Marconi 2019A Error Number 15 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Ti Pwun · 7th Jul 2016, 11:49 am

Nothing about this in the manual and I can't find anything useful online.

I've had problems with this unit for a long time (I have another thread, as yet unresolved) and had resigned myself to using it for anything above 5MHz only. However, I powered it up this morning and as soon as I tried to enter a frequency, I get '- - - 1 5 - - -'. Anyone know what this is telling me?

Jon.

Jonster · 7th Jul 2016, 12:10 pm

I have come across a couple of faulty 2019s where the fault was caused by a 5v regulator giving a low output. I would check the voltage rails before doing anything else.

Ti Pwun · 7th Jul 2016, 1:30 pm

In previous voltage checks I tweaked the pots so that the 5v, -15v, 15v & 24v rails were exact but they were only slightly out so that wasn't going to cause a problem (4.8v instead of 5v, for example). That made no difference.

I checked them again today and those voltages are OK. I did, however, find 24.4v where it states 20v and 10v where it states 9v, both unregulated. Whether or not that's an issue, I'm not sure yet. Will keep probing the other boards, though.

G0HZU_JMR · 7th Jul 2016, 5:35 pm

This seems familiar... about 20 years ago I bought two 2019s really cheap because they had a similar error on the display and the vendor didn't know what it meant.

I think it was error 15 and it's to do with the selection (or health?) of the internal or an external 10MHz reference. The dealer had two of these generators and I bought the first one at a rally and I bought the second one from his house as he lived locally. I think I got the first one for £120 and the second one for £100. This was about 20 years ago and it was a monumental bargain back then.

Have a play with the INT/EXT reference settings or try feeding in an external 10MHz to the rear panel because you can get in a muddle if the settings have been accidentally tampered with. Also, the error can appear at startup only in some scenarios if the oven is cold and it may be that your 10MHz OCXO has failed. On one of my 2019s the OCXO had failed and on the other it was an incorrect setting. It was a long time ago but I think that the error code was 15 on one of them at least...

Ti Pwun · 8th Jul 2016, 3:56 am

Yes, that definitely is the right area; I had been disconnecting some of the plugs yesterday and the error went away when I disconnected the PLBH plug on board AA2/1, which connects to the frequency standard board AA3/2. I was able to use the unit at that point.

Not sure if the fault is going to be on the AA3 board itself or in the OCXO beside it, but I suspect something on the board is going to be faulty.

Ti Pwun · 10th Jul 2016, 8:28 pm

Quick update: I was getting 4.3v on the 6.2v zener (D3 on board AA3/2) so I replaced it and the error is gone. Still can't use it below 2.5MHz but that's another story...

MrBungle · 11th Jul 2016, 11:44 am

Congratulations. I'm crossing fingers mine doesn't do anything funny. I paid a mere £10 for mine! It came with a body bag of things that had been replaced in it including a full attenuator assembly.

Nice units to work on though - very well designed!

Ti Pwun · 11th Jul 2016, 2:40 pm

Indeed they are. The 'no output below 2.5MHz' thing is kicking my behind a bit but at least the individual boards can be removed. I added a short flexible extension cable so the top portion can be lifted while the unit operates but other than that, is is very well designed, as you say.

I paid £140 for mine from a member here and I thought that was decent, despite the issues I'm now having with it, but I'd bite the guy's hand off that had one for sale at a tenner, that's for sure - even a non-working 'scrapper'! I definitely want to get this working properly again.

Jon.

MrBungle · 11th Jul 2016, 6:46 pm

Interesting - I've had a scan of the schematics and the only frequency reference close to that is the BFO section at 2.03125 MHz. I haven't analysed the full block diagram of it properly yet as merely an end user so YMMV there of course!

The person I purchased mine from was about to take it to the dump. I was at his house 40 miles away in under an hour!

7th Jul 2016, 11:49 am	#1
Ti Pwun Heptode Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 888	Marconi 2019A Error Number 15 Nothing about this in the manual and I can't find anything useful online. I've had problems with this unit for a long time (I have another thread, as yet unresolved) and had resigned myself to using it for anything above 5MHz only. However, I powered it up this morning and as soon as I tried to enter a frequency, I get '- - - 1 5 - - -'. Anyone know what this is telling me? Jon.

7th Jul 2016, 12:10 pm	#2
Jonster Heptode Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex, UK. Posts: 671	Re: Marconi 2019A Error Number 15 I have come across a couple of faulty 2019s where the fault was caused by a 5v regulator giving a low output. I would check the voltage rails before doing anything else.

7th Jul 2016, 1:30 pm	#3
Ti Pwun Heptode Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 888	Re: Marconi 2019A Error Number 15 In previous voltage checks I tweaked the pots so that the 5v, -15v, 15v & 24v rails were exact but they were only slightly out so that wasn't going to cause a problem (4.8v instead of 5v, for example). That made no difference. I checked them again today and those voltages are OK. I did, however, find 24.4v where it states 20v and 10v where it states 9v, both unregulated. Whether or not that's an issue, I'm not sure yet. Will keep probing the other boards, though. Attached Thumbnails

7th Jul 2016, 5:35 pm	#4
G0HZU_JMR Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK. Posts: 3,077	Re: Marconi 2019A Error Number 15 This seems familiar... about 20 years ago I bought two 2019s really cheap because they had a similar error on the display and the vendor didn't know what it meant. I think it was error 15 and it's to do with the selection (or health?) of the internal or an external 10MHz reference. The dealer had two of these generators and I bought the first one at a rally and I bought the second one from his house as he lived locally. I think I got the first one for £120 and the second one for £100. This was about 20 years ago and it was a monumental bargain back then. Have a play with the INT/EXT reference settings or try feeding in an external 10MHz to the rear panel because you can get in a muddle if the settings have been accidentally tampered with. Also, the error can appear at startup only in some scenarios if the oven is cold and it may be that your 10MHz OCXO has failed. On one of my 2019s the OCXO had failed and on the other it was an incorrect setting. It was a long time ago but I think that the error code was 15 on one of them at least... __________________ Regards, Jeremy G0HZU

8th Jul 2016, 3:56 am	#5
Ti Pwun Heptode Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 888	Re: Marconi 2019A Error Number 15 Yes, that definitely is the right area; I had been disconnecting some of the plugs yesterday and the error went away when I disconnected the PLBH plug on board AA2/1, which connects to the frequency standard board AA3/2. I was able to use the unit at that point. Not sure if the fault is going to be on the AA3 board itself or in the OCXO beside it, but I suspect something on the board is going to be faulty.

10th Jul 2016, 8:28 pm	#6
Ti Pwun Heptode Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 888	Re: Marconi 2019A Error Number 15 Quick update: I was getting 4.3v on the 6.2v zener (D3 on board AA3/2) so I replaced it and the error is gone. Still can't use it below 2.5MHz but that's another story...

11th Jul 2016, 11:44 am	#7
MrBungle Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: London, UK. Posts: 3,687	Re: Marconi 2019A Error Number 15 Congratulations. I'm crossing fingers mine doesn't do anything funny. I paid a mere £10 for mine! It came with a body bag of things that had been replaced in it including a full attenuator assembly. Nice units to work on though - very well designed!

11th Jul 2016, 2:40 pm	#8
Ti Pwun Heptode Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 888	Re: Marconi 2019A Error Number 15 Indeed they are. The 'no output below 2.5MHz' thing is kicking my behind a bit but at least the individual boards can be removed. I added a short flexible extension cable so the top portion can be lifted while the unit operates but other than that, is is very well designed, as you say. I paid £140 for mine from a member here and I thought that was decent, despite the issues I'm now having with it, but I'd bite the guy's hand off that had one for sale at a tenner, that's for sure - even a non-working 'scrapper'! I definitely want to get this working properly again. Jon.

11th Jul 2016, 6:46 pm	#9
MrBungle Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: London, UK. Posts: 3,687	Re: Marconi 2019A Error Number 15 Interesting - I've had a scan of the schematics and the only frequency reference close to that is the BFO section at 2.03125 MHz. I haven't analysed the full block diagram of it properly yet as merely an end user so YMMV there of course! The person I purchased mine from was about to take it to the dump. I was at his house 40 miles away in under an hour!