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Happy_Hamer
10-10-2012, 08:06 AM
Please move this to a more appropriate section if needed

Strange coincidence on two TS-2000's mine and a friends 20 miles away

Both TS-2000's had an intermittent problem. THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM!

The radio would work fine then all of a sudden, it would stop TX and RX.

Display worked fine, it continued to switch bands, frequencies and everything was still lit up.

You would shut off the radio and turn it back on and it would start working normal again.

Kept hearing a relay chatter every time this happened so took off the top cover where we heard the relay and the noise, there was a relay near the speaker. K201.

I even asked on several online forums for help.

SO there the radio sat, speaker removed with an external speaker hooked up just waiting for the radio to stop working.

Sure enough, it stopped, with the slightest of pressure, touched K201 and the radio started working again.

It did this multiple times over the next several days.

You could press the K201 relay back and forth and make the radio cut out just like it did on its own. Cold solder joint on the relay leg right?

There was A LOT TO DO to remove that board to get to the bottom of K201 and re-solder the legs, so it took a few extra days to set aside time to do it. Finally a day with nothing to do and plenty of time.

Here is the fun part

The very first screw removed to take off the board was for IC-202, which was to the left of where K201 was and mounted under the speaker. When this screw was removed, something was odd, ALL THREE LEGS barely had any solder on them and all three popped up off the board!

WOW!!!!! SO before removing anything else, CAREFULLY cleaned up IC-202 and the board, re-soldered the three legs and fired the radio up.

It worked perfect, I would press on the K201 relay and the radio would not stop working.

NO WAY THIS COULD HAVE BEEN THE PROBLEM!!!!!!

My friend immediately took his radio apart and IC-202 had a bad solder joint as well, he re-soldered his and IT WORKED!!

I never thought of posting my results because we were just happy the radio worked.

I received an email from KF7SN who asked if the problem was ever solved because he sent his radio to Kenwood with the same issue, I believe he stated 3 times and multiple $$$$$ with no joy in the repairs. I will let him tell his repair history. So I sent him an email with the picture and location of IC-202. I also spoke with him over the phone. Told him how easy the repair was and should only cost him time and a few drops of solder. He said after many failed repairs from Kenwood, he put the radio in storage and just wrote it off. He said it would be several weeks before he could get to the radio and try the repair but he would let me know.

Curiosity must have got the best of him, because a few hours later I got this email from Geary

"Thanks William, sure enough that Voltage Regulator was not soldered to the PCB at all. And I took it off and resoldered it to the board and brought the rig back up stair from the basement and it works fine. I took it very easy going down and up the stairs but I had to check out that IC #202. Thank you so very much, now I have a Radio, a TS-2000 back on the air and it did not cost me a thing. Unlike the last few times it was sent in for repairs."

I hope this simple repair will bring some failed TS-2000's back to the air!

7552

73 everyone

NQ6U
10-10-2012, 08:10 AM
Now that's the kind of post that makes the Island relevant as well as entertaining. Good job!

N8YX
10-10-2012, 08:30 AM
Cold solder joints in a Kenwood TS-430-440-450-820-830-850-930-940-9502000?!??!?

Unpossible, I tell you. ​Unpossible!

K7SGJ
10-10-2012, 08:32 AM
Kudos OM. Fine job of detective work.

W3WN
10-10-2012, 08:49 AM
Excellent post!

Mind if I use it in an upcoming issue of my club newsletter?

PA5COR
10-10-2012, 08:56 AM
Good find indeed.
Voltage regulators can go bad over time, cold or no good soldered joints is the first thing to look for, certainly when the regulator gets quite warm and the leads get stressed over time the solder joints will crack over time.

Thanks for the heads up ;)

Happy_Hamer
10-10-2012, 09:00 AM
Excellent post!

Mind if I use it in an upcoming issue of my club newsletter?

Go ahead

Bill
W6GQ

Happy_Hamer
10-10-2012, 09:15 AM
One thing we both noticed after this repair, the radio operates MUCH cooler

N8YX
10-10-2012, 10:33 AM
One thing we both noticed after this repair, the radio operates MUCH cooler
Heat issues in any of the later-model Kenwoods? Lies, I say! ​Lies, LIES!

KA9MOT
10-11-2012, 04:26 PM
Good post Bill! It is great that you were able to figure the problem out. EVen better that you shared the fix.

Happy_Hamer
10-12-2012, 10:00 AM
Ive already received 4 emails of people that fixed their radio because of this. One guy said his radio sat for 5 years and it took him 15 minutes to fix it.

Makes me feel all oogly inside that I helped LOL

KG4CGC
10-12-2012, 10:13 AM
Ive already received 4 emails of people that fixed their radio because of this. One guy said his radio sat for 5 years and it took him 15 minutes to fix it.

Makes me feel all oogly inside that I helped LOL

Gooey too?