Vega Selena 215 poor FM fix.

[Robsradio]

Just thought I would share this.
I have the above which despite thorough cleaning of all turret band selector contacts FM was still very poor.
On max volume and aerial fully extended it was only just audible on the strong stations.
Pulled a few caps around IF cans, and tested and to my surprise C5, C19, C27, C32 and C53 were testing at between 1n to 7n when they should be either 51p or 24p.
Fitted replacements and it is excellent now, very loud and clear on all FM stations even without the aerial extended.
If you have one of these sets, it is easy to repair and very worthwhile.
Photo of offenders.
Cheers
Rob

[newlite4]

Thanks for posting this Rob. I have had two of these sets recently and neither of them worked on FM which is a known weak spot on these radios. There are a few electrolytics in there too which also affect FM performance. Nice sets all the same.
Neil

[paulsherwin]

Indeed, thanks for this. The 21x series does have a general reputation for disappointing FM performance, so I wonder if this is the explanation. My 215 is perfectly usable on FM, but it's certainly nothing special, unlike the AM performance which is outstanding for a single conversion design.

[its ur aerial]

Robsradio, many thanks for that info, I have one up in the loft, waiting for that fault to be sorted. Also needs a set of vol and tone knobs, not much hope there
Ken G6HZG.

[Pfraser]

Originally Posted by paulsherwin

Indeed, thanks for this. The 21x series does have a general reputation for disappointing FM performance, so I wonder if this is the explanation. My 215 is perfectly usable on FM, but it's certainly nothing special, unlike the AM performance which is outstanding for a single conversion design.

That's interesting. I had a B212, which could receive an FM station with an erp of 130W at 36 miles, fully quietening. Perhaps quality control was not the best in the USSR!

The AM performance was indeed impressive. Was there an RF amp before the local osc/mixer stage?

[Boulevardier]

Originally Posted by Pfraser

The AM performance was indeed impressive. Was there an RF amp before the local osc/mixer stage?

Could that impressive AM performance have been down to the unusual diode-ring mixer?
Mike

[paulsherwin]

There is an AM RF stage before the mixer, unusual in a domestic transistor radio.

[Boulevardier]

Originally Posted by Pfraser

Perhaps quality control was not the best in the USSR!

You may be right -





"Tuning Indicator"? What tuning indicator? Another bad Friday afternoon in Minsk?


Mike

[paulsherwin]

I don't think this was a quality control issue. At one stage they deleted the tuning/voltage meter but didn't bother changing the printing. As I've said in other threads, these sets are a strange mixture of overengineering and shoddy materials. Maybe everything in the USSR was made like that.

[Robsradio]

Originally Posted by its ur aerial

Robsradio, many thanks for that info, I have one up in the loft, waiting for that fault to be sorted. Also needs a set of vol and tone knobs, not much hope there
Ken G6HZG.

Hi Ken
Hope you get a chance to look at it, but if not, i’d give it a new home if you ever decide to release it, i’m in Newport ;-)
Cheers
Rob

[Robsradio]

Ive uncovered a couple more sets, one very deaf on FM, the other had nothing on FM.
Did the above capacitor swap outs and both are now excellent on FM even with the aerial retracted. So if anyone is considering trying it, 3 out of 3 successes, give it a go.

[marqueemoon]

Originally Posted by Boulevardier

"Tuning Indicator"? What tuning indicator? Another bad Friday afternoon in Minsk?

The tuning meter was deleted on later sets without, as you've seen, changing the printing on the front. I'm guessing they knew production was ending and had a load of old front panels to use up. As paulsherwin says, some parts are massively over-engineered and others utterly shonky... the knobs are made of the worst, most brittle plastic imaginable which is why there are so many Selenas knocking about on eBay with one or more missing.

For all that I do like them though; on the two I have FM performance is pretty decent, so it is worth the effort involved in fixing one.

[Boulevardier]

Originally Posted by marqueemoon

The tuning meter was deleted on later sets without, as you've seen, changing the printing on the front. I'm guessing they knew production was ending and had a load of old front panels to use up. As paulsherwin says, some parts are massively over-engineered and others utterly shonky... the knobs are made of the worst, most brittle plastic imaginable which is why there are so many Selenas knocking about on eBay with one or more missing.

For all that I do like them though; on the two I have FM performance is pretty decent, so it is worth the effort involved in fixing one.

I agree - structurally the things are a nightmare - plastic that disintegrates if you as much as touch it, threads used that don't seem to match anything you've ever seen, and some parts, such as the threaded steel supporting pillars seemingly just driven by force into the plasic casing (perhaps while it was still hot from the mould). I spent weeks putting the thing back together with two-part epoxy, and it's never going to look respectable or anything other than shonky. The schematics are a nightmare to work with. I agree, however, that performance is quite good.