Freq. Drift

[megahurst]

Drifting around in RV is one thing, a drifting radio is quite another!

I use a TS-130S in RV (ca 1980) which has started drifting badly on receive CW. Seems okay SSB and have had no comments on TX SSB (not worked CW TX today). Any ideas where to look to stabilize?

[wa8yxm]

If you have not already done so give it a good internal Dusting, HEAT is your enemy and dust and lint trap heat.

[Radio]

I just googled "TS130 frequency drift" and got a treasure trove of stuff.

Some of which might be useful. But I'd start with a good dusting, too. Once cleaned out, a good visual inspection for discolored components and cold solder joints is in order.

So far, the remedies have been cheap!

[W9WLS]

Just for the sake of saying it.

Use no more than 10 PSI DRY AIR when dusting , or "canned" air from "Rat Shack" , Staples, Home Depot , or where ever.

Too much air pressure can mess up other things and cause more problems.

[NN5I]

I have used 100-175 psi air for blowing out electronics for the last 40 or 50 years. As long as you don't do something obviously stupid, like blasting foil-thin cooling fins or those of air variable capacitors at close range, there's no problem. If you do do something obviously stupid, there's probably no hope for you anyway.

Tektronix used to use, as the first step even before diagnostics, distilled water at rather high pressure to clean out the insides of vacuum-tube oscilloscopes sent in for repair. Then they'd dry'em off with warm compressed air, and about 60% of problems would disappear. Dust causes all sorts of grief.

[megahurst]

Thanks for input regarding overheating. Had a TS-180 that had a chip go bad and drift when warmed up. Discovered it by blowing through a straw on various components until it stabilized – for a short while. Present problem seems to start almost from power on. Had it open just a couple of months ago and will certainly check for circulation. Afraid the problem is a little deeper. Have a full set of capacitors for it so might as well dig in and kill a couple of birds with one soldering iron.

[N3LYT]

Here maybe a different twist does it have a heated chystal osolator?

[wa8yxm]

I have not dusted out my TS-2000 but I have a pair of Digital Video Recorders here, When they get overly dusty they forget how to talk to each other so recording in one room and watching in the other... won't work.

I take them outside, take the cover off, put the painter's mask on and hit 'em with 150 PSI from a vairable distance.. DUST FLYS, nothing else does.