Possible Cheap TCXO off the shelf part to fix Galaxy RCI drift. Read Link and tell me what you think!

[Onelasttime]

So I found this while researching for an affordable TCXO mod for Galaxy radio's. It is from 2019. It seems reasonable to me but I have never tried anything like this. I am a parts swaper at best with Mouser and Digi-Key account not a real Electronic Technician! I know just enough to get myself into trouble but not more trouble than I can normaly fix. When I get in too deep I call for help! This might be an ugly but cheap fix that might be refinable by a lot of people on this site.

Finally stopped the Galaxy / ranger drifting - Transmission1

www.transmission1.net

 

[nomadradio]

Lordy! Sue's got it goin' on.

Makes my embedded designs look like high-school science fair projects.

Gotta follow up on that setup.

73

 

[hpssb]

There was about 10 of those done, and can confirm the mod works. Bang on 12 o clock clarification from turn on, cold night or hot summer day doesn't shift it. It just shows the radio makers can make radios that stable but choose not to because of the assumption that their customers either don't care or are not willing to pay for good stability.

Don't expect a quick response from Sue though. Became a first time mom about 2 or 3 years back in her late 40's, not doing any physical radio work until junior starts school, and even after that it will be only part time for a few years more.

 

[TM86]

Don't expect a quick response from Sue though. Became a first time mom about 2 or 3 years back in her late 40's, not doing any physical radio work until junior starts school, and even after that it will be only part time for a few years more.

I was wondering where she disappeared to. Glad to hear it's good news and now we can look forward to her return. She inspired my Sidebander VI "fix".

 

[hpssb]

Last I heard (last Christmas) mom and bubs were doing well. She occasionally pops up on TM1 to answer a question, but is not doing any actual radio work for now.

 

[fourstringburn]

So I found this while researching for an affordable TCXO mod for Galaxy radio's. It is from 2019. It seems reasonable to me but I have never tried anything like this. I am a parts swaper at best with Mouser and Digi-Key account not a real Electronic Technician! I know just enough to get myself into trouble but not more trouble than I can normaly fix. When I get in too deep I call for help! This might be an ugly but cheap fix that might be refinable by a lot of people on this site.

Finally stopped the Galaxy / ranger drifting - Transmission1

www.transmission1.net

You maybe onto something there. Every Galaxy I had on SSB drifted like a sailboat on the open ocean. The 2950 RCI's were better.

 

[9C1Driver]

RigPix Database - CB, "Freeband" and more - Magnum 1 / Magnum One

www.rigpix.com

This radio came with a tcxo circuit from Magnum, great hard to find radio.

 

[Onelasttime]

Imagine the new life that could be given to any and every galaxy for very little $$$.

It is generaly accepted that they have great AM audio and the SSB audio is not bad their issue has always been the drift happy VCO.

It is not like Uniden or Cobra are ever going to make anything like the Uniden Grant XL and President is never going to make anything like the HR2510/2600/Lincoln.

Picking up Galaxy Radio's at ham fests on the cheap combined with this might give us very very usable SSB radio's.

Just a thought though.

PCBWAY will spin up stuff super fast and affordable.

 

[UncleP]

OK, I'm a month late with this but there's newer stuff to make galaxy/ranger radios stable, there's the oscillator board:


and the DDS conversion:


Youtube channel:

MicroChipz

MicroChipz - Channel for electronics new and experienced. We cover repairs, CB radio , Addressable LEDs, Arduino projects, ESp8266 projects.battery BMS and diy projects. Join my Patreon and support the channel https://www.patreon.com/microchipz Official Microchipz facebook group...

www.youtube.com

They have a website (which only works with Chrome for me, not FF or Opera):

Microchipz | CB Radio Mods

Microchipz, YouTube creator and maker of modification boards for vintage CB radios including Cybernet,Uniden. VCO replacements and roger beeps.

www.microchipz.net

and Facebook group:

Microchipz | Facebook

Microchipz , designer and maker of mod boards for Cybernet and Uniden radios. Group dedicated to the YouTube channel Microchipz.

www.facebook.com

Not cheap (imo) but maybe worth it to some, me, I'll just wait for warm up on the Jackson and VR9000 thanks.

 

[Onelasttime]

OK, I'm a month late with this but there's newer stuff to make galaxy/ranger radios stable, there's the oscillator board:


and the DDS conversion:


Youtube channel:

MicroChipz

MicroChipz - Channel for electronics new and experienced. We cover repairs, CB radio , Addressable LEDs, Arduino projects, ESp8266 projects.battery BMS and diy projects. Join my Patreon and support the channel https://www.patreon.com/microchipz Official Microchipz facebook group...

www.youtube.com

They have a website (which only works with Chrome for me, not FF or Opera):

Microchipz | CB Radio Mods

Microchipz, YouTube creator and maker of modification boards for vintage CB radios including Cybernet,Uniden. VCO replacements and roger beeps.

www.microchipz.net

and Facebook group:

Microchipz | Facebook

Microchipz , designer and maker of mod boards for Cybernet and Uniden radios. Group dedicated to the YouTube channel Microchipz.

www.facebook.com

Not cheap (imo) but maybe worth it to some, me, I'll just wait for warm up on the Jackson and VR9000 thanks.

Warmup is not enough! LOL Clearly you have never been in a circle of say 12 guys that talk each night on SSB. The guys with Cobra's or Unidens and even RCI2950 rock steady the guys on Galaxy's, VR9000's and the like drifting all over the place and constantly having to tune them when ever they talk for 4 straight hours on a Michigan Summer night! LOL If it is not warmed up after 4 hours it is never going to happen! LOL

In fact to get that bad on my old RCI2950 I had to have a bad voltage regulator and a bad crystal filter. The voltage regulator failed in such a way that it was still technicaly working but allowing the voltage to swing wildly once the unit warmed up. I had never seen that happen before or since! I operated mobil for 2 years before college in Ga., 8 years in Michigan year round. So from -30°F to 105°F ambient temp. I get warmup and cool down combined with running the heat or AC. Some designs just are not stable by design and componet selection and some are rock steady over a fairly wider spectrum than they should be!