My measurements of the input choke is 'in circuit', however the module is out of the receiver, so the input is not connected to the diodes and the output is not connected to the load, so there should be no problem measuring it in place.

What I'm trying to fix is the 20VP-P swing and the 2VP-P output on the first choke, plus get the DCV down to a reasonable value, 304VDC vs. the nominal 205VDC which is should be is way too much.  I realize some of it is removing the tube rectifiers and replacing with solid state, but if I could get the high voltage module in line with the other one I'd be happy.

I realized I have an old Heathkit Impedance Bridge.  I'll see if I can check the chokes with that, even if I have to remove them.  Other thing I can do as long as I remove the chokes is switch them and see what happens.  That's all I can figure since everything else checks out.

I haven't dug into it any more, except to measure the 2 AF modules with the tubes out.  Nothing else in the rest of the radio is changed.  The voltage on the module with the 66 ohm L601 choke gives me 20VP-P ripple on my old Tec 545A scope.  Same location on the other AF module gives me 3VP-P.  This is at the input to the L601 choke right out of the rectifiers.  Like I say, same transformer, rectifier, different AF module which includes the power supply chokes and caps.  The new caps measure just fine on the Fluke 189.  The output of the high voltage module has 2VP-P out of L601, output of the better AF module L601 has less than 0.05VP-P ripple.  Actually neither module has much hum to it, that's not my issue.  That's more a function of the separate AF B+ which seems to be about the same in both modules.

To re-iterate:
Module #3267 at input of L601 = 3VP-P ripple @ 241VDC
Module #3267 at output of L602 = <0.05VP-P ripple @ 229VDC

Module #123 at input of L601 = 20VP-P ripple @ 315VDC
Module #123 at output of L602 = 2VP-P ripple @ 304VDC

Pretty much the same taking the tubes out of the AF modules.

My big problem is the 315VDC at the output of the rectifiers (input of L601) on module #123 and only 241VDC on the other one.  Only difference I can see is the L601 ohms, 66 on #123 vs 109 on #3267?

Before I remove the solid state rectifiers, I measured L601, 2, 3.  L601 is 109 ohms on the lower voltage one, and 66 ohms on the higher voltage one.  I wonder if anyone can measure their L601 for me to compare.  I'm wondering if the higher voltage one has some shorted turns.  Not sure how I would measure the henerys.  I'm sure that if that were the case, the ripple would be more, 20VP-P vs 3VP-P?

OK, I'm going to put the rectifier tubes back in the PS module that has the sockets and get into the AF modules with some more regular voltages.  I measured the new caps I got and they're pretty close to their given value.  Even the old ones were pretty close, but I replaced them anyhow.  I soldered the new ones in the bottom of the module to the octal sockets and just removed the old plug in ones.  Nothing is not reversible.

(http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg287/DogTi/afbot_zps46c4bbbb.jpg)

I've been through the PS circuit on the AF board including L601, L602, L603, and the large resistors R617, 618, and 619 and the only thing different in the 2 modules is the resistance of the chokes and that's not hugely different, but somewhat, maybe I should write it down to compare if someone else can give me values.

I've read through all the mod recommendations at the R390A site.

The PS rectifiers were replaced when I got them.  One is with 1N561s and the other is with RGP30M (1000V 3A) I replaced because the job done was so sloppily.  I do still have two 26Z5 I could replace in one.  The sockets have been removed in the other one.  I looked for a 200-220 ohm 14W resistor, but couldn't find one easily, so that is not done.  I have installed the CL-90's in the one I'm playing with right now.

I could re-install the tubes and use that PS until I find some 220ohm 14W resistors.

R614 (560) measures 591 in the better module and 555 in the funky module, both within 10%.  They are both 2W and the funky module is with a new metal oxide 2W resistor because it was missing.  I still have another.

I'm wondering if using 47uF caps in place of the 30uF has increased the voltages in that module?

I have 2 - R390As.  One of the audio sections works pretty good, but the B+ is a bit high because of solid state rectifiers in the PS.  I've got the ripple down to less than .05VP-P on the output of the RF/IF B+ (229VDC instead of 205).  The audio B+ is less than .05VP-P on the cathode follower, and the B+ to the audio amps is around 2VP-P.

The second AF module is very high in voltage, like 50 VDC more and the ripple is way up on the RF/IF B+, the AF B+ is high in voltage, but ripple is same as other module except the regulated 105VDC is higher.  I've been through the resistance measurements comparing from module to module and they seem to be fairly consistent.  I just can't figure the second module having this high voltage and 2VP-P ripple on the RF/IF B+.

I switched tubes between the modules and it got rid of some motor boating on the higher voltage module, but the ripple and voltages are still the same.

I did remove the 30/45uF capacitors and replaced them with new ones, in one module I used 47uF throughout (the one with the higher voltage) could this be my voltage problem?  All the other .01uF, .033uF caps have been replaced with .047uF.

Ideas?  Especially the 304VDC on the RF/IF B+.  I'm checking both AF modules in the same R390A so the only difference is the audio module.

I was going to suggest a battery with a 13v small power supply to charge it, but $50 for a 30A supply is a real good deal.  You'd have to be buying batteries once in a while too, but it does mean you can work when the power is off.

Shipping is reasonable too.

I have a couple of them.  They work, but need some detailing, which I am doing, but wonder if there is any market for these BAs any more?  I've replaced the caps and tubes, but I don't figure it's worth much more than that.  I really have no use for them except to play with them.  I've gotten the mechanical dial pretty smooth now.

They're fun to play with, but not much use. really.  I've seen the SDR for the IF, but that doesn't do much for me either.

If anyone knows where to get little parts cheap, I'd be interested, like the top panels, little parts like the inter-board connectors.  They're not in bad shape, just some of the typical gov't mods.  The meters actually work on one of them.

I keep telling you guys, forget the dipoles if you don't have the space.  Get a single mount antenna, look up C-Pole and you can get multiple bands out of it if you have a tuner.   All you need to do is make a current balun, which is included when you look up C-pole.  No radials either.

Look up C-Pole antenna.  All it requires is one support.  No radials, needs a current balun which is easy to make.  Coax fed.  Vertically polarized so it may pick up some noise, but a 40 M one is relatively easy to get up.  80M requires some 50-60', 40M half that.  Plus it works on most bands above the cut band.  I have one for 80 and one for 60 and they work on every band I want, 160-6.   I hang them from trees in the yard, and they are nearly invisible if you use black wire and paint the spreaders flat black.  I have a bunch of 600 ohm coated telephone wire, plastic coated copper coated steel wire.  They work great for me.  All you need is some wire, coax, some PVC pipe and a balun which can be bought as a kit for about $20.  If you're close by, you can have my 40M one which I don't use.

The hex inverters were working fine and still are.  Actually everything in the control board was doing exactly what it was supposed to do.  When I removed the overcurrent IC, that caused more problems.  There was just not enough explanation, at least for me, as to what is happening on the control board, in the Motorola manual.

Looks like I've got it.  Apparently when I replaced a bad diode on the LVPS A5, I made a solder bridge across two others, so it was still in current lockout.  Trouble is the only way one can see it's in that lockout mode is on A4 U8 pin 13 or U2 pin 10.  If it's high, it's locking out the PWM.  In the meantime I pulled U8, the lockout IC and wiped out the AC switching FETs.  So I found the other short on the LVPS A5, replaced the FETs, the correct voltages came up on the A2 through A6 power supply boards, re-seated all the boards and it powered up, I have display, the buttons work and things appears normal.  I'm going to leave it on for a while before I button it up.

I really doubt if I could have fixed it without the schematics, unless I was really lucky.

Woo, Hoo.

Many thanks to NJ1K for his help.

TenTec is selling the hamsticks for about $30.  You can get them on ebay for $20.  Just search hamstick.  I was always impressed with how good they worked for their size, but then that was in the last 2 sunspot cycles, the 15 meter one worked great mobile ssb for dx.  I'd always wanted to build a 40M beam out of them, it would be very narrow BW, but I bet for the size it would work great.

Saga continues.  Got parts from Mouser, replaced ICs that I thought may be bad and nada.  Same thing, nothing changed.  I've got one more to replace, a 7405N hex inverter.

Funny thing is the 339 works on my breadboard, but not in the circuit.  But it may be the hex inverter dragging it down, that's my next try.

Anyone know where to get a cross reference on a DS75361N?  Dual TTL to MOS driver.  I doubt if it's bad, but wouldn't hurt to have a couple in case.

Yeah, the old Heathkit super regens on 6 and 2 were sort of effective with AM, but certainly left a lot to be desired.  I got a VX-7 from HRO years ago and was so disappointed with the image problems I took it back.  But we're not talking $300 here.  There were digital spurs all over the ham bands and strong too.  I actually measured the image rejection and it was like 30db, not within spec.

Dynamic range, I take it you mean it overloads easily and then get a lot of extraneous signals?  I live in the boonies, so there's not much in the way of strong signals here.  But it's probably not very sensitive either and adding a pre-amp would probably overload it and make the DR worse.