[amsat-bb] Installed Symek IFD in TS-2000X

["Mark L. Hammond" <mlhammond@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello all,

I installed the Symek IFD board in my TS-2000X yesterday.  There are several pictures here:
http://webpages.charter.net/mlhammond/ham/TS2000X_IFD

Here is the essence of the mod:
http://webpages.charter.net/mlhammond/ham/TS2000X_IFD/MVC-486F.JPG


Comments:
1--The instructions are very good!  Thanks to Ulf, all of the details and photographs in the instruction set were very helpful (available here: http://www.symek.com/down/ts2000-ifd.pdf )

2--I decided it was best for me to completely remove the 435 receiving board.  I could not solder with the board "standing on end" and the ribbon cables were pulling out anyhow.  It was not a big deal to fully remove the board.   Much easier to solder the surface mount components this way.

3--I did solder the IFD DATA OUT to the 13-pin DIN connector "ACC2".  Pin 6 is unused and is accessible from the back of the jack on the second row, so I am using it.  There are images of this here:
http://webpages.charter.net/mlhammond/ham/TS2000X_IFD/MVC-499F.JPG
http://webpages.charter.net/mlhammond/ham/TS2000X_IFD/MVC-503F.JPG
I connected the shield to Pin 4 (ground).

4--I see "noise" on my scope from the output of the IFD board and have worked a few AO-51 passes at 9600 baud through the normal connector on the rig.  So, that is good news--nothing appears to have been broken :)

5--The fact that my unit is the TS-2000X does not matter--the 1.2GHz module is out of site and not in the way in any manner.

6--The complete mod (from screws out to screws in) took me about 4 hours.  I worked slow and steady...doing it again could go quite a bit faster.

I cannot wait to try it on at 38k4 on AO-51!  Here's hoping for a 38k4 experimental period soon.


73,

Mark L. Hammond  [N8MH]
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