Kenwood TS-830 Survival Manual

Also see for TS-830: Instruction manual

Contents

257.24 Receiver signal attenuation when keying the microphone or rockingthe bandswitchQuestion: I have a problem with my Kenwood TS-830S. After tuning up, when I key themicrophone, the receiver signals are sometimes greatly attenuated. When I rock the bandswitchslightly, the signals come back at normal reception / sensitivity levels. I think I recall there wasa somewhat common problem with the bandswitches in these rigs. Or is this just a matter ofgetting a cleaner on the bandswitch contacts. Any suggestions on what might be causing this,and how to fix this? Also, any recommendations on a specific brand of contact cleaner to use forswitch contacts / potentiometers in general? (George N0GH)Answer 1: Tech Spray and GC make some good contact cleaners that seem quite non-destructive in general, and I've had good luck with them. They are available at manyTV/electronics repair/parts shops. Be careful when using any kind of contact cleaner with thesebandswitches, though. It's easy to do more harm than good, and some "horror stories" have beenreported. Might be best to try to isolate the particular section of the switch that's causing theproblem, using a small insulated stick (like a thin wooden "Q-tip," using the non-cotton end) togently press suspect contacts on the switch against the rotor of that switch section. If you canfind the specific wafer, or side of a wafer, that has the problem, possibly the bad contact cansimply be pressed back into proper position, or very gently cleaned using a Q-tip and isopropylalcohol, which seems pretty benign. (Steve WB2WIK/6)Answer 2: Another likely candidate in the 830 for the type of problem you describe is thetransmit/receive relay. Pop off the clear plastic cover after unplugging it and gently clean thecontacts. Be very careful not to bend the reeds. A high resistance from a dirty contact here canreally attenuate received signals. A business card soaked with contact cleaner or alcohol worksnicely. Don't use anything abrasive. (K0RS)7.25 VOX trip problemQuestion: I recently acquired a TS-830S. I have made a few "enhancement" mods for CW buthave one problem that still needs a fix. When moving the mode switch between CW-W andCW-N, the VOX frequently trips, even with the VOX gain in the minimum position. I know oftwo other 830 owners that have this problem and live with it. I work 95% CW and the problemis annoying so I would rather fix it. My initial inclination is to reduce overall gain of VOX amp,regardless of impact on SSB VOX operation, but this might be taking the wrong approach. I donot own a scope, so I am flying blind re transients. (N4EX)Answer: I used to have the same problem with my TS-830S and was able to cure it by cleaningthe mode switch several times. This is easier said than done. The switch is pretty tightly sealedand cleaning requires locating an opening into the case and injecting cleaner into the switch.Operate the switch gently through all of the positions - 20 to 50 times is not too many, and letthe rig sit overnight to dry out. I apologize if this response seems overly simplistic, but timetakes it's toll and I've seen a lot of strange symptoms fixed by elimination of dirt, oxidation, andpoor connector contacts. (W8RDH)8 Maintenance Procedures8.1 VFO LubricationThe factory does NOT lubricate the VFO tuning-shaft's concentric bushing-bearings or theVFO-gearbox. In time, this will cause premature wear and play in the drive system. After