It's ok - you don't need to explain the cost, we're trying to help you...
Found other things that in comparison - some call these revisions, others call it a "Cheapening"
Here's a "montage" of some of the older board, that I used to work on, that I miss...
View attachment 26066
Upper corner photo? With the hole? Is where the 52MHz trap goes - some other parts appear to be reworked as revisions that are "modern" which I am suprized to see for that era - e.g. - why upgrade when they could keep it like the older style. (Meaning manufactured later in time?) Another - the rework of the SWR section (R5C83) - but in this case - it looks like they took an older board and just repopulated it - like a refurbished board would be (Canada import type of thing) only revised with newer parts.
You mentioned the receive of the radio - well, look at the position of VR 2 - Mid-point - this controls more IF than receiver - and it's like, not "set" or even messed with. Like direct - from the original factory off the assembly line tune and check. The only other reason why I posted that pic is because of the R28 location - anyone whom has used these boards for oddballs, needed R28 as a swamp resistor to broaden the IF curve for receiver performance OOB. (Pirate radio)
The other two clips of the yellow IF can, is for the RF gain control - your radio still uses the typical 1N4148 - but for one of them to be swapped with a different case assembly design versus the "black band - saturated color" design - tells me something - like perhaps it's a Schottky diode inserted to help with performance for VR1s' sake.
Why the above, well - here's the newer version boards...
View attachment 26068
This one is that same VR1 location - expanded to include more of the IF strip - the R28 is missing in later revisions. Sigh - you just have to remember where to place the R28 and even if the IF can, can take the mod.
Another section...
View attachment 26069
This one is the RF Gain section - D3 typical 1N4148 and D11 is intact - note the "saturated colors" these two diodes have - that's what I'm talking about. Different manufacturing origin.
So this radio "survived" - at least the dating of the parts are from that era in time - the PLL 958 number tells me 95 is a good bet and the pre-driver is an older silkscreened C941 - meaning it's stock more than not - so it really is a keeper - they may have done work to upgrade it as a refurbished - but that places the radio in a questionable category when it comes to the Electrolytic caps failing prematurely.
Here's is another example of the JP36 and a second jumper on the other side - now revised to a simple cap reoriented and routed differently...
View attachment 26071
To me this is a good radio to own - for it' has the older board that you can work with soldering wise as well as durability - better than the newer ones.
I'd be happy with it - someone took the time to go thru it but left it stock as much as possible - which would be a credit to you for that - the only place I see any wear and tear is off on the "white core" IF can showing some re-tweaking - more from the secondary alignment than the factory one. Hence the VR1 hard over issue. They didn't know how to tune in tandem with VR2.
The less it's messed with the better off the new owner is...
