I just picked up this stock radio and want to power it up some. I don’t want to “bend it til it breaks” just “adjust” it to do the best it can. As I live in nowhere rural Michigan, there aren’t really any shops around for me to have a pro service it. So with my limited basic electric knowledge and abilities I’m on my own, with a dash of optimism. (cross your fingers for me)
A couple general questions I have before we start:
1.) If I’m planning to put an amp on the thing would it be better to leave the coils and limiter(s) along, and stay with all stock settings and such?
1a.) Would it make a diferance if it was a incoming signal amp vs. bi-directional amp.
2.) I’m planning on putting a Wilson 500 or maybe the 1000 if I can find one cheap. Do I need to have the antenna, and tune the SWR before I make any mods, or can I do the bench work than get the rig all setup?
3. ) I’ll mount the antenna in the center of the roof of my car for best signal field reach. Do the magnets on the magnet mount style inhibit the field strength any? If you’d recommend a different brand, style, or mounting position please let me know your thoughts. I was also considering a 1/4 100” whip on the front or rear bumper. Again, just trying to do the best I can with a single antenna setup.
Ok, with that out of the way here we go…
I have looked online to a few pages, searches and such places to find power mods referring to the Uniden PRO-530e. This is what I’m found so far:
(forget where I got this one)
Uniden Pro-530e: {L11, L14, Q20-AMC}
(tom’s power page)
PRO 530 E Cut D14 VR11
(yet, another page, I think this older 530e board is diff.)
Uniden PRO-510XL,PRO-500D,PRO-520XL
POWER TWEAKS:
1. Locate the 2.7 ohm resistor in front of the final bias resistor(15 Ohm w/RF bead) and change it to a .47 Ohm. (DO NOT change the 15 Ohm resistor!!)
2. Re-tune L9,L6,L5,L4 for maximum forward power.
MODULATION: Cut D14
AM POWER: L6,L5
VR1: Squelch
VR2: TX meter
VR3: RX meter
VR4: RX IF gain
So as you can see there is some conflicting data out there. (what!? Mis-information on the internet!! No way.
Plus this doesn’t seem to be what my radio’s board looks like. My 530e does have the D14 deal. But, do I really want to desolder it?? Plus the “copper coils” on mine are L9, L10, and a smaller L15. There are two other coils L11 and L14, but they are wound around a core of something or other. At this point I’m getting a little lost with what to do, or not do, to this radio. Mine also doesn’t have the VR11. So whatever…
So ok, if it’s a matter of “clipping” D14 and spreading coils L9, and L10 until all the needle shows highest wattage, that would be great! Or is this just not going to be that simple? If you’re just going to tell me that in order to have a NASA tuned radio I have hook it up to a scope and a flux capacitor and whatnot, that’s ok, never mind. I simply don’t have that, can’t spend the money to have it done right. If there are simple things I can do, all be it not perfect, to make this radio a little more powerful, that would be pretty awesome!
Thanks for all your help guys!
P.S. No offence to all the pros out there that do things the right way and really know what there doing. Just hoping there’s a simple mod for this one.
A couple general questions I have before we start:
1.) If I’m planning to put an amp on the thing would it be better to leave the coils and limiter(s) along, and stay with all stock settings and such?
1a.) Would it make a diferance if it was a incoming signal amp vs. bi-directional amp.
2.) I’m planning on putting a Wilson 500 or maybe the 1000 if I can find one cheap. Do I need to have the antenna, and tune the SWR before I make any mods, or can I do the bench work than get the rig all setup?
3. ) I’ll mount the antenna in the center of the roof of my car for best signal field reach. Do the magnets on the magnet mount style inhibit the field strength any? If you’d recommend a different brand, style, or mounting position please let me know your thoughts. I was also considering a 1/4 100” whip on the front or rear bumper. Again, just trying to do the best I can with a single antenna setup.
Ok, with that out of the way here we go…
I have looked online to a few pages, searches and such places to find power mods referring to the Uniden PRO-530e. This is what I’m found so far:
(forget where I got this one)
Uniden Pro-530e: {L11, L14, Q20-AMC}
(tom’s power page)
PRO 530 E Cut D14 VR11
(yet, another page, I think this older 530e board is diff.)
Uniden PRO-510XL,PRO-500D,PRO-520XL
POWER TWEAKS:
1. Locate the 2.7 ohm resistor in front of the final bias resistor(15 Ohm w/RF bead) and change it to a .47 Ohm. (DO NOT change the 15 Ohm resistor!!)
2. Re-tune L9,L6,L5,L4 for maximum forward power.
MODULATION: Cut D14
AM POWER: L6,L5
VR1: Squelch
VR2: TX meter
VR3: RX meter
VR4: RX IF gain
So as you can see there is some conflicting data out there. (what!? Mis-information on the internet!! No way.
Plus this doesn’t seem to be what my radio’s board looks like. My 530e does have the D14 deal. But, do I really want to desolder it?? Plus the “copper coils” on mine are L9, L10, and a smaller L15. There are two other coils L11 and L14, but they are wound around a core of something or other. At this point I’m getting a little lost with what to do, or not do, to this radio. Mine also doesn’t have the VR11. So whatever… So ok, if it’s a matter of “clipping” D14 and spreading coils L9, and L10 until all the needle shows highest wattage, that would be great! Or is this just not going to be that simple? If you’re just going to tell me that in order to have a NASA tuned radio I have hook it up to a scope and a flux capacitor and whatnot, that’s ok, never mind. I simply don’t have that, can’t spend the money to have it done right. If there are simple things I can do, all be it not perfect, to make this radio a little more powerful, that would be pretty awesome!
Thanks for all your help guys!
P.S. No offence to all the pros out there that do things the right way and really know what there doing. Just hoping there’s a simple mod for this one.
