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Texas Star DX 400 Input SWR

Shadetree Mechanic said:
What would be good to clean this with?
Click to expand...

Shadetree,
I would start with rubbing alcohol (70% or better) and a toothbrush. The alcohol will clean the solder flux but not sure about your "greenie's" in there though?
Recently, in cleaning the circuit board side of an old radio, it took about 3 passes with Q-Tips and alcohol to get down to the bare board. First go at it the board turned chalky white (I think I didn't wipe it off quick enough). Passes 2 and 3 resulted in much better results. I have used a small spray bottle and applied the alcohol to about a 1.5" square, scrub with the tooth brush and use Q-tips between solder leads, then clean/dry Q-tips to remove the residue and dry the board.

73's
David
 
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That green stuff is the copper in the board traces - to accumulate like it does indicates the board the fiberglass epoxy stuff itself - got water in it and the copper corroded and leached out to form those fuzzies - you see this caves or mine shafts - so the amps own environment was conducive to for these deposits to form.

Not saying it's Mammoth caverns but it makes a close second...the process of reduction is at hand.
 
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Dmans said:
Shadetree,
I would start with rubbing alcohol (70% or better) and a toothbrush. The alcohol will clean the solder flux but not sure about your "greenie's" in there though?
Recently, in cleaning the circuit board side of an old radio, it took about 3 passes with Q-Tips and alcohol to get down to the bare board. First go at it the board turned chalky white (I think I didn't wipe it off quick enough). Passes 2 and 3 resulted in much better results. I have used a small spray bottle and applied the alcohol to about a 1.5" square, scrub with the tooth brush and use Q-tips between solder leads, then clean/dry Q-tips to remove the residue and dry the board.

73's
David
Click to expand...

Handy Andy said:
That green stuff is the copper in the board traces - to accumulate like it does indicates the board the fiberglass epoxy stuff itself - got water in it and the copper corroded and leached out to form those fuzzies - you see this caves or mine shafts - so the amps own environment was conducive to for these deposits to form.

Not saying it's Mammoth caverns but it makes a close second...the process of reduction is at hand.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the tips guys, should I pull the boards out to do this? I am almost tempted to use a small brass brush like from a gun cleaning kit. I will post pictures of the process.
Chris
 
When you pull those boards out, don't be surprised to see the board literally flake away. The layers of epoxy and fiberglass are sandwiched to form the dielectrical layers - but this event, the water entry - may have loosened the foil from the boards - so any attempt to re-do may wind up peeling off the foil from the board or the board itself simply disintegrating. The holes that plate thru and connect the trace from below to the top layer are the ones you need to pay attention to-these are ones that communicate from one side of the board to the other.

No guarantees...
 
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Somebody really needs to step up and start reproducing all these obsolete parts, there’s still a bunch of those things out there and radios too. Funny that you can’t get those boards, aren’t they the same board in almost every TS out there now? Maybe another source?

I believe Galaxy is in the same building or something with TS, seems like Ray told me one time they were owned by Galaxy?? Can’t remember, don’t jump me for saying that.
 
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Galaxy DX Radios and Texas Star occupy the same building in San Diego, IIRC.

Just how the staff for each business unit overlaps I don't know.

I gotta find a pc board vendor who can gouge out the keyhole-shaped opening for the transistors.

That's one thing Express PCB can't do.

73
 
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Why not just do it yourself like Tech Nine does or the other builders do? I’d like to have a die that would do it too.

I don’t know how they overlap either, it’s been awhile since I had that conversation. There has to be a distributor somewhere that those boards can be acquired from.

You could always get a copper pcb and etch your own, couldn’t you?
 
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Shadetree Mechanic said:
The coax and cap go straight to the output SO239. I really should get one of those magnifying lamps. It is next on the list. The whole thing could use some cleaning. The guy had it on the floor of his car and it looks like it got damp. What would be good to clean this with?
View attachment 25207
Click to expand...

I use CRC Electronics & Contacts Cleaner .......
Comes in an aerosol can. Works very well and is not harmful to plastics or electronics parts. You can usually find it at Wal**** in the automotive department .....
I have cleaned many PC boards (including Texas Star) using this and a soft bristle brush such as a tooth brush ......
 
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Shadetree Mechanic, I know this is an old thread, however I am wondering if you ever got this fixed. Only asking as I'd love to get an update on that TS Bi-lateral dx400. That thing is a bit of history, I happen to have the dx350 version.
 
walterjn said:
Shadetree Mechanic, I know this is an old thread, however I am wondering if you ever got this fixed. Only asking as I'd love to get an update on that TS Bi-lateral dx400. That thing is a bit of history, I happen to have the dx350 version.
Click to expand...
I think I fixed the SWR issue, I will have to see what trim cap I ended up with. I have not cleaned it up yet, it is supposed to go in my truck. The Wilson 5000 has water in the coil so I don't want to put the amp in until I get a new antenna. Eventually I will get back to it and clean it up and put the new faceplate on. More to come.
 
Finally figured out how to post the pic.
 

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