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XTS3000 sudden death syndrome?

Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 1:30 pm
by kk6rq
This has now happened twice and I'm getting depressed..... UHF XTS3000, Model-2 Low-UHF; about a month ago I noticed
I wasn't hearing anything on it. It appeared fine; the display, all lights, audio, etc work OK, as though nothing were wrong. But there's NO RX and NO TX. Not weak RX; I slammed the maximum of the svc monitor into it. I don't have a way to jig it to check current pull, but when you key it into the svc monitor there's nothing. So I replaced the controller board and I was back in business.
Until yesterday when it happened again! I'm going to examine the controller boards under a magnifier to see if anything obvious
is showing but for now I'm afraid to sacrifice another controller board. FYI the 1st bad board is still dead in another radio if you were wondering.
Has anyone heard of this happening before or have a clue what could cause it? Bad flex?

Bob
KK6RQ

Re: XTS3000 sudden death syndrome?

Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 5:01 am
by wavetar
If it's affecting both TX & RX, it's likely a defective reference oscillator. Not what I'd call a 'common' issue with the 3000's, but can definitely happen with any radio. I'm assuming since you have a service monitor you have the capability to align the radio & did so when you replaced the RF board initially.

Todd

Re: XTS3000 sudden death syndrome?

Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 7:08 am
by kk6rq
Major typo(s) on my part which I didn't realize until I read your reply-- That should read CONTROLLER
board not RF board. I swapped controller boards and codeplugs and was back in business. There's no
corruption in the codeplug also; I checked. One more thing I noticed about the affected radio-- the
PITCH of the beeps the radio makes are higher than they were before, perhaps 30-50%. I am
befuddled.

BTW I was up all night the night before so I must have been in a fog when I typed that originally.

Re: XTS3000 sudden death syndrome?

Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 7:37 am
by n7maq
kk6rq wrote: One more thing I noticed about the affected radio-- the
PITCH of the beeps the radio makes are higher than they were before, perhaps 30-50%. I am
befuddled.
I would bet from the higher pitch beep that you have a bad vocon again. As to why I can't say, and I know that is what you are asking.


Jim