Uniden 2600 'President'

[W3WN]

OK, maybe not strictly "vintage" equipment...

At the club meeting tonight, I was given a Uniden 2600 'President' 10 meter multi-mode rig. It's destined for my friend Ben KB3ERQ (who I really have to get to upgrade to General!)

There are just two little problems...

(1) No manual
(2) No power cord

I'm pretty sure I can find the manual online. Anyone know what connector it needs for the power cord, or better yet, where I can find one?

No, my source doesn't have them. The rig is out of an estate, and in the course of things, things got separated.

[K7SGJ]

OK, maybe not strictly "vintage" equipment...

At the club meeting tonight, I was given a Uniden 2600 'President' 10 meter multi-mode rig. It's destined for my friend Ben KB3ERQ (who I really have to get to upgrade to General!)

There are just two little problems...

(1) No manual
(2) No power cord

I'm pretty sure I can find the manual online. Anyone know what connector it needs for the power cord, or better yet, where I can find one?

No, my source doesn't have them. The rig is out of an estate, and in the course of things, things got separated.

If no one can help you right off, can you post a pix of the connector on the rig?

[W3WN]

If no one can help you right off, can you post a pix of the connector on the rig?
Well, I found a copy of the manual online in PDF format ( http://www.coutant.org/hr2600/index.html for anyone else interested).

Here's what the manual has:7572

[W3WN]

Finally found one on eBay. I was looking under 'Uniden 2600'; turns out that it's the same cord for the older 'Uniden 2510'. Should have it in a couple of days. Couple of bucks, nothing outrageous, but not having that particular 2 pin Molex connector sitting around...

[K7SGJ]

Glad you found one. See ya on ten mobile.

[N8YX]

I have several cords for that rig, and the connector is the same as used by RC hobby equipment for battery connection. Your local hobby shop should have them if all else fails.

[W3WN]

Glad you found one. See ya on ten mobile.Well, not right away.

I'm going to loan the rig to Ben KB3ERQ, just to get him on the air. Once it comes back, I'm thinking of using it to drive my Ten-Tec 10-to-6 meter transverter. Or, I may just hook it up on the Solarcon A-99 as a dedicated 10 meter station.

[W3WN]

Update:

Power cord came today. Radio powered right up (about 10 W out). Worked CX5CBA on 28.505 a few minutes ago with it.

Yea!

It goes to KB3ERQ tonight or tomorrow. And he already has an antenna (10 meter Ringo), so this should get him on the air. Hey, it's a start.

And when it comes back, I have something to drive my Ten Tec 1208 transverter!

[AE1PT]

Cut the end off a zip cord. Strip the two ends and solder directly to the power plug ends. Fill the hole with Great Stuff. Don't worry about all the yellow goop that expands over the back--find one of them "Dave Made" amps to go with it and yer good to go. Maybe cover up the goop with some duck tape, and throw in a Workman Swar meter and a D-104 chicken choker. It's an export radidio there good buddy...

[W3WN]

Cut the end off a zip cord. Strip the two ends and solder directly to the power plug ends. Fill the hole with Great Stuff. Don't worry about all the yellow goop that expands over the back--find one of them "Dave Made" amps to go with it and yer good to go. Maybe cover up the goop with some duck tape, and throw in a Workman Swar meter and a D-104 chicken choker. It's an export radidio there good buddy...
Barkeep! I think Mr. Thrush has had quite enough tonight! At least, someone confiscate his car keys & put the water taxi service on stand-by...

I don't think I ever did post an update. It took awhile, but the rig finally got to KB3ERQ. Ben has a 10 meter Ringo, which will eventually go up on his rooftop. But he has gotten his act (and the station) together, and made a few QSOs.

I'm still working on getting him to upgrade. One thing at a time.

Now, as far as the Workman goes... what a piece of dreck. I picked one up, thinking it was a cheap knock-off of a Daiwa dual needle bridge. It works fine... for 10, 12, 15, & 17. Once you hit 20, the meter starts "losing" power -- 100 W out on a Daiwa is 75 out on the Workman, by the time you get down to 160, it shows "full power" out as 10 W. I don't THINK so...

In any case, Ben also has an AEA 300 W tuner with a built-in dual needle SWR bridge, courtesy of N3HKQ, so he doesn't need any dreck.

[AE1PT]

Good for you! Glad you were able to turn something into an item that might encourage a new ham to upgrade. Hope that they appreciate the effort. Workman sux.

This is a true ham Elmo experience...

http://ae1pt.com/photos/imh/elmo.jpg

P.S. Don't pay any attention to that dude with his hand stuck up Elmo's derriere.

[KA9MOT]

I don't know....Elmo seems to be enjoying it......:cool2:

[N8YX]

I have the following in my possession at the moment:

1 ea HR-2510 10M mobile transceiver
1 ea HR-2600 10M mobile transceiver
1 ea service manual for the above
1 ea Tek spectrum analyzer (1KHz - 2.5GHz)

As soon as I use the analyzer to align a 2M all-mode for an Island member I'm going to put the President rigs on it and see if the comments made by a few of our across-the-pond friends regarding their spectral purity do in fact hold water.

They're claiming synthesizer noise (and lots of it) only 32dB down from the fundamental. I'm having a hard time with that one, as the ARRL tested those rigs in its lab when they were introduced...and found no such funny business.

[W3WN]

I have the following in my possession at the moment:

1 ea HR-2510 10M mobile transceiver
1 ea HR-2600 10M mobile transceiver
1 ea service manual for the above
1 ea Tek spectrum analyzer (1KHz - 2.5GHz)

As soon as I use the analyzer to align a 2M all-mode for an Island member I'm going to put the President rigs on it and see if the comments made by a few of our across-the-pond friends regarding their spectral purity do in fact hold water.

They're claiming synthesizer noise (and lots of it) only 32dB down from the fundamental. I'm having a hard time with that one, as the ARRL tested those rigs in its lab when they were introduced...and found no such funny business.
Is it possible that the rigs sold outside of North America weren't as "pure" as those that were?

In other words, ones that passed the tests with flying colors went stateside (& VE as well). Those that didn't do so hot went elsewhere...

Just wondering...

[N2NH]

OK, maybe not strictly "vintage" equipment...

Oh, I don't know. It seems as if they've been around forever...

[W3WN]

As I just mentioned in the IC-718 thread...

Now that KB3ERQ has upgraded to General, he's looking into buying an HF rig. So I ought to be getting the 2600 back sometime in the near future.

At the moment, I have no plans for it. I was going to use it to drive my 6 meter transverter, but now that I have an Argonaut V for that...

Guess I'm going to have to figure out what a fair price for the whole package will be. Rig, mike, mobile bracket, power cord, power supply...

[N8YX]

Rig and accompanying accessories are worth roughly $100. PSU? Hard to say.

I keep going back to the following:

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hammulti/ft726r.html

Throw a 6M, a 2M and an HF module in the rig...you get both VHF bands plus 15, 12 and 10M. All modes; 10W out and the capability to operate full duplex for OSCAR applications.

I've often said that if I could have only one rig in the shack, the -726R would be in the top three contenders. A second one alongside with 430, 440 and 222 (via a converted 2M or 430-MHz module) would give you lots of all-mode fun.

[W3WN]

As I just mentioned in the IC-718 thread...

Now that KB3ERQ has upgraded to General, he's looking into buying an HF rig. So I ought to be getting the 2600 back sometime in the near future.

At the moment, I have no plans for it. I was going to use it to drive my 6 meter transverter, but now that I have an Argonaut V for that...

Guess I'm going to have to figure out what a fair price for the whole package will be. Rig, mike, mobile bracket, power cord, power supply...
Rig and accompanying accessories are worth roughly $100. PSU? Hard to say.

I keep going back to the following:

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hammulti/ft726r.html

Throw a 6M, a 2M and an HF module in the rig...you get both VHF bands plus 15, 12 and 10M. All modes; 10W out and the capability to operate full duplex for OSCAR applications.

I've often said that if I could have only one rig in the shack, the -726R would be in the top three contenders. A second one alongside with 430, 440 and 222 (via a converted 2M or 430-MHz module) would give you lots of all-mode fun.And I thought I was a procrastinator...

I got the Uniden back from Ben last Thursday evening at the club meeting. He forgot the Astron, but that will get back here eventually.

Just not sure what I'm going to do with it, now.

I'd figured that after he was done with it, I could use it to power a 6 meter transverter. That's no longer the case, I'm going to use the Argonaut V for that purpose.

I may just hook it up to use solely with the Solarcon A99 vertical... but I also use that on 12 & 17, so that gets into more switches and more coax jumpers.

I had considered taking it to the next hamfest, but I learned on Friday that the next local hamfest is on the same weekend that my new granddaughter's baptism. So that's out.

Anyone looking for a 10 meter rig?

[KC9RFO]

I might be interested in that 2600 if you still have it depending on price! Got a sick 2510 i bought from someone that lol worked like new and of course when i got it i found out it has issues :( So if you still have that 2600 and the price is right i would take it. Really just wanting something to get on 10 with.
Thanks KC9RFO Wayne

And I thought I was a procrastinator...

I got the Uniden back from Ben last Thursday evening at the club meeting. He forgot the Astron, but that will get back here eventually.

Just not sure what I'm going to do with it, now.

I'd figured that after he was done with it, I could use it to power a 6 meter transverter. That's no longer the case, I'm going to use the Argonaut V for that purpose.

I may just hook it up to use solely with the Solarcon A99 vertical... but I also use that on 12 & 17, so that gets into more switches and more coax jumpers.

I had considered taking it to the next hamfest, but I learned on Friday that the next local hamfest is on the same weekend that my new granddaughter's baptism. So that's out.

Anyone looking for a 10 meter rig?

[W3WN]

I might be interested in that 2600 if you still have it depending on price! Got a sick 2510 i bought from someone that lol worked like new and of course when i got it i found out it has issues :( So if you still have that 2600 and the price is right i would take it. Really just wanting something to get on 10 with.
Thanks KC9RFO WayneWayne,

Before I do anything else, let me fire the rig back up and make certain everything is still okely-dokely. Not that I think Ben might have done something he shouldn't have, just for my own peace of mind. I don't want to say that the rig works "100%" unless I am absolutely certain of that.

Oh, and one very minor point... I have the mounting bracket, but what I don't have are the screw to put it on the rig (picked up the bracket separately, but no screws came with it). Haven't had a chance yet to see what I can scrounge from the junque box.

[KC9RFO]

No problem just let me know and thanks for the reply!


Wayne,

Before I do anything else, let me fire the rig back up and make certain everything is still okely-dokely. Not that I think Ben might have done something he shouldn't have, just for my own peace of mind. I don't want to say that the rig works "100%" unless I am absolutely certain of that.

Oh, and one very minor point... I have the mounting bracket, but what I don't have are the screw to put it on the rig (picked up the bracket separately, but no screws came with it). Haven't had a chance yet to see what I can scrounge from the junque box.

[N8YX]

I may have a spare pair of mounting screws if you don't, Ron. Failing that, there are a bunch on eBay at any given time.

[W3WN]

I may have a spare pair of mounting screws if you don't, Ron. Failing that, there are a bunch on eBay at any given time.Thanks.

If you know offhand what size they are, I should be able to pick them up from Home De$pot.

And I will try to get to the rig in the next evening or three.

[W3WN]

* bump *

Time flies, doesn't it (insert obligatory banana joke here)

I never did get around to firing the 2600 up. I'd planned to, but something always came up.

I am going to have to do that soon, as the rig is destined for a hamfest table in the near future.

Why? Not because there's anything wrong with it... but because a friend (Fred knows who it is) just purchased a Kenwood TS-990S, and he's planning on selling me his Omni VII... and I need the shekels.

I'll probably sell the Argonaut 505 as well, and I don't think I'll need the Argonaut V & 1208 6 meter transverter anymore...