Looking for some ideas or input; I have a Motorola R2600C service monitor that has developed an issue. Shortly after power up and calibrating, it will go into alarm and display on the screen "RF Overload, Remove RF Input" and a two-tone alarm will sound. This will occur for about 2-3 seconds then the monitor will clear and go back to normal for a few seconds, and then repeat the alarm. This is with no RF input present. Eventually the monitor will want to re-calibrate which it will go through again and then the series repeats with the alarm as soon as calibration completes.
Anyone have any experience with a common problem with these units that may cause this symptom?
Motorola R2600C RF Alarm Issue
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Motorola R2600C RF Alarm Issue
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Re: Motorola R2600C RF Alarm Issue
What a coincidence! Just last week mine started doing the exact same thing.
I had it running and it was generating a signal - there was no transmitter anywhere in the room - and be-boop , be-boop - it went into alarm telling me that there was an RF overload.
I took it apart and examined the inards of the RF I/O module, looked at the temp sensors, downloaded the datasheet on the chips, measured voltages, etc. No joy. Everything spot on and still the alarm. So I gave up and went to bed. About 3:00 A.M. I woke up with a nightmare thought. Suppose this thing has leaking surface mount electrolitics?
BAD NEWS.
It does have surface mount electrolitics. And they have leaked. Capacitor cancer in a service monitor.
The way the overtemperature alarm function in this unit works is that the temp sensors generate a precise temperature related voltage that is measured by the same circuitry that performs the DVM function. The processor can thereby determine when the unit has changed temp and needs a recalibrate or when there is an RF load overtemp.
That circuitry is on the interface board. I found that the caps on the interface board have made an ugly mess.
Here are a couple of pictures:
There are identical caps on other boards in the unit but furtunately in mine none of the others has leaked (yet).
My Digikey order will be here tomorrow.
I had it running and it was generating a signal - there was no transmitter anywhere in the room - and be-boop , be-boop - it went into alarm telling me that there was an RF overload.
I took it apart and examined the inards of the RF I/O module, looked at the temp sensors, downloaded the datasheet on the chips, measured voltages, etc. No joy. Everything spot on and still the alarm. So I gave up and went to bed. About 3:00 A.M. I woke up with a nightmare thought. Suppose this thing has leaking surface mount electrolitics?
BAD NEWS.
It does have surface mount electrolitics. And they have leaked. Capacitor cancer in a service monitor.
The way the overtemperature alarm function in this unit works is that the temp sensors generate a precise temperature related voltage that is measured by the same circuitry that performs the DVM function. The processor can thereby determine when the unit has changed temp and needs a recalibrate or when there is an RF load overtemp.
That circuitry is on the interface board. I found that the caps on the interface board have made an ugly mess.
Here are a couple of pictures:
There are identical caps on other boards in the unit but furtunately in mine none of the others has leaked (yet).
My Digikey order will be here tomorrow.
Re: Motorola R2600C RF Alarm Issue
I am new to this group and have the same symptoms with a R2600B.
Any additional information and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for shearing your experience. John s
Any additional information and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for shearing your experience. John s