NEED Tram D201A Channel selector

[Adamf]

Hi all, I have a Tram D201A that needed a little work on the channel selector, it worked about 90% but I decided to take it apart and clean it HOWEVER I made a mistake and reassembled improperly and damaged one of the little metal fingers on one of the blocks and needless to say the channel selector does not work properly now so I need either another channel selector or one of the BLACK blocks with the metal fingers that is not bent on any of them. I know it's a long shot but I'll ask anyway. Thanks for any help. Adam

 

[nomadradio]

Biggest problem with that selector is the flat part of the hole in each contact disk. The disk is made from G10, the same fiberglass/epoxy used to make printed circuit boards. The shaft has a flat that keeps the discs lined up with one another. The flat part of the disk's center hole will wear unevenly. The torque of the shaft compresses the G10 material at the outer ends of the flat, turning it into a gentle crescent shape. Now the two contact disks will drift apart from proper alignment. Causes dropouts, and sometimes connects two crystals to the oscillator circuit at the same time.

Even if you get the fixed contact fingers straightened out you'll have only so many turns of the knob before the 'flat to crescent' conversion takes place inside the selector.

73

 

[Shockwave]

The other problem is the black switch will eventually wear cut marks right trough the PC board traces on the switch. This switch caused lots of problems for Tram since many radios required service while still under warranty. At some point, Tram changed this switch to a gray version, with much improved results. But it was far too late, with most D-201A's, sold with the undesirable black switch.

 

[tramd]

Whenever one takes any type of switch apart it's best to mark the sections so it can be reassembled correctly. I always just draw a line diagonally across that type. One could also number or letter the sections.

 

[Retro CB Guy]

Adam, You might try RR Communications. Here is the link, look toward the bottom sir.

Let me know 73's, Retro

http://www.rrcom.com/sales/preownedequipmentforsale.html

 

[Shadetree Mechanic]

I wonder if a channel king could be retrofit?

 

[nomadradio]

I wonder if a channel king could be retrofit?

Only if you install a PLL for it to control.

The original black switch was made by A-MP. Usually a reputable supplier, but they blew this design. They were going bad within a month, sometimes less. Customers would bring in a new D201A, and we'd confirm the failure. When we called Tram for a return authorization, they would offer to send a new crystal syn board if we promised to ship them the old one. Our charge to swap the old board for the new one was close to the shipping cost from KY to New Hampshire. Their warranty backlog was out of control. This way the customer got his radio back a lot sooner.

The redesigned gray switch arrived just in time for Tram to go under forever. They never had the chance to redesign the crystal board for the new selector. Installation requires drilling new holes, removing foil traces and replacing them with a couple dozen thin wires with teflon sleeve over them. They end up so close together that plastic insulation would be a melted mess.

What this radio needs is a good digital synthesizer.

73

 

[nomadradio]

Adam, You might try RR Communications.

They list product "RR62". A D201A crystal board for 300 bucks.

'Nuff said.

73