very, very old serial numbers

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kb4mdz
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What radios do you own?: Too many for the time I have.

very, very old serial numbers

Post by kb4mdz »

Anyone here remember the way to decode the approximate manufacture date out of the OLD Moto. serial numbers? 6 character; I've seen 2 letters, then 3 digits and then a letter. Like: QA361T.

I know this will take the date of manufacture back to BEFORE 1976. So that's at least 30 years old, by my counts. Jeepers, there's some old a** stuff out there in radio land....

Chuk
Microwave Mike
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Old Numbers

Post by Microwave Mike »

A better way to figure out how old a radio might be is to find date codes on the parts inside the radio. a number of 7510 would be 1975, tenth week
or 434 could be 1974,34th week or 1984, 34th week. Parts that have date codes would be Ic's, caps, larger transistors. Like TO-3 packages. On real old radios, Tubes have date codes on them.

Good Luck

mm
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kb4mdz
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date codes

Post by kb4mdz »

Mike -

A good suggestion, and one I would have tried, had I not encountered a) that many years of dust inside the cabinet, and b) not enough time to clean it out. Was trying to get the site PM'ed before the end of the day, and so had no extra time.
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kb4mdz
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Date codes...

Post by kb4mdz »

Failure, first round.

found the cheat sheet here on the site, and I tried extrapolating backwards from 1976; using the first & 2nd letters of the old style, using similar format as the current 10-character system; x(Year)(half-a-Month)...

That way, I come up with. A=1976, Z=1975, Y= 74, etc. Q would give me 1966? N would give me 1964? That can't be right! Gotta be something else....

Frustrated.
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wx4cbh
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Post by wx4cbh »

Do you have a model name or number? That would tell you if you're in the ball park as far as age goes.
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Karl NVW
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RE: Date Codes

Post by Karl NVW »

QA361T is from 3rd wk (16-21) of June, 1975
Karl - WA8NVW AFA5VB
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kb4mdz
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serial numbers.

Post by kb4mdz »

OK, I get the 3rd week, and the 6 for June, but how did you get the year?

Oh, and the other question was model: both Micor units; one continuous duty, one just the 'mobile' PA casting, tho 100 Watts.

"QA361T is from 3rd wk (16-21) of June, 1975 "
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wx4cbh
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Post by wx4cbh »

I was looking at a Micor 70 mHz repeater when I asked that question. :) Thought maybe you might be looking at one, too, though I wasn't sure what the sequence actually translated to. No manual on my end, so I'm relying entirely on experience to repair this ol' gal.
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Karl NVW
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Post by Karl NVW »

No, the 3 and 6 do NOT denote 3rd week of 6th month. Actually it's the Q and T that set the date window, the middle part is the unique sequence number for that time frame.
Karl - WA8NVW AFA5VB
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kb4mdz
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very, very old serial numbers

Post by kb4mdz »

OK, well I stand corrected; it's just what seemed logical to me. But I'm still stumped as to how you got "June" and "3rd week" and "1975" I've come across another one which is "NAxxxx(something)"

I know, I know, these things deserve to die a raucous death under the treads of a piece of heavy equipment.

------------------------
No, the 3 and 6 do NOT denote 3rd week of 6th month. Actually it's the Q and T that set the date window, the middle part is the unique sequence number for that time frame.
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RADIOMAN2002
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Post by RADIOMAN2002 »

If we are talking about Micors, the first Micors made were manufactured in October 1975, they used the old serial number style untill 1978, when the new style numbering was enacted.
Glen W Christen
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MICOR

Post by Glen W Christen »

Both the Micor and Mocom 70 came out in late 69, early 70. I remember because that was when I started in the business and didn't yet know enough to be impressed! They didn't even need a power supply that sang.
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kb4mdz
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very, very old s/n's

Post by kb4mdz »

OK, so both of these units were built before 1978; that makes them old enough to vote, old enough to drink liquor in all states, but they're still as much as 2 decades younger than me, so I have seniority over them. Especially since they are in such sad, sad shape... but I digress.

The question still stands: What is the format of the old serial numbers?

If we are talking about Micors, the first Micors made were manufactured in October 1975, they used the old serial number style untill 1978, when the new style numbering was enacted.
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