Parts availability

[Michael Waldrop]

Afternoon everyone,

Just a note about some sources where you can pick up parts for low voltage projects with your Heath gear.

First, if anyone is into homebrew low voltage projects, breadboarding is a must. I've done some research and found these boards vary in price. The real nice ones that have CPU capabilities and built in power supplies run well over $150. I settled on one from All Electronics. www.allelectronics.com with a part number of PB-4060 for $88.00. It has 3 voltage supplies, +5 fixed, +15 and -15 VDC (both adjustable from 0 - 15VDC). I bought one and I must say it's very well made and does the job just fine.

For small parts such as resistors, electrolytic capacitors, IC chips, transistors, diodes and LED', check out NightFire Electronics. He sells kits for SMT or DIP plus individual low voltage parts.

Radio Shack still carries some low voltage components. One deal I found is their 500 piece carbon-film 1/4 watt assorted resistor pack for $12.  Individual resistors run around 5 cents each. A count of 500 comes to $25 so $12 is a good deal. Their IC chips and other components still are a bit high. Sometimes you can talk the clerk or manager down in price since most of the time those parts don't sell very well. This may work if you buy more than one or two of any specific item, especially if the stores has alot of them in the drawer. Never hurts to ask.

Homebrewing is fun and very educational. I highly recommend a dual trace scope. Now before you gasp for breath, dual trace scopes can be had today for alot less money than a few years or so ago. I picked one up, bread new, on eBay for $100.00. It's a 20MHz model, E&L Electronics, and very nice. More than enough to do regular repairs.  I'm sure there are others that may be cheaper now, I bought mine a few years ago. 

Another indepensable tool is the "function generator", especially when adjusting audio filters. You don't need a $300+ function generator to design or repair audio circuits in ham gear. I use a small, kit form, $10 function generator that I picked up on eBay. It's smaller than the top of a Coca Cola can but does a great job with an adjustable 1Hz to 7Khz sine, triangle or square wave output. You don't need to spend alot of money for a function generator when one like this will do the job just fine. By the way, it runs on a 9 volt battery!

You will need some jumper cables. No, not the car battery kind....hi hi .... Make them yourself, it's cheaper. Again, Radio Shack has the alligator clips and wire. Simply make them yourself and you'll save money!!!

Always have a good soldering pencil. When working with low voltage IC and transistor circuits, nothing more than 25 watts. Any higher and you'll run the risk in burning up the compoent before you get to "smoke test" it. Stay clear of those cheap $3.00 pencils you find at "bargin houses", they're not worth the bother. Oh, that "cold solder" pencil you see on TV...forget it. It's a piece of garbage! A nice "pin point" pencil is what you need and always keep the tip clean. Use a sponge that's wet. Never solder with a "gun", those 60 watt plus tools that you find on eBay or other places for $12. Use them on heavy copper wire or other large diameter wire, not on kits or anything else.

Solder...it's up to you. There is the new lead free solder and the original 60/40. I prefer the 60/40 but then again, it's your choice. I've used both. Now, never, repeat, NEVER use acid core solder. You laugh but I've seen it used in some Heathkit gear I've repaired in the past. How the components every survived the heat is beyond me and that "green" corrosive color, well, it just doesn't go with Heath green!! Just because Heath used "green" color doesn't mean you have to have "green" colored copper wire from the solder...hi hi hi...

In closing, I'm working on replacement electrolytic capacitor boards for the following Heath radios:

1. Apache TX-1 HV, LV and BIAS
2. Mohawk RX-1
3. Marauder HV and LV
4. SB-400/401 HV and LV
5. SB-300/301 Triple capacitor supply

These will be "plug and play" boards so to speak. The capacitors, resistors and diodes (if used) will already be mounted and soldered to the boards. Installation will require removal of the old capacitors, diodes (if required) and resistors then wiring the board to the circuit using the existing wiring hardness or wiring. Again, these boards are in the design stages and are not yet ready for distribution. I thoroughly test everyting I design to ensure it works properly before putting it into use. I have all of the above listed equipment except the 301/401 but their power supplies are the same as the 300 and 400, all in excellent working condition to use as a testing platform. I'm a Heath collector and I USE the gear I have. That means, they don't sit "pretty" on a shelf!!

For now, have a great week and hope to hear you on 40 meter CW (7030 +/- the QRM).

73's

Mike
W5RKL


 		
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