Emperor TS-5010

[mechanic]

Recently picked up one of these and had a broken one that I paid 10 bucks for, about 5 years ago. The broken one is damaged from reversed polarity, Took out traces on the board, knocked out several regulators and finals are gone, simply missing. The micro board is working but no receive or transmit.
The recent one works fairly good but has a poor RF board in that the copper traces are distorted and have almost invisible breaks. Makes for noisy receive, unstable VCOs and weird transmit audio. Under magnification the traces look thin and almost like they were coming off the phenolic base!
My first example, the hooked up backwards one, does not have this poor board in it and I bought the recent one to reference the repair of the "blown" rig. Now it looks like they will help each other!
Since these were made in China, one can imagine the horrible quality control and the likelihood of these "bad" ones making it through to the consumer. :sad:
I like the features of the rig but it is a poor copy of the HR-2510. I do not remember when the 5010 came out and I think it lasted only a few years during the 90s. Any input would be helpful for these two wreaks!

73 mechanic

 

[TonyV225]

Those were I believe made from the early to the mid 1990s there was also a 3010 model which reminded me of a Magnum deltaforce kind of anyways.

 

[IMD262]

The 5010's I've had always seemed even with the 2510/2600/2830/lincoln's, they seem to have better RX to me.The best CB radio Maxon ever built if you ask me.

 

[Robb]

YamahaDude, a member of this forum - as well as a local operator in these parts - has one of these radios. He also has four other radios on a 5-way antenna switch (Madison, Cobra 2000, Magnum S-9, and a RCI-2995) so that he can switch to use whichever radio he chooses at any one time. Anyway, when he uses the Emperor 5010, I can hear the difference. I've always thought and often told him what an outstanding sounding radio it is. Maybe you just got a lemon?

 

[mechanic]

TS-5010 Update

I do agree that the radio is a good design but where it was made the QC was a problem. If it was made here in the "Good 'ol USA" then it would be a fantastic rig! The cost would be fantastic also!
Going through the rig last night, I spent about two hours tracing the thin copper traces and repaired the breaks, one was so bad it had turned blackish from arcing! The VCO deck, where the three inductor cans for USB, LSB and AM are located, I resoldered the crystal and it made the rig very stable! Now the receive is back and my 18 miles away contact on LSB 39 said it sounds real fine! So I am encouraged with the results!
It has backward modulation on my meter and it's own meter does not move much on transmit, modulation is good. I do remember that this rig was mobile and with it's "thin" copper traces they could fracture! :angry: It is coming back to where it should be! I think some cap replacement is in order, worked on my 2510....
I paid 120 dollars for it and have some time in so the value is questionable... the meaning of "Caveat Emptor" is ringing in my head! :headbang

I still think the 2510 is a better rig as far as quality goes!

73 mechanic