Galaxy Saturn 16.65 volts to finals

[Hawkeye351]

Got a doosey on the desk today. It's a Galaxy Saturn (EPT360014B) 6 band.

Story:
Been sitting in storage for over 10 years (in a not very ventilated space).

Visual Evaluation:
Corrosion on SO239 connector.
Rust on top cover.

Operational Evaluation:
Power supply cranked up to 16.65 volts DC.

VCO voltage cranked up to 5.32 volts.

Middle clamp (mirror board, bias board clamp), TP7 removed.

Thick red wire ran from TP7 location over to power supply (16.65 volts going straight to finals).

1N4004 diode strapped across the AM Passthrough regulator.

Main limiter (TR32) removed.

Receive weak
Transmit only 14w PEP on AM
Transmit only 18w SSB
All controls dirty and scratchy
Radio is filthy on the outside

Repaired:
Removed thick red wire from TP7 and replaced the mirror board (bias board) clamp for TP7.
Removed diode off the Passthrough regulator.
Replaced main limiter.
Threw quick alignment on it.

Results:
Transmit output still low, 20w SSB, 15w AM.
Final in between driver and last final is bad.
Passthrough regulator is weak.

Gonna replace that one final, Passthrough regulator, AF regulator, caps, then try it out again.

Again, running these radios "Balls to the wall" isn't necessary. It actually wears parts out. Just a complete alignment is basically all that's needed to get the same if not more watts out of these radios than hacking them up with swing mods, regulator mods, volting mods, limiters yanked out, etc ..

Anyway, all the above comments are only my PERSONAL opinion.

 

[BayouRadioAmplifier]

I worked on an older Saturn with the 013Z board in it a few weeks
ago. I had just over 40 W PEP output SSB. Set it to 10 W carrier
for AM. works good. I posted my RF out bias circuit change.

for the weak receive, tune up the receiver front end RF amp coil L6.
it may have been messed with. as well as L7. due to the noise problem.

I am currently working on an old 2950 with the noisy receiver.
I have read many posts about this. some are detuning the front
end, and that is even in the 2950 procedure.
others are just turning the RF gain down.