
@VE3WDM Mike: thanks, we recently bought a Canon Powershot SX220 full HD photo camera after our 8 year old Nikon passed to camera heaven. It is a bit of a quirky camera, but the image quality is superb. Expect more shorts from me in the future.
@Mark W3LZK: well, I am a FeldHell club member and love to have some FH QSOs again. Here in Asia there is not much activity.
@the others: thanks, it does feel great to be able to repair something yourself. Satisfaction guaranteed. I took some hints from the Yahoo TS-440S forum, but they proved wrong, so I was totally on my own. Next on the list: my home build power supply.
OMG, I feel like I’m nothing!
CONGRATS my friend.
W
nr 8 comment?
2 more to go
HI
You are indeed the almighty of the TS-440 for resurrecting such a great rig and doing it with the basic tools: circuit, brain and voltmeter.
True ham spirit and dedication
Well done de Gw6ITJ