I lost transmit on the vhf side of my DR-610T. looked at this very board and sure enough, could see the cracks in the same spot. I ran a sharp pointer over the solder traces and wherever it was cracked it seemed soft and blended together. I don't feel it is a permanent fix but it did fix the VHF transmit. Once i get a new soldering iron i will fix it permanently. Thanks for the video!
PARA ABRIR O MÓDULO, COLOQUEI O MESMO EM UM PEDAÇO PLANO DE MADEIRA, FIXEI ELE COM PARAFUSOS LATERAIS E COM UMA CHAVE DE FENDA, ENTRE A CARCAÇA DE PLÁSTICO DO MÓDULO E A MADEIRA, DO LADO ESQUERDO, GIREI A CHAVE NO SENTIDO HORÁRIO E FUI DESCOLANDO A PROTEÇÃO DE PLÁSTICO FÁCIL !!! SEM DORES DE CABEÇA 👊😀🤙😎💪😜
Yeah, like I said in the video the boards definitely doesn't like to flex. Luckily they can be fixed. Have to wonder though, how many have been replaced that could have been repaired.
Most do it yourself techs are not aware you can remove the cover. And any warranty it is replaced. I seen some of these cost over 300 bucks. Like my Regency repeater. Uses a similar unit but it is sealed.
I have a DR610 with the same issue. Was fixed along time ago (c 20 yrs!) by a colleague but went again a year or two after. It's taken until now to get around to having a go at fixing it. It looks like the original repair has failed. Luckily I have a better soldering iron now :) As it isn't working, I figure I have nothing to lose by having a go at repairing it (I'm a qualified electronics tech, so not a newbie to this kind of thing). These modules are still available from a few sources so I can always get a replacement module should this one prove too far gone. Nice lab setup there, btw! 73 de G4UCJ.
Mike, Tektronix used to have ceramic terminal strips in their scopes. You were supposed to use a special solder with a percentage of silver in it. Same Here perhaps? This was ( according to legend ) supposed to keep the terminals from coming off the ceramic. Also, I would warm the heat sink to help the soldering process. Less heat robbed from the iron that way. Nice video.
I use SN62 silver solder for pretty much everything I do. Didn't even think about preheating it. I even have a laboratory hot plate. Have to remember that next time around.
thanks for sharing this valuable experience, I was wonder if you have any video which explains component and subsystems of a typical VHF radio transmitter
Hi, Mike! I have one of these DR-605's and it was working fine, then one day I turn it on and no receive on VHF at all. The UHF receives (signal meter shows incoming signal reading). Both UHF and VHF have no receive sound/audio though. Even when I turn the squelch, there's no hissing. The speaker has been tested and is good. Both VHF and UHF transmit fine though. Do you have any ideas what this could be? Maybe the black square/rectangle IF filters?
I have a DR-605T and seem to have lost Tx Power on the UHF side. I can UHF receive fine, but when I key up the mic, there is no output at all (Hi or Lo) when measuring using an SWR and output power meter. Can the issue you dfescribe also happen on the UHF side? Plus, my UHF backlit LCD display is dark. Characters display fine but but the back light is off.
I have this Ham radio, and the only problem I am having is the LED on the 70CM side is very dark. I can still see the frequency, but I need to replace the LED. Can you tell me the size of the LED.
Hi Mike, I know this is an old post, but I am wondering if you have had a DR605T with the screen flashing. I had a electrical storm, the radio was not connected to the antenna, but to the power supply which was damaged. I have not been able to find any info on trouble shooting this issue. Wayne VK2DWP.
Best way is use a hot plate heated to where the solder is just about to melt board won't crack and you have better control of the solder repair. Let the ceramic board cool on the hot plate.
As somebody mentioned it's sop to put them on a hot plate to rework . Easier to rework and less thermal gradient. I've seen dummy blank ceramic boards on one side of a metal plug in card to balance the mechanical stress.
I've got one of these. Mine is not transmitting on high power. It works good on low power. It doesn't do it all of the time. I took it out of the truck and brought it into the house. It started working again. Could this be my problem too ?
I would say "probably" not. If you have a problem with one of the amplifier modules where the traces are cracked it won't work at all. You wouldn't know until you took a oscilloscope and probed the input and output of the module to see if it has input drive power or not.
the small component, just under the coil, connected to the output lead,(the grey one) is that a cap or a resistor? any idea of the value? heve the same amp board here, not cracked butt component burned, would be nice iff you could help. my idea its a resistor, but have no value to replace. mine is burned off! Regards Richard.
thanks for the reply, cant find anything on schematics on them... update, just found it out, its a cap! now its fixing time! lol (its from a 90's Sailor vhf boat radio)
Tracks are probably that way for length. they probably fracture at those locations due to mechanical and thermal stresses. I am not a fan of those power modules or the STK modules either for that matter.
I have a few hundred of the STK stereo amplifier modules. So they use the same board setup? Never cracked one of those open after replacing it to see what was inside.
I lost transmit on the vhf side of my DR-610T. looked at this very board and sure enough, could see the cracks in the same spot. I ran a sharp pointer over the solder traces and wherever it was cracked it seemed soft and blended together. I don't feel it is a permanent fix but it did fix the VHF transmit. Once i get a new soldering iron i will fix it permanently. Thanks for the video!
I dug out my old kenwood dual bander and the vhf pa was cracked in exactly the same spots as this one, back up and running now great video.
+pep1dog1
Apparently it is a rather common problem with these. Always nice to hear another rig is back up and running.
PARA ABRIR O MÓDULO, COLOQUEI O MESMO EM UM PEDAÇO PLANO DE MADEIRA, FIXEI ELE COM PARAFUSOS LATERAIS E COM UMA CHAVE DE FENDA, ENTRE A CARCAÇA DE PLÁSTICO DO MÓDULO E A MADEIRA, DO LADO ESQUERDO, GIREI A CHAVE NO SENTIDO HORÁRIO E FUI DESCOLANDO A PROTEÇÃO DE PLÁSTICO FÁCIL !!! SEM DORES DE CABEÇA 👊😀🤙😎💪😜
Nice job fixing that unit up Mike. Worked on a lot of Kenwood TS-721 try band units with that issue. Mark is spot on about thermal stress.
Yeah, like I said in the video the boards definitely doesn't like to flex. Luckily they can be fixed. Have to wonder though, how many have been replaced that could have been repaired.
Most do it yourself techs are not aware you can remove the cover. And any warranty it is replaced. I seen some of these cost over 300 bucks. Like my Regency repeater. Uses a similar unit but it is sealed.
+The Radio Shop
Some of these things are expensive, ridiculously expensive.
I have a DR610 with the same issue. Was fixed along time ago (c 20 yrs!) by a colleague but went again a year or two after. It's taken until now to get around to having a go at fixing it. It looks like the original repair has failed. Luckily I have a better soldering iron now :) As it isn't working, I figure I have nothing to lose by having a go at repairing it (I'm a qualified electronics tech, so not a newbie to this kind of thing). These modules are still available from a few sources so I can always get a replacement module should this one prove too far gone. Nice lab setup there, btw! 73 de G4UCJ.
Mike, Tektronix used to have ceramic terminal strips in their scopes. You were supposed to use a special solder with a percentage of silver in it. Same Here perhaps? This was ( according to legend ) supposed to keep the terminals from coming off the ceramic. Also, I would warm the heat sink to help the soldering process. Less heat robbed from the iron that way. Nice video.
I use SN62 silver solder for pretty much everything I do. Didn't even think about preheating it. I even have a laboratory hot plate. Have to remember that next time around.
thanks for sharing this valuable experience, I was wonder if you have any video which explains component and subsystems of a typical VHF radio transmitter
Hi, Mike! I have one of these DR-605's and it was working fine, then one day I turn it on and no receive on VHF at all. The UHF receives (signal meter shows incoming signal reading). Both UHF and VHF have no receive sound/audio though. Even when I turn the squelch, there's no hissing. The speaker has been tested and is good. Both VHF and UHF transmit fine though. Do you have any ideas what this could be? Maybe the black square/rectangle IF filters?
Thank you very much friend
I have a DR-605T and seem to have lost Tx Power on the UHF side. I can UHF receive fine, but when I key up the mic, there is no output at all (Hi or Lo) when measuring using an SWR and output power meter. Can the issue you dfescribe also happen on the UHF side? Plus, my UHF backlit LCD display is dark. Characters display fine but but the back light is off.
Impressive work Mike! I like the dental scope, that's cool!
I'm not a medical surgeon, just the electronic surgeon. :)
And an awesome one at that! :)
+MikesRadioRepair I see little difference between your skill set and a surgeon, only the value of the product being repaired. Impressive repair!
+RF Burns
Ok guys, stop it. Your going to make my already big head even bigger LOL. :)
Hello mikes, how to fix this module with a simple tool using only a soldering iron and a hot blower? because tin will dry quickly
I have this Ham radio, and the only problem I am having is the LED on the 70CM side is very dark. I can still see the frequency, but I need to replace the LED. Can you tell me the size of the LED.
Awesome repair mate big thumbs up
Hi Mike, I know this is an old post, but I am wondering if you have had a DR605T with the screen flashing.
I had a electrical storm, the radio was not connected to the antenna, but to the power supply which was damaged. I have not been able to find any info on trouble shooting this issue. Wayne VK2DWP.
Good job
Best way is use a hot plate heated to where the solder is just about to melt board won't crack and you have better control of the solder repair. Let the ceramic board cool on the hot plate.
As somebody mentioned it's sop to put them on a hot plate to rework . Easier to rework and less thermal gradient. I've seen dummy blank ceramic boards on one side of a metal plug in card to balance the mechanical stress.
I've got one of these. Mine is not transmitting on high power. It works good on low power. It doesn't do it all of the time. I took it out of the truck and brought it into the house. It started working again. Could this be my problem too ?
I would say "probably" not. If you have a problem with one of the amplifier modules where the traces are cracked it won't work at all. You wouldn't know until you took a oscilloscope and probed the input and output of the module to see if it has input drive power or not.
Hello, please tell me how on alinco dr-605e to expand the frequency range?
good tips and video
the small component, just under the coil, connected to the output lead,(the grey one) is that a cap or a resistor? any idea of the value? heve the same amp board here, not cracked butt component burned, would be nice iff you could help. my idea its a resistor, but have no value to replace. mine is burned off!
Regards Richard.
MrBugsier5
Sorry I don't have one here currently that I could check.
thanks for the reply, cant find anything on schematics on them...
update, just found it out, its a cap! now its fixing time! lol (its from a 90's Sailor vhf boat radio)
Tracks are probably that way for length. they probably fracture at those locations due to mechanical and thermal stresses.
I am not a fan of those power modules or the STK modules either for that matter.
I have a few hundred of the STK stereo amplifier modules. So they use the same board setup? Never cracked one of those open after replacing it to see what was inside.
They are fairly similar. Don't think they are repairable.
Usually the transistors are what dies in those.