Picked up a couple classics in trade

[Bow]

A local Guy I did some swapping with a couple years back missed his KLV-1000 that he traded with me for a Skipper 300.
..

Well, I guess he missed that KLV, which I never really used, so today I traded that KLV for a Uniden Washington and a Grant XL

The Washington works, and sounds pretty good (for a stock radio), and is putting out a 4w carrier on AM...

The only thing I see wrong with it is the meter needle sticks about halfway... and the carrier is set too high....

I hooked up a classic Silver Streak 150 behind it (50w carrier on Low, 125w carrier on High and downward modulation on the needle and O'scope). I figure tomorrow I might pop the lid and turn the carrier down to about 2 Watts.

I haven't plugged on the Grant yet. But he said it works.

I only have 1 mic for both radios (stupid Uniden 5 pin plug), so I will have to wire up an adapter cable.

I have never actually had any "FCC" SSB rigs, as my jump into the SSB world was with an export rig to head North of Channel 40...

Any ideas on fixing the sticking meter?

 

[nomadradio]

On the rear of the meter you should see a hole in the plastic covered by clear adhesive tape. Visible in the hole should be a screw slot. This is the tension adjustment for the meter's pivot bearings. My theory is that the meter's plastic housing shrinks with age, and squeezes the pivot bearings too hard.

Turning the screw slot a fraction of a turn counterclockwise often relieves the excess friction and permits the needle to swing freely again.

Sometimes it won't help at all.

Sometimes the drop of clear enamel they put onto the tiny screw to lock it down will prevent you from turning it before you ruin a couple of jeweler's screwdrivers. No easy way to apply a drop of solvent to it first.

Barkett has a solution to the rare round meter problem. A meter with no scale. You'll have to remove the scale from the bad meter and install it in this replacement he sells.

http://stores.goldeneagleradios.com/replacement-meters-cobra-142-madison-washington-and-more/

We always try the cheap solution first unless the scale is burned brown from someone installing a too-hot bulb behind the meter. If that happens to these round meters, you're just hosed, since you need to recover that from the old one.

73

 

[Rwb]

On the rear of the meter you should see a hole in the plastic covered by clear adhesive tape. Visible in the hole should be a screw slot. This is the tension adjustment for the meter's pivot bearings. My theory is that the meter's plastic housing shrinks with age, and squeezes the pivot bearings too hard.

Turning the screw slot a fraction of a turn counterclockwise often relieves the excess friction and permits the needle to swing freely again.

Sometimes it won't help at all.

Sometimes the drop of clear enamel they put onto the tiny screw to lock it down will prevent you from turning it before you ruin a couple of jeweler's screwdrivers. No easy way to apply a drop of solvent to it first.

Barkett has a solution to the rare round meter problem. A meter with no scale. You'll have to remove the scale from the bad meter and install it in this replacement he sells.

http://stores.goldeneagleradios.com/replacement-meters-cobra-142-madison-washington-and-more/

We always try the cheap solution first unless the scale is burned brown from someone installing a too-hot bulb behind the meter. If that happens to these round meters, you're just hosed, since you need to recover that from the old one.

73

i agree with nomad radio,i use a syrenge n put wee bit solvent in it n stick needle in hole n very carefully put a drop on screw head. let it set couple minutes n try again as soon as finished dropping solvent clean syrenge up letting solvent work. otherwise syrenge is a 1 use item. find syrenges in farm stores or if you know a dibetic they might give tyu 1

 

[Bow]

i agree with nomad radio,i use a syrenge n put wee bit solvent in it n stick needle in hole n very carefully put a drop on screw head. let it set couple minutes n try again as soon as finished dropping solvent clean syrenge up letting solvent work. otherwise syrenge is a 1 use item. find syrenges in farm stores or if you know a dibetic they might give tyu 1

Thanks for the reply Rwb and Nomad. This sounds like another good reason to pop the lid on this thing.

What would be your solvent of choice for this operation?

 

[nomadradio]

Acetone is probably the most likely to help without risk of dissolving any plastic that it touches. It's not healthy for plastic, but it's not the most aggressive solvent, either.

Toluene is probably best, but buying it has gotten difficult. And it's the solvent that was used to make the glue for building plastic models back in the day. Very aggressive to styrene plastics.

73

 

[Bow]

A little dab of Mineral Spirits, a couple 4 letter words and little flat head and the Meter Needle be Swingin'!

Thanks gents

So this thing has been tweaked sometime in it's life (imagine that)...

The mic gain at about 3 o'clock produces something close to a proper modulation envelope when fed a 1khz, 0.03v signal...

And a stock dynamic mic will get hard zero lines on the o'scope if you get a little excited while speaking.

The modulation adjustment does nothing, TR-32( I think it was) doesn't look cut... so that will require a bit more looking around to see who screwed this pooch.

Funny thing, I put an old Silver Streak 150 behind it on high, and into a dummy load , the most average power (without flat-topping the modulation envelope) is 60w.

Plugged the Grant XL in for a quick check, it has been "screwdrivered" as well...

Meter swinging Gorillas...