[SiriusHardware]

Hi John. I have a working TS50. Have you managed to lay hands on the circuit diagram?

My feeling is that even on the lowest FM TX power (10W out), a 3A power supply just isn't going to cut it bearing in mind that those 3A PSUs were typically sold for powering 4W CB radios. If starved of power due to insufficient maximum current available the symptom you have described would be exactly what I would expect, the radio would crash and restart when you try to do something high-demand (like transmit).

The much heavier (25A) PSU that I run my TS50 on has a current meter on it, I'm busy tonight but if I get a chance tomorrow I will see what it draws at 10W FM into a dummy load.

Where there was smoke, there should be smell, so if you lift the covers and follow your nose you may get close enough to find something which actually looks burned, or you may see smoke streaks pointing to something which has burned up.

These were very popular radios and were produced for a long time but I think they have been out of production for a while and spares, especially RF output devices, may prove to be unobtainium now.

If it got to the point where it was going to be scrapped I might consider offering a meagre amount for it as a 'box of spares' for my still working unit, but if I am honest the owner could probably get more for it than I could offer if it was offered the way you have described it on an auction site.

However, that's all rather premature. Let's see what's in there first.