I have a KW ts-830 which only tunes-up when it wants on all bands except 20 mtr. It does not receive well or send at all on this band. Both 6146 tubes are matched and have been replaced along with the 12b y7. The radio has also been aligned as far as one could do. It had been sitting for about 2 years before I obtained it. Can anyone help?
Thanks & 73's
KB3HTU
Kenwood ts-830
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James H. Snyder Sr.
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Sat Mar 22, 2003 10:09 pm
- Location: Pittsburgh, Pa
Kenwood ts-830
James H. Snyder Sr.
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Bernie Arcand
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 4:29 am
- Location: North Dakota
TS-830 trouble
Jim,
I'm not an expert by any stretch, but have spent 15 years or so in the business-band two-way radio repair shop as service manager. I have a TS-830, and so far no problem. I'd try to do a complete check of the band switch and make sure it is actually switching cleanly and positivly into each band, especially the 20 meter one. If all else fails, Pack & Send to Burghardts Amateur Center in South Dakota for repair. Can't help much past that!
I'm not an expert by any stretch, but have spent 15 years or so in the business-band two-way radio repair shop as service manager. I have a TS-830, and so far no problem. I'd try to do a complete check of the band switch and make sure it is actually switching cleanly and positivly into each band, especially the 20 meter one. If all else fails, Pack & Send to Burghardts Amateur Center in South Dakota for repair. Can't help much past that!
Bernie in ND - 73's
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Don Belcher
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2003 1:32 pm
Hi Jim,
I have a 20+ year ts-830 and I found a ham-technician in KS who just did a wonderful job on mine for a very reasonable fee. I am an RF engineer by training with 35 years of experience and this guy impressed me. If you want, I will forward his contact info to you via a separate email.
73, Don W4JBE
dbelcher@wherenet.com
I have a 20+ year ts-830 and I found a ham-technician in KS who just did a wonderful job on mine for a very reasonable fee. I am an RF engineer by training with 35 years of experience and this guy impressed me. If you want, I will forward his contact info to you via a separate email.
73, Don W4JBE
dbelcher@wherenet.com
TS-830 problem
Hi Jim,I have spent almost all my life as two way radio tech and have repaired many of those old tube type radios like the 830 and almost always,I will say 95% of the time is the bandswitch has corrosion in the tiny contacts,you first choice will be to buy one of those good contact cleaner spray cans and while you be spraying all those contacts,move gently the bandswitch back and forward to get rid of corrosion and dirty,if that don't work or fail again after a while,then do what those guys said,send it to a good tecnician to do a detailed cleaning of the bandswitch.Good luck
God bless America.
TS-830s
James...
A common problem with the 520/820/530/830 family of transceivers results from the use of a nylon coupling which connects the front shaft of the bandswitch with the rear section, which is inside the RF cage.
This bushing is fastened and tightened to the front and rear shafts by way of Allen screws, but the problem is that, with age, the nylon coupling splits through the set-screw holes and will no longer hold the shaft tightly enough to keep the two sections in exact register.
Since there is no detent on the front section, it usually over-travels its contacts and doesn't snap back into correct position when the detent spring on the rear (plate) section falls into place. The front section wafers include those for the transmit mixer and the 12BY7 driver tube, and since those contacts don't always land where they should depending on which direction the knob was rotated and whether the knob was "wiggled" to seat it, etc., the tuning will be erratic and unpredictable.
If you remove the RF cage (unplug the radio and discharge the filter caps) and unplug the front 6146, you can inspect the coupling for splits. If it is, you can loosen the 4 screws with an Allen wrench, then pull the bandswitch knob out of the panel just far enough to remove the bushing through the hole in the front cover of the RF cage. Make a note of where the contacts are positioned before you loosen the set-screws, so you can put it back in register.
You will need to lift the two spring wires that are fitted into grooves in the front shaft before sliding it out of the cage enough to remove the coupling. One of these is on the rear of the panel, the other on the front of the RF cage. Replace the coupling with a metal one of similar dimensions. Before tightening the screws on the rear shaft, put the switch back into register so the front and rear are on the same band. (If you can't find another coupling, you can use the one off the loading capacitor and put the cracked one in its place. It will work there because there is no great strain on the loading cap.)
Don't forget to put those two spring wires back in the shaft grooves. 73.
Phil C.
K4DPK
A common problem with the 520/820/530/830 family of transceivers results from the use of a nylon coupling which connects the front shaft of the bandswitch with the rear section, which is inside the RF cage.
This bushing is fastened and tightened to the front and rear shafts by way of Allen screws, but the problem is that, with age, the nylon coupling splits through the set-screw holes and will no longer hold the shaft tightly enough to keep the two sections in exact register.
Since there is no detent on the front section, it usually over-travels its contacts and doesn't snap back into correct position when the detent spring on the rear (plate) section falls into place. The front section wafers include those for the transmit mixer and the 12BY7 driver tube, and since those contacts don't always land where they should depending on which direction the knob was rotated and whether the knob was "wiggled" to seat it, etc., the tuning will be erratic and unpredictable.
If you remove the RF cage (unplug the radio and discharge the filter caps) and unplug the front 6146, you can inspect the coupling for splits. If it is, you can loosen the 4 screws with an Allen wrench, then pull the bandswitch knob out of the panel just far enough to remove the bushing through the hole in the front cover of the RF cage. Make a note of where the contacts are positioned before you loosen the set-screws, so you can put it back in register.
You will need to lift the two spring wires that are fitted into grooves in the front shaft before sliding it out of the cage enough to remove the coupling. One of these is on the rear of the panel, the other on the front of the RF cage. Replace the coupling with a metal one of similar dimensions. Before tightening the screws on the rear shaft, put the switch back into register so the front and rear are on the same band. (If you can't find another coupling, you can use the one off the loading capacitor and put the cracked one in its place. It will work there because there is no great strain on the loading cap.)
Don't forget to put those two spring wires back in the shaft grooves. 73.
Phil C.
K4DPK