Batboard

I have several different HT1000 UHF "D" models exhibiting this issue. They seem to RX/TX fine in house but can't hear local repeaters or hit them.

I've tried changing out the back chassis plates and have also made sure the antenna connections were cleaned. Didn't see any loose solder connections while I was in there. Any ideas?

sometimes if you're rough on the antennae you move the threaded insert that the antennae screws into, remove the housing and see if you have to press that insert back into place. if it's been moved, your antennae isn't making contact.

If there is no physical damage to the radio or the antenna, I would suspect it's out of alignment at the least, or a defective RF amp or 'some' component in the receive chain.

I would have it placed on the bench and tested with a service monitor for sensitivity of the receiver, that will start the process of hunting down the cause or causes.

But from the symptoms given, it appears to have gone out of alignment somehow.

Did someone recently read the radio and reprogram it without performing the alignment to ensure the performance was up to spec?

HLA wrote:sometimes if you're rough on the antennae you move the threaded insert that the antennae screws into, remove the housing and see if you have to press that insert back into place. if it's been moved, your antennae isn't making contact.

I've tried replacing the back chassis with a known working one, so I don't believe this to be the issue.

AEC wrote:If there is no physical damage to the radio or the antenna, I would suspect it's out of alignment at the least, or a defective RF amp or 'some' component in the receive chain.

I would have it placed on the bench and tested with a service monitor for sensitivity of the receiver, that will start the process of hunting down the cause or causes.

But from the symptoms given, it appears to have gone out of alignment somehow.

Did someone recently read the radio and reprogram it without performing the alignment to ensure the performance was up to spec?

Let me start by saying I'm just a hobbyist, so I don't have any great testing equipment...yet.

I have a whole bunch of these radios, many work fine. I haven't played with the alignment settings, but they do seem to be in-line with the settings on the other (working) radios.

Maybe it's time to buy a used service monitor.

The HT1000 is just a Visar with the controller below the RF deck.

The antenna port is an SMA and the RF from the main board passes through a flexible spring finger contact on the bottom of the SMA 'cup'.

If that spring contact is bent or missing, you will have very poor to no receive, as HLA suggested.

The SMA connection is simply pressed into the radio's frame, and gets loose after years of abuse and use, try unscrewing the antenna just enough to remove pressure from that connector, but still be held by the connector, then try to move it from side to side or up/down.

If there is any play in there, you can usually shim it with .002 -.004" shim stock, or compress it with a pliers to take out the play.

Being pot metal, the chassis will NOT take any excessive force or pressure and you run the risk of cracking the metal bracket it's pressed into.

If the SMA 'cup' is easily pulled out from the radio side, and there is a burn mark on the bottom of that connector, you have a poor connection to the RF board and it has to be repaired, then burnish the antenna connection so the center color is once again its gold tone.

But do check for a good solid connection for the antenna first, that's the most important aspect.

If the 'finger' is missing, or if you have a public safety mic attached, remove it and check the RF port on the accessory port, it's where the black recessed button is located, and directly behind that, is the RF switch, which is nothing more than a couple of spring contacts that select either the internal(radio) antenna, or the public safety microphone's antenna.

Many times, that RF switch goes bad and the fingers get soft and no longer make proper contact.

Tha's one more area of concern as well.