What to replace a hooky DR-135 ?

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InTheClouds
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What to replace a hooky DR-135 ?

Post by InTheClouds »

Had an Alinco which is now having trouble, jumps frequency during an over (jumps 3 channels), off frequency on last use today by couple of khz, silver rod up a tree. I cannot grumble it lasted a sufficient time for a cheap radio before going haywire. On a budget so any budget Chinese radio recommendations would be grateful or just go same again ?

I mainly like SSB if it makes a difference. I see the V4 CRT SS 9900 is that an upgrade over the DR-135 ? Out of the loop a bit with radios. Not fussed about output power really, good RX and reliability most important. I will run it 5-10W into a small amp anyway. Thanks.

Could be handy if my existing cheap and cheerful K-Po power mike would work out of the box without any rewire.

Thanks people. I am all ears !
wa10
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Re: What to replace a hooky DR-135 ?

Post by wa10 »

This issue has cropped up recently with locals, turns out that they probably all do it over time, only now are people admitting theirs did it so they sold it because it did their head in,

there seems to be an issue with dirty ptt switches or an issue with the circuits heysterisis,

they use the same wire for ptt / up / dwn,
directly grounding the wire puts rig into ptt, grounding the same wire through one of two values of resistor gives up or dwn,

i have not had a play with one yet but it seems that when the switch is dirty & you press it a certain way it makes a brief resistive connection before it goes into ptt & the rig circuit is so fast it reacts as if you briefly pressed dwn then keyed up,

locals that have tried a new mic from a dx10 have no issues & claim the mic is identical inside, i can't confirm that not having seen them side by side but there does seem to be a relationship between dirty ptt switches & jumping off frequency when you ptt,

there probably would not be an issue if the circuit required the resitance/voltage to be at a value for a longer period of time before it reacted,

i have a couple of ideas to try when i get a chance.
W8JI
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InTheClouds
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Re: What to replace a hooky DR-135 ?

Post by InTheClouds »

Thanks for your insights. Yes I have had the K Po mic a good while and it has worked great. It replaced the original one ages ago. I thought it might be the mic somehow so uncrewed it from radio front and made sure connections looked clean.

Did you mean the switch in the mic or inside the radio ?

I key up and when I key down I have jumped channel, really annoying.

Also I could well have a common mode issue with RF getting back inside the radio, right now just made an ugly balun with my RG-213, 6 turns / 4inch, it may or may not help....about time I made a choke really. its prior absence might have be messing things up as well. It is the off frequency by 2kHz or so that concerns me most and made me think of a new radio, never had that before. Next time I test it it will be with the ugly balun.

Still open to thoughts.. looks like CRT9900 or a Alinco DX10, anyone have a pref or are they much of a muchness other than power outputs.
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Re: What to replace a hooky DR-135 ?

Post by Mudslinger »

Pretty sure that the Presedent mics with up/down buttons are wired the same?

They are a lot better quality than the ones supplied with the Alinco.
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wa10
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Re: What to replace a hooky DR-135 ?

Post by wa10 »

InTheClouds

yes the ptt switch in the mic, when it first starts on the stock mic it only does it when you press in a certain way, then gets worse over time.
W8JI
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InTheClouds
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Re: What to replace a hooky DR-135 ?

Post by InTheClouds »

Thanks I will look into that, may be a squirt of contact cleaner the switch insides (spring/contacts) look quite accessible in the K-Po which is a bonus. Not sure why it is 2kHz or so off frequency though. Makes no sense, never been inside the radio.

If the radio is fried.. is a v4 CRT 9900 an upgrade to the 135 or DX10 as it now seems to be known?
wa10
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Re: What to replace a hooky DR-135 ?

Post by wa10 »

my locals prefere the dx10/135/8900 over the other china sets, not sure why but they keep coming back to them after trying other similar rigs.
W8JI
"An antenna with a poor ground using few radials cannot have a support mast grounded to the radial common point (at least it shouldn't if designed properly) There is no exception to this!
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Re: What to replace a hooky DR-135 ?

Post by Otter »

InTheClouds wrote: 23 May 2020, 14:39 Thanks I will look into that, may be a squirt of contact cleaner the switch insides (spring/contacts) look quite accessible in the K-Po which is a bonus. Not sure why it is 2kHz or so off frequency though. Makes no sense, never been inside the radio.

If the radio is fried.. is a v4 CRT 9900 an upgrade to the 135 or DX10 as it now seems to be known?
I prefer my SS-9900 to my CRE-8900. For starters, the clarifier doesn't click. You can read the frequency display in sunlight. It's just less fiddly.
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InTheClouds
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Re: What to replace a hooky DR-135 ?

Post by InTheClouds »

Thanks for responses, I can have a think through, nice thoughts to have. :thumbup:
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Re: What to replace a hooky DR-135 ?

Post by mrpsychopath »

Take a look at the Albrecht ae5890eu. 10/11/12m i use one mobile decent small radio. And no mini mic.
Kill em all and let god sort them out.
108EH002
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Re: What to replace a hooky DR-135 ?

Post by 108EH002 »

The 6666/9900 are ok for ssb.
Plenty are talking worldwide on 27.555 usb,
Some are too far up their own @rse to admit it,
Many happen to know otherwise dx-ing test free,
Showing a complete lack of respect for the law.

27.555 Usb
Edd200sx
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Re: What to replace a hooky DR-135 ?

Post by Edd200sx »

Most of them need alignment usually not right out the box.
InTheClouds wrote: 23 May 2020, 14:39 Thanks I will look into that, may be a squirt of contact cleaner the switch insides (spring/contacts) look quite accessible in the K-Po which is a bonus. Not sure why it is 2kHz or so off frequency though. Makes no sense, never been inside the radio.

If the radio is fried.. is a v4 CRT 9900 an upgrade to the 135 or DX10 as it now seems to be known?
108EH002
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Re: What to replace a hooky DR-135 ?

Post by 108EH002 »

If the clarifier setting is in rx only mode on your 135,have you tried changing
the clarifier setting to tx and rx in the menu,just to see if it makes the tx frequency the same as the frequency being received ?

Just that I had to change the clarifier recently on a 955hp to tx/rx instead of just rx in the settings,as it was off by 0.15 on transmit.

If this solves the "drift" issue,just order a crossover lead for your kpo mic from knights and save a few quid ;)
Plenty are talking worldwide on 27.555 usb,
Some are too far up their own @rse to admit it,
Many happen to know otherwise dx-ing test free,
Showing a complete lack of respect for the law.

27.555 Usb
InTheClouds
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Re: What to replace a hooky DR-135 ?

Post by InTheClouds »

Thanks I shall look into this.
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