Re: [amsat-bb] Flakey Drake

[Bruce Nolte N3LSY <brucenol@xxxxxxx>]

Greg D. wrote:

> Hi folks,
>
> Over the weekend my Drake 2880 down converter flaked out on me, and
> then returned to working all by itself.  Right in mid-QSO with VK6NU 
> (sorry
> John!) the receive side of the system went silent.  My first thought was
> that I fried the preamp (I was transmitting at the time), but turning 
> on/off
> the converter didn't change the receive noise level.  Climbed up on the
> roof, checked the wires, etc.  Nothing wrong.  Back in the shack, no 
> change.
>
> Then, a few minutes later I tried it again, and everything had 
> returned to
> normal like nothing had happened.  It wasn't super hot or cold out, no
> rain, no lightning, no wind, no reason to flake out.
>
> The odd thing, this is the second time it's happened.
>
> Anybody else have this trouble?
>
> The Drake is modified only with a new LO crystal (for 2.1ghz LO), and a
> tweeked capacitor in the PLL.
>
> Any suggestions (besides the obvious one...)?
>
> Greg  KO6TH
>
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>
> I would check for power problems, as obvious as it seems. My AIDC 3733 
> has one of those power injectors that puts DC  up the coax, and the 
> wires that supply it to the wall wart are a bit on the thin side and 
> get  tugged around a bit. I have had  to redo the wires inside the 
> power injector box to get it to work reliably.  Not sure how the Drake 
> is powered, but this is something to consider.


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