Trio R-1000 service - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

airlineupdate · 7th Feb 2008, 1:25 pm

Does anyone out there know of a service engineer able to re-align and service a Trio R-1000? The list of repairers in this Forum seems to favour valve equipment. It works, but it lacks sensitivity. Location in less important than skill and experience!
thanks
Paul

Station X · 7th Feb 2008, 1:53 pm

Welcome to the forums Paul.

Don't let anyone without skill and experience inside your R-1000. If the lack of sensitivity is down to realignment being needed it's probably due to some previous owner with more enthusiasm than skill or experience poking and hoping.

Work the attenuator switch from end stop to end stop a few times to clean the contacts. It's difficult to get switch cleaner in there. Use a decent aerial with an aerial matching unit if necessary. If you still have problems get the service manual (I can email it if you don't have it) and check voltage readings. Then and only then consider realignment.

These sets are very reliable. No waxed paper capacitors to start with. Their Achillies Heel is the driver chip for the display. Failure of this won't prevent the set working though.

There is a Yahoo Group devoted to this set. I suggest that you join it.

Ian - G4JQT · 7th Feb 2008, 3:14 pm

I had a similar set (Lowe HF225) go insensitive on some bands after static from a thunderstorm zapped switching diodes in the front end. They are used to switch in the various filters. Could be the designs are similar?

As a matter if interest, is it insensitive on all 30 bands? Has it suddenly gone insensitive?

The answer to these questions may help whoever tries to fix it.

Regards,

Ian

dave walsh · 7th Feb 2008, 4:54 pm

I borrowed a 1000 from a friend of mine-great set but my two metre converter had a positive earth power supply which accidentally blew the front end diodes [via the aerial coax] rendering it pretty much deaf.
Lowe sent him replacements free of charge. Later on I bought the set off him but he missed it so much I sold it back again. Subsequently he designed a mod around the filters. I think he found the broad setting too wide. It was published as an article in PW but I haven't located it yet. Dave

airlineupdate · 7th Feb 2008, 6:09 pm

It's not that the rx is deaf, it just doesn't seem to be pulling in the signals like I think it oughta. It may be that a) the long wire aerial isn't long or high enough, or properly matched; or it may be that my expectations are set too high! As it gets darker the rx seems to be waking up a bit - but not as much activity as I had expected.

Station X · 7th Feb 2008, 7:40 pm

How much experience do you have with comms receivers Paul? Do you have another receiver you can compare it with?

A really stupid question. Have you got your antenna plugged in the right socket and the antenna selection switch set correctly. It might be worth operating this switch several times in case it's dirty. You may be able to get some switch cleaner in to it.

If you're convinced that the sensitivity is down the only way of checking is to use a signal generator to feed a signal at a known level into the receiver and check the audio output level. How you tried contacting Kenwood dealers to see if they can help? I'm afraid that I've never had to have a set professionally repaired, so there's no one I can recommend.

airlineupdate · 8th Feb 2008, 1:31 pm

Reasonable questions! I was a keen swl some years ago - built a Heathkit comms rx and later had an RA17. I have an Icom PRC-1000 bolted on to one of the PCs here for VHF airband/ACARS, but that's for work. I don't use it for HF. Have just installed an earth rod and that helped reduce the backgroun noise. I think the problem is the aerial - we are in a bit of a valley here and I need to get more elevation on the antenna.
Thanks for your help!
Paul

Keith · 11th Feb 2008, 8:11 pm

Paul,

What frequencies are you listening on? Bear in mind that the HF bands are still pretty dead at the moment due to the sunspot cycle.

Top Cap · 11th Feb 2008, 10:52 pm

Check antenna switch is in right position, check attenuator as has already been suggested, check T1 or T3 have not been fried.
Check the +ve supply being switched to the bandpass filters i.e. supplied to L1, L6, L11 etc. This forward biases the pin diodes D1-D9, D2-D10, D3-D11 etc.
Output from selected filter is sent to L33.
Hope this helps
Les

7th Feb 2008, 1:25 pm	#1
airlineupdate Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Carmarthen Posts: 3	Trio R-1000 service Does anyone out there know of a service engineer able to re-align and service a Trio R-1000? The list of repairers in this Forum seems to favour valve equipment. It works, but it lacks sensitivity. Location in less important than skill and experience! thanks Paul

7th Feb 2008, 1:53 pm	#2
Station X Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK. Posts: 21,289	Re: Trio R-1000 service Welcome to the forums Paul. Don't let anyone without skill and experience inside your R-1000. If the lack of sensitivity is down to realignment being needed it's probably due to some previous owner with more enthusiasm than skill or experience poking and hoping. Work the attenuator switch from end stop to end stop a few times to clean the contacts. It's difficult to get switch cleaner in there. Use a decent aerial with an aerial matching unit if necessary. If you still have problems get the service manual (I can email it if you don't have it) and check voltage readings. Then and only then consider realignment. These sets are very reliable. No waxed paper capacitors to start with. Their Achillies Heel is the driver chip for the display. Failure of this won't prevent the set working though. There is a Yahoo Group devoted to this set. I suggest that you join it. __________________ Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron.

7th Feb 2008, 3:14 pm	#3
Ian - G4JQT Octode Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Reading/Fakenham, UK. Posts: 1,326	Re: Trio R-1000 service I had a similar set (Lowe HF225) go insensitive on some bands after static from a thunderstorm zapped switching diodes in the front end. They are used to switch in the various filters. Could be the designs are similar? As a matter if interest, is it insensitive on all 30 bands? Has it suddenly gone insensitive? The answer to these questions may help whoever tries to fix it. Regards, Ian

7th Feb 2008, 4:54 pm	#4
dave walsh Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex. Posts: 5,817	Re: Trio R-1000 service I borrowed a 1000 from a friend of mine-great set but my two metre converter had a positive earth power supply which accidentally blew the front end diodes [via the aerial coax] rendering it pretty much deaf. Lowe sent him replacements free of charge. Later on I bought the set off him but he missed it so much I sold it back again. Subsequently he designed a mod around the filters. I think he found the broad setting too wide. It was published as an article in PW but I haven't located it yet. Dave

7th Feb 2008, 6:09 pm	#5
airlineupdate Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Carmarthen Posts: 3	Re: Trio R-1000 service It's not that the rx is deaf, it just doesn't seem to be pulling in the signals like I think it oughta. It may be that a) the long wire aerial isn't long or high enough, or properly matched; or it may be that my expectations are set too high! As it gets darker the rx seems to be waking up a bit - but not as much activity as I had expected.

7th Feb 2008, 7:40 pm	#6
Station X Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK. Posts: 21,289	Re: Trio R-1000 service How much experience do you have with comms receivers Paul? Do you have another receiver you can compare it with? A really stupid question. Have you got your antenna plugged in the right socket and the antenna selection switch set correctly. It might be worth operating this switch several times in case it's dirty. You may be able to get some switch cleaner in to it. If you're convinced that the sensitivity is down the only way of checking is to use a signal generator to feed a signal at a known level into the receiver and check the audio output level. How you tried contacting Kenwood dealers to see if they can help? I'm afraid that I've never had to have a set professionally repaired, so there's no one I can recommend. __________________ Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron.

8th Feb 2008, 1:31 pm	#7
airlineupdate Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Carmarthen Posts: 3	Re: Trio R-1000 service Reasonable questions! I was a keen swl some years ago - built a Heathkit comms rx and later had an RA17. I have an Icom PRC-1000 bolted on to one of the PCs here for VHF airband/ACARS, but that's for work. I don't use it for HF. Have just installed an earth rod and that helped reduce the backgroun noise. I think the problem is the aerial - we are in a bit of a valley here and I need to get more elevation on the antenna. Thanks for your help! Paul

11th Feb 2008, 8:11 pm	#8
Keith Heptode Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, UK. Posts: 693	Re: Trio R-1000 service Paul, What frequencies are you listening on? Bear in mind that the HF bands are still pretty dead at the moment due to the sunspot cycle. __________________ Keith Yates - G3XGW VMARS & BVWS member http://www.tibblestone.com/oldradios/Old_Radios.htm

11th Feb 2008, 10:52 pm	#9
Top Cap Octode Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Watford, Hertfordshire, UK. Posts: 1,270	Re: Trio R-1000 service Check antenna switch is in right position, check attenuator as has already been suggested, check T1 or T3 have not been fried. Check the +ve supply being switched to the bandpass filters i.e. supplied to L1, L6, L11 etc. This forward biases the pin diodes D1-D9, D2-D10, D3-D11 etc. Output from selected filter is sent to L33. Hope this helps Les Attached Thumbnails __________________ Whether the Top Cap is Grid or Anode - touching it will give you a buzz either way!