HR2600 with 12 Meters !!! Nice Rig, only 1 minor problem

[Wire Weasel]

I have a nice 2600 that I am checking out and selling for an older local friend who is not computer savvy. He has a ton of radios, got this one in a trade …. and it's a little "too fancy" for him …. LOL

Before today, I was never aware that a 2600 could be frequency expanded with anything else but a Chipswitch, but a google search today located the SuperExpo Kit as is shown at > bills2way.com < …. and that is apparently what is installed in this radio.

Radio has full output with AM dead key right on 10 watts swinging to 32 on whistle. Doing an impressive 45 watts on ssb. Top section looks very clean, nothing has been clipped/removed that I can spot. Factory finals.

A nice sounding roger beep has been added with a toggle switch on side of radio.

The SuperExpo Kit works differently than the Chipswitch. Unfortunately, the frequency operation does NOT show on the frequency display …. but it has the very desirable addition of giving you all of 24mhz which is something the Chipswitch alone did not do. The mod operates with an added 3-way toggle switch installed on the bottom. Middle position gives you standard 10 meter operation. Forward toggle starts you at 24.000 and moves though banks of 50 channels from the standard front panel BAND button (A,B,C,D). Rear toggle starts you at 26.000. All bands still top out at 699.9 as standard. So top of Lower segment is 25.699.9, Top of Middle seg. is 27.699.9 and top of 10 meters is 29.699.9

Radio has shortish factory power cord and the Accessory Plug is present. It has a mounting bracket on it but it is not the factory bracket. Only 2 of the mounting holes line up. You would probably want to obtain an exact fit bracket if you wanted to take this rig mobile. Radio is very clean and looks like it's never been mobile. Only has a few little paint dings in the top of front bezel but otherwise is very nice. Front panel is perfect. Factory hand mic looks like it wasn't used much - super clean. Up/Down buttons work. All button functions on front seem to work as intended and I did myself have a 2510 for several years back in the '90's. Rig sounds good TX & RX with many local contacts! Onboard speaker sounds fine as should.

There is only problem with the radio and I have described this in the Mods Forum and am looking for a fix - if I can. The meter stays pegged out during all functions. The Meter Multi-Functions all toggle through with their display indicator …. but the meter itself stays pegged out as shown in the pic. I tried adjusting S Meter VR1, but with no effect. Hopefully this is a simple fix issue but I do not know at this point.

Friend is wishing to sell at this time, no trades. $265 shipped Priority with insurance. Paypal GIFT or mail postal money order. Feel free to ask any questions and I will upload more pics later this evening on this thread.

This first pic shown is same pic as in the thread in the Mods Forum …. showing the meter being pegged out. Is switched to Rear Toggle position so, in Band C and on 29.215, is actually on 27.215 CB channel 21

 

[fourstringburn]

Good luck selling at that price.

 

[Wire Weasel]

Here's the additional pics and a little more info. Both SSB are dead on the money at 12 o'clock r.i.t. and the clarifier IS open for TX. I could not remember if they came that way or not. The Left Side shows the toggle for the roger beep. Pic with radio sitting on side and viewing the bottom shows toggle for the Frequency Banks. The pic showing the front/top of bezel …. those little dings in the paint are the only marks on this radio. Rest is super clean.
Again, selling this for a friend. If you think the asking price is too high, then make an offer. Lowballs will be ignored.

 

[fourstringburn]

Too bad it was modified in that manner, I would offer at least $200.00.

I have to ask, why would someone modify the RIT on a VFO tuning radio?
That's typically done on the less than marginal CB/SSB radios.
If the radio is spot on then use the RIT for the numerous off frequency radios used on 11 meters and let them adjust to you.

I won't even comment on the added roger beep.

If you come across another for sale that isn't rediculously modified and preferably with the Chipswitch, post it and I will be interested.

Good luck with this one.

 

[fourstringburn]

Also I couldn't find info on that Super Expo kit. It sounds to me that it really isn't capatable with this radio since there is aparent problems with the RF meter and the proper frequency isn't displayed.

 

[Wire Weasel]

http://www.bills2way.com/cbc_expo.html

 

[AudioShockwav]

It is known that the HR 2830/2510/2600/LINCOLN can do 12 meters with a little tweak.
It was found that changing the rock in the radio will shift it down 2 Mhz, but the only thing is that the frequency display will not show the correct frequency.
Lots of guys that only wanted 11 meters and did not use 10 would just change the rock and leave it that way
This mod was shown in Franklin's book "The PLL data Book" that was popular many years ago. Franklin made the expander 160/240/super expo kits, and assorted add on boards ( CBC international )
The Expo kit simply switches in a different rock to move the frequency up/down 2 Mhz.
If I remember right there are even small trim caps on the board to align the crystal so each band is spot on.
Installing this kit required that you have some experience and test equipment to install and if it is on-freq now sounds like it was done properly.
Nothing wrong with this mod and I would not call it out of the ordinary or a hack job.
I do not think it has anything to do with the meter problem, most likely there is a shorted cap that is causing the problem.
These radios are OLD ( as are all of the HR radios) and it is a common problem to find dried out/shorted/out of spec caps in them. I recommend getting a cap kit from Klondike Mike and recapping the entire radio.
Often CB users would tie the TX/RX together, to each his own.
The "roger beep" or ETS as some called it on the HR radios was short and had low volume compared to the EPT board radios.
This could be changed by changing the cap that controls the length of the beep and the resistor that controls the volume.
They are good radios, even more so when you remember that this is 1980`s technology.
The only down side today is that the original replacement parts are no longer available.
The radios still have a following after all these years.
I have a lincoln in my pickup right now that is my daily driver, and a 2600 ( bone stock) and 2 2510`s, one with a chipswitch.
I bought my first 2510 from AES many years ago and it is still running today with a little TLC.
My first Lincoln came before that, and was a rare one that was built by President Electronics of Belgium before France took over the company.
Good luck with the sale.

73
Jeff

 

[Wire Weasel]

Thanks AS ! , I'll try and look for a bad cap …. again it's not my rig but I want to help the friend out if I can.

 

[Wire Weasel]

Woo Hoo !! Got this rig back out today to talk on some more and the Metering was working normally as soon as I turned it on. My older friend who owns this did not hook up or talk on this rig. He received in a package Lot that he purchased …. he knew he didn't want to use it and that I could properly check it out for him. I am suspecting that the previous owner hasn't used it in a while and it's been sitting on a shelf. I only turned it on 1 time the first day to test it …. so apparently the thing just needed to be turned on & off a few times to wake everything up good and maybe charge a capacitor or two up properly. I checked with several local contacts near & far to reset the S meter for reasonable reading. RF set to S9 reading with for the 10 watt AM/FM dead key …. and swings forward 3 more bars with modulation. MOD/SWR …. all meter functions working normally.

I also discovered that one of my mini-8 jumpers was bad and I had some SWR the other day which resulted in inflated power readings. Jumper replaced …. so now the rig is showing factory spec power of 25 watt p.e.p. on both AM & SSB. And again, the AM dead key is set at 10 watts.

So the only fault with the rig is it has that mismatched mounting bracket with it.

Very pretty cosmetically with looks at 9+ out of 10 easy

I will go ahead and cut $50 off the starting price

HR2600 with 12 meters - $215 shipped Priority & Insurance

Here's a fresh pic showing the meter at Zero with no incoming signal.

 

[cwk]

I still have my 2600 I bought new in the early 90's. I put the socket, chipswitch and MRF 497 final along with the upgraded driver. It runs like a champ. Good radio. I don't push mine and can hit what I hear for the most part barefoot with an indoor dipole and D104.
It's a great radio and I never felt it needed any other mod. I hope yours finds a good home!

117

 

[Wire Weasel]

SOLD elsewhere, please delete