Easy!

[AF6LJ]

How about one month spent running down a mystery noise on the output of a Heathkit Apache TX-1, that I'd already gone through completely and refurbed!!! :twisted:

I went through that thing with a microscope when I refurbed it, all functioned perfectly when completed, except for this very strange noise on the output that I could hear on a rcvr and see on the scope???

To make a very long story shorter, after stripping it down to only the bare crystal oscillator and VFO circuits, the noise was still there on both??? Hmmmmm? :chin:

A month later the source of the noise was discovered to be a battery float charger that I had "temporarily" put under the workbench and forgotten about. The noise was a feedback into the AC outlets on my whole workbench!

Don't you just hate that when it happens.

Like the RF interference I was having when troubleshooting the PLL in my IC-745. Yup the interference was everywhere....
Well chalk it up to the desk lamp, damned CFLs and their fifteen KHZ electronic ballast.

[kc4umo]

I ran into a similar scenario when I was repairing an old Tram Titan II for a guy...he'd cranked the power output up to the point that it heated and carbonized an insulating wafer in the T/R relay. Of course, said segment insulated the B+ wiper, which engaged and applied voltage to the PA tube plate when the PTT swtich was activated. Upon key-up, however, the effect was akin to shorting the B+ supply to ground through a low-value resistor...which is exactly what the carbonized phenolic wafer had become. Immediately blew the supply fuse - every time.

Fixing the problem was fairly easy, even if it did involved "building" a new relay with pieces of the old one. Finding it was another matter entirely, as there was nothing on the outside of the relay which indicated it was bad. It took a couple of days.

Don't you hate it when that happens...
Not sure why but I have had 7 of those in the shop in the last several months. Not one of them had a working S-meter.

A guy came in a few weeks ago with one that was in the original box. This thing looked like it was made yesterday. I could not beleive how well it looked. But , the S-meter had the same problem as the others. He wanted it fixed since it was collectors quality. Spent about 3 days on it, replaced all ceramic caps and electrolytics, S-meter now works as it should and stable.
His bill was 200 bucks. :shifty
It is good to be the only toob repair guy in the area.

[N4VGB]

It is good to be the only toob repair guy in the area.

Only if your customers are willing to pay a decent bench rate for your work. :twisted:

That's why I ONLY work on my own gear now.

[kc4umo]

Only if your customers are willing to pay a decent bench rate for your work. :twisted:

That's why I ONLY work on my own gear now.

Has not been a problem so far.
I tell straight up when they bring it in. look over the bench charge before thinking about getting it fixed. Once I tear into it, there is no turning back.

[N4VGB]

Only if your customers are willing to pay a decent bench rate for your work. :twisted:

That's why I ONLY work on my own gear now.

Has not been a problem so far.
I tell straight up when they bring it in. look over the bench charge before thinking about getting it fixed. Once I tear into it, there is no turning back.

I never tried it as a full time profession. My biggest problem was friends trying to trade in $10 favors from 20 years ago! With inflation and interest added!

When they ask now, I just tell them I'm retired and gave away all my tools and test gear. :shifty

[WØTKX]

I quit doing free lance end user computer work long ago, and I'd rather pull wires than argue with a bunch of nimrods about Group Policies and login scripts.

[w2amr]

It is good to be the only toob repair guy in the area.

Only if your customers are willing to pay a decent bench rate for your work. :twisted:

That's why I ONLY work on my own gear now.

What, you don't want to help pay for Howard Mills' retirement?

[N4VGB]

It is good to be the only toob repair guy in the area.

Only if your customers are willing to pay a decent bench rate for your work. :twisted:

That's why I ONLY work on my own gear now.

What, you don't want to help pay for Howard Mills' retirement?

I can't afford Howard's work, but ya gotta admit that he and K0BS/Butch Schartau are the only 2 guys I've seen who could make just about any piece of Collins gear look like it just rolled out the door in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

[w2amr]

Oh yeah, I've seen Howards work,Way out of my price range though. Besides, I would rather have it not perfect, and be able to say I did it myself. Doing it yourself is most of the fun. ;)

[kf0rt]

Yer no slouch, George.