RE-CAP My SBE Console V

[Robb]

Whenever the topic of "recapping" comes up it typically follows that some may say "recaps are unneeded". In general I have no problem with that as, at some point, it is up to the owner to make that call.

To that end, I have always wondered..... "how bad do they get"???

At this point I have replaced 35 caps in my SBE Console V (ONE of them I have excluded from this test, as I pulled one of it's legs out when removing it. GOT to DESOLDER the RIGHT HOLE!!!!)

What I have done here, just for giggles, is to run each cap that I have already replaced (not quite finished, a handful more to go!) across my ESR tester. Just one of the little cheap-o Chinese ones.... no lab insstrument!
I did this to get an idea how bad things were across the radio as a whole.

The more experienced here will most likely already know statistics like this.... the less experienced here might enjoy seeing what I found and get more a "feel" of their own as to whether they should or should not commit to a recap. As always, your mileage may vary!

Please watch the units on the capacitance measured. Some were so bad that I believe the tester thought they were not electrolytics and so did not show an ESR value. A small few.....failed to even read as a working device. It is what it is!

(PS I hope the formatting turns out right!)

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Marked Measured ESR
1 uF 66.15nF -
1 uF 1.293 uF 34
1 uF 268.2 nF 0.14K
1 uF 1.467 uF 0.14K
1 uF 529 pF -
1 uF 867.5 nF 0.14K
1 uF 1.356 uF 0.14K
1 uF 42.46 nF -
1 uF 617 pF -
1 uF 6.032 nF -
4.7 uF 6.437 uF 5.9
4.7 uF 6.328 uF 10
4.7 uF 6.382 uF 9.9
10 uF 217 pF -
10 uF 102 pF -
10 uF 114 pF -
10 uF 117 pF -
10 uF 4.187 uF 0.14K
10 uF 6.135 uF 0.14K
10 uF 77 pF -
22 uF 35.81 uF 20
47 uF 18 uF 0.14K
47 uF 583 pF -
47 uF 3.939 nF -
47 uF 50.15 uF 7.3
100 uF 175 uF 30
220 uF no reading
220 uF 310 uF 3.4
220 uF no reading
220 uF no reading
220 uF 311 uF 5
220 uF 292 uF 8.7
2200 uF 2736 uF 20
3300 uF 3726 uF 21

This all reminds me of no less that two Uniden PC 244's I had recapped a year ago - or so. One was my radio and the other was for a local op. Had much the same results you did testing all of the removed caps.

Both radios had been aligned and both work flawlessly now.
In fact, my PC 244 is my daily driver.
It is just that good.

Sure would like to hear that you had as much luck with your results for your project.

Any/all info for this radio that you can provide here is much appreciated!!!

 

[Holydvr]

Did you ever finish the recap?

 

[danmcclain]

Another Saturday, and I am continuing with the recap of my SBE Console V.

I'm doing it slowly and carefully, as my old eyes aren't what they used to be AND I SERIOUSLY need to do something about better LIGHT! THAT would help.

But I am now at the 21 caps out of 48 (estimated on my list, count may go up a few) and I got a wild thought...

Why not power it up and make sure no confetti comes out???

I actually had very good confidence about this as I am changing caps one at a time, verifying the polarity ON the cap as it comes out AND checking it against the silkscreen on the PCB to be sure that they silkscreen is right (all are so far!). So I figured what the heck and powered it up.

No smoke, no fire, no pops.... just .... all the lights came on like they should. Didn't hear any RF noise (which did NOT surprise me .... the last few times I had it on...it was VERY VERY weak ..even when I was getting signal.

Then.... I got a wilder idea...

I fired up the Boonton 102 (500 MHz AM/FM RF Generator), set it on 27.205 with 1 KHz modulation a little under 100% and fed it in.

On Channel 20 with the volume knob ALL the way up.....I can hear it VERY CLEARLY..... but only at what I would call about 1/4 the loudness it SHOULD be. but, again, it was VERY clean and clear.

Considering that I am near the halfway point on the recap AND still have to do an alignment not ONLY does this result NOT BOTHER me....... I am encouraged. It means.... I haven't broken the thing yet!!!!!!!

Anyway, back to changing caps out.

Oh....another thing I learned.....almost ALL of the pots need cleaning which, again, comes as no surprise! They will get it when I get to that point.

Back to the fun!!!!!!

Nice to know info... Thanks.... I just acquired a SBE Console V myself. But I'm sending it out to be recapped...

 

[OldTech03]

Nice to know info... Thanks.... I just acquired a SBE Console V myself. But I'm sending it out to be recapped...

These are nice radios when they are working but they have had numerous issues through the years they were not very reliable in the longevity department. I recently restored one for a customer which included a recap and it was done first because it had so many issues that I needed to know that caps were not the whole issue and they were not. I tracked down 2 transistors that even though the tester claimed they were good they were not. But once all was fixed the man is still using it 5 months later without any problems. Good luck.

KD90AE, KFL6758, B52
Denny Grimes Iowa.

 

[Holydvr]

These are nice radios when they are working but they have had numerous issues through the years they were not very reliable in the longevity department. I recently restored one for a customer which included a recap and it was done first because it had so many issues that I needed to know that caps were not the whole issue and they were not. I tracked down 2 transistors that even though the tester claimed they were good they were not. But once all was fixed the man is still using it 5 months later without any problems. Good luck.

KD90AE, KFL6758, B52
Denny Grimes Iowa.

I have got two of them. Time will tell, as I have yet to dig into them. One works well, but has issues with the led display.

 

[danmcclain]

I have got two of them. Time will tell, as I have yet to dig into them. One works well, but has issues with the led display.

When I got this one the internal speaker didn't work and I barely got any volume from an external speaker. And the only feature I'm not happy with black meter needles against a dark background.

 

[guitar_199]

Did you ever finish the recap?

Sorry it took so long....

Yes I did a long time ago. In aligning it..... I got "ham handed" with a multimeter probe, apparently touched TWO things with the probe tip, heard a "very slight pop"......

and PPPPPHHHHhhhhhhttttttt she was gone!!!!!!!!

I chased down that something got fritzed down in the power supply section and got in a bad mood ( )... and just put it on the shelf and haven't been back to it.

I have a "parts spare" for it.... PLUS..... in a batch purchase from an estate.... about 2 years ago... I got a Console V, A Trinidad 23, and a Trinidad 40... as well as a bunch of other radios. So if I ever decide to get back to it..... I have both a backup AND a parts spare.

 

[rogodee]

I recapped mine and it brought it back alive. Those console vs are notorious for bad solder joints and they are double sided board. Kinda a nightmare to work on. I've owned probably 5 or 6 of them and only 2 ever worked right. Another problem is the "speech spander" board goes bad as the chip fails.. good luck