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What is so special about a GE superbase anyway?

danmcclain said:
I've been providing Sams info on radios for people if I have it since I've been here...
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Yeah. I know. I was hunting around for a demco super and all I got is the deluxe. Even the one on cbtricks is labeled wrong. Its also a deluxe.
 
vswr said:
Yeah. I know. I was hunting around for a demco super and all I got is the deluxe. Even the one on cbtricks is labeled wrong. Its also a deluxe.
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Do I know you by another name? Yeah that Demco Super is an elusive critter..
 
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vswr said:
My superbase is dead. Nothing but static, no tx, no rx. I havent started on itbyet but did do some research over at grumpy's. I readcthat the superbase was notorious for leaking caps and the goo eating runs on the board. I did notice a crystal with 3 leads. Never seen one before. Does anyone have a service manual or decent schematic so that I can start the project? Thanks

73s
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It's a Crystal Filter. Located between Q5 and Q6.
 
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The best thing to do with that radio is to take the bottom board out. About a dozen screws and four wires to unsolder. That's the board with the large cap that always seems to leak and destroys the traces. It's much easier to work on then, instead of constantly flipping that heavy radio over and having to lift the upper board up and down to get to the solder side of the bottom board, and taking a chance on breaking the wires off the upper board. There are also many connections between the upper and lower traces on both boards that may cause issues. These all need to be resoldered, as the solder may be cracked due to thermal expansion and contraction over the years. You may have to do circuit trace repair, as many radios I have worked on with these boards will have damaged traces due to the caps leaking, especially the bottom board. There are also issues with the VFO blocks in these, and they are not obtainable anymore. Klondike Mike sell cap kits for these. Here is the manual with schematics:
 

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Here is the SAMS for it:
 

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I just love how they break a wiring diagram or schematic into a couple pages so you can't print it out in landscape. Maybe the rest of you are OK with it and deal with it OK but it is my idiosyncrasy. LOL
 
tramd said:
The best thing to do with that radio is to take the bottom board out. About a dozen screws and four wires to unsolder. That's the board with the large cap that always seems to leak and destroys the traces. It's much easier to work on then, instead of constantly flipping that heavy radio over and having to lift the upper board up and down to get to the solder side of the bottom board, and taking a chance on breaking the wires off the upper board. There are also many connections between the upper and lower traces on both boards that may cause issues. These all need to be resoldered, as the solder may be cracked due to thermal expansion and contraction over the years. You may have to do circuit trace repair, as many radios I have worked on with these boards will have damaged traces due to the caps leaking, especially the bottom board. There are also issues with the VFO blocks in these, and they are not obtainable anymore. Klondike Mike sell cap kits for these. Here is the manual with schematics:
Click to expand...
Man I appreciate all that insight and manual info. I sure do hope that my VCO block isnt the final problem. I have the board loose and im going to start working on this one soon. I just finished my mk3 set and started on my demco set. Nothing weighs more than flipping a dak x over for repair. Ive never found a heavier and bulkier radio like the dak x. I might put the demco aside. Im curious to see whats up with this super duper problematic ge base. So far Ive discovered that there are 2 radios I hate working on. This GE and the motorola 555. Just bloody horrible boxes. Not engineered to ever require repair it seems.
 
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