AR-3500 HELP!!!

[hacksaw]

I just bought this sweet looking AR-3500. It's the 30 watt version. It is smoking clean! Very clean case, almost brand new looking face, 8 pin mic plug, factory installed SP-1 processor, and scan board for a factory Palm Scanner mic. All MINT! I'd say its a 9 out of 10. Still has the factory sticker on the top cover for warm up info. No bracket, but it has the factory power plug. Verg radio except for 11 meter coverage. When power is removed it resets back to 26.000.0. All buttons work perfect, all knobs work smooth. I don't think the NB/ANL is working and I noticed some fluttering audio at full RF gain with the heavy skip this evening. Have to roll the RF gain back to 12 o'clock position. Then it clears up the receive. I made a contact last night on lsb and he could hear me 20 miles away but said it sounded rough. And I observed a swing around 15 watts. As far as it looks its never been tuned or probably aligned. Diodes and resistors are all in tact. No cutting in this rig!

So, where should I start? This is a fine piece!!! Thanks

 

[davegrantsr]

it's junk. i'll give you a hundred bucks for it
the battery is dead, that's why it resets to 26.0
i'm not home so i can't check, but look for the 3500 manual with the factory updates & make sure they are all corrected. they fix the delay when you unkey the mic in ssb, they correct the 'too much receive gain' issue you describe, and by fixing all the grounds you resolve the 'low swing/rough audio in ssb' i'm guessing you have.
i'm on 4040's watergate somewhere exhibiting the audio issue you have....if i could only find which gate. it was on nov 10, 2011
http://www.worldwidedx.com/dx-contacts/128501-contact-4040-a.html

 

[hacksaw]

it's junk. i'll give you a hundred bucks for it
the battery is dead, that's why it resets to 26.0
i'm not home so i can't check, but look for the 3500 manual with the factory updates & make sure they are all corrected. they fix the delay when you unkey the mic in ssb, they correct the 'too much receive gain' issue you describe, and by fixing all the grounds you resolve the 'low swing/rough audio in ssb' i'm guessing you have.
i'm on 4040's watergate somewhere exhibiting the audio issue you have....if i could only find which gate. it was on nov 10, 2011
http://www.worldwidedx.com/dx-contacts/128501-contact-4040-a.html

Thank you so much! That's the best Wes I've heard all day. I actually posted this radio along with an Emperor TS 5010 for trade into a Magnum s9hp but I'm still debating on keeping this radio. It's beautiful!

 

[KingCobra_CDX882]

Once you Get your AR-3500
Set up Properly..

Few radios work as well.
It has Great Ears as well as a Really good sounding SSB radio.

Even Most of todays HF ham rigs do not out perform it
( i used to have the 100 watt version of the AR-3500 )
Only my IC-7000 had Slightly better ears
(as good as my 706 MKIIG )

 

[seedkey]

someone must have the answer. to these ar3500 problems

 

[hotrod]

a gotta ranger 3500 -30 watt version that needs a protection diode .
would bobscb still have any?

 

[70cst]

I recently sent two AR3500's 100w models to CB Bobs for a complete tune up and updates. He should have the parts that you are looking for.

 

[hacksaw]

I recently sent two AR3500's 100w models to CB Bobs for a complete tune up and updates. He should have the parts that you are looking for.

I emailed him asking about my radio and never got a response

 

[70cst]

I emailed him asking about my radio and never got a response

I called...

I talked to some woman and she initially said Bob wasn't taking any repair jobs but when she asked him he said send them on in. It may take 3-6 months for the radios to get worked on but from what I have read...Bob is the man for AR radios.. If I remember correctly...he was initially involved in either the design or build of these radios.

Good Luck

 

[123kid]

I knew bob

I knew the guy personaly he had a shop about ten minutes from my house in chelsea growing up and he always did bang up work.Guys a legend still talked about till this day up this end.

 

[hacksaw]

I knew the guy personaly he had a shop about ten minutes from my house in chelsea growing up and he always did bang up work.Guys a legend still talked about till this day up this end.

Are you talking about Bob?

 

[123kid]

Yeah i live in mass he used to have a shop here moved to pa

 

[Eiresh]

I know this is a bit of a dead thread, but I just wanted to clear up a few things concerning this radio.
1) There is no battery backup! Not installed but the factory anyways. And yes, it is completely normal for the radio to "reset" to 26.000
2) If you turn the Sq all the way counter-clockwise, that will also reset the radio. Radio must be turned off though.

If you don't mind me asking, what about the protection Diode? What does it protect?

 

[70cst]

Just an update: I sent two Ranger 3500's 100W units to Bob for: a) SP1-a Speach Processors b) Battery Back up circuit c) complete tune up. It took right at 1 yr for Bob to go through the radios. Once I will install (I think) one into my 70 C10 I am confident these will be top knotch. Preasently they are in storage.

 

[unit_399]

Here is some info from CB Tricks site. Very good AR-3500 info here.