Batboard

so i got a hot deal on a used smart rib - as is no returns. Of course pop in fresh batterys and it does not appear to power up. So.. any on board fuses or caps or anything i should be checking ?

Of course pop in fresh batterys and it does not appear to power up.

Its been a long time and my mind may be playing tricks on me but, as I recall, the SmartRib doesn't use a battery. If I remember correctly, it uses a 21volt (or thereabouts) wall wart as its only power supply. Maybe, since I retired, they've come out with a later version but I think I'd be checking that out. Kinda makes me think that that may not be a SmartRib???
Tom

The standard RIB uses a wall wart that has the center pin (+) positive, the Smart RIB uses one with the center pin (-) negative. Leave it to mother M to chance things. We use 12V 500mA for both with each power supply and RIB labeled is to what goes with what.

Jerry

WB6DGN wrote:

Of course pop in fresh batterys and it does not appear to power up.

Its been a long time and my mind may be playing tricks on me but, as I recall, the SmartRib doesn't use a battery. If I remember correctly, it uses a 21volt (or thereabouts) wall wart as its only power supply. Maybe, since I retired, they've come out with a later version but I think I'd be checking that out. Kinda makes me think that that may not be a SmartRib???
Tom

Many of the older interface cables took power form the radio to run the RIB. You need to look at which radio your going to use the RIB with.

The real new radios don't use the RIB. These programming cables have a built in level translator. You plug one end into the USB port of the computer and the other end directly into the radio.

Jim

gopher wrote:so i got a hot deal on a used smart rib - as is no returns. Of course pop in fresh batterys and it does not appear to power up. So.. any on board fuses or caps or anything i should be checking ?

gopher, you said batteries (plural) not battery (singular). The SmartRib did have an optional AA battery pack that screwed on to the bottom (RLN4488), and plugged into the board with a short cable. I can't find the schematic, but it shouldn't be hard to trace the lines from the power and see if there is a picofuse in line somewhere.

yeah.. Its got a ton of AA's on the bottom. Im gonna putt it all apart when i get the work area cleaned out..

the smartrib is wired backwards for power, the center pin is negative and the barrel is positive so id check that somebody didn't cross that up and plug the wrong wall wart into it at some point?

Time to change the ext power jack to center POS, like most everything else.

I remember they run on 5 volts internally and 9 volts should work and 13 volts max.

Will wrote:Time to change the ext power jack to center POS, like most everything else.

I remember they run on 5 volts internally and 9 volts should work and 13 volts max.

Only if you want to blow out everything. The SmartRIB is center pin NEGATIVE. IIRC there is a protection diode in the power supply input circuit for reverse polarity protection.

The factory original SmartRib wall wart is 9v 700ma, center pin negative.

A 12 volt or so one will work just fine. The reason its negative center is because the internal electronics are POSITIVE GROUND. Do NOT attempt to turn this around unless you are very confident your power source is not common to frame. Also, make sure the AA pack is polarized correctly also.