Coil Cans Slug broken

[hacksaw1340]

HI y'all,

I bought a connex 3300 and the slugs in most of the coil cans are broken, I have a friend who bought a used connex 3300hp, slugs broken also, what happens to these radios for these to be broken?

 

[Dmans]

Someone tweaking the slugs to try and get 1/2 watt more power with a metal tipped screwdriver will break the slug every time.
A plastic or ceramic screwdriver blade ( I prefer plastic) will usually get that extra 1/2 watt without breaking the slug.

73
David

 

[brandon7861]

I like to gently heat them with hot air to get the wax softened up and work them in and out to get the bulk of the wax out of the threads

 

[nomadradio]

One dodge we learned to use is to take advantage of the 10mm cans' design. This won't work with the skinnier 7mm coils used in some later-designed radios.

Carefully unsoldering and removing a 10mm coil with the skinny tuning slug will reveal an unbroken slot looking at you from under the can. Good chance you can gently persuade the unbroken end to come out the bottom all the way. Clean out the leftover fragments from the shattered end. Don't want the slug to seize up on debris particles.

Inserting the slug into the top with the good side out will nearly always tune properly once it's soldered back onto the circuit board.

Just beware of the deadly "dead even" problem. The small slugs should always show a peak with the slug one or two turns minimum below the rim of the hole in the top of the can. If it appears to peak DEAD EVEN with the rim, this indicates trouble inside that coil.

I'll leave it there for the moment, but if all of them peak properly below the rim, that part of the picture ain't broke.

73

 

[hacksaw1340]

Thanks guys!!

I think I know what’s going on, and some folks out there did the same as me, bought cheap ceramic screwdrivers!!! After using heat. Cleaning the wax off the slug and the can I very gently broke a slug! Culprit is a wedged tip on the ceramic driver. It fits great until you apply a tad bit of downward pressure and crack/pop the slug! So even I can break them!!

Notice the wedge tip shape

 

[hacksaw1340]

By the way, where can I get a slug that’s missing from L20? PLL offset osc? It’s missing. Seems none of my parts radios slugs will fit it.

 

[BlackPearlRadio557]

Isn't cutting a slug in half one of Lou Franklin's broadbanding tricks?

 

[nomadradio]

It will extend a coil's coverage upwards in frequency. Only helps to broadband above the 40 channels, not below.

73