If memory serves the VL-1000 quadra uses a 48v power supply so at least there are no high voltages to worry about on the secondary side. Try this little trick:

Get an insulated rod, a thick knitting needle will do fine but a pencil will not because of the lead core. Place one end of the rod in the small hollow area behind the bottom of your ear and the other end at various points in the power supply chassis. There's a chance that you might get closer to the source of the noise.

WARNING!!!

Remove all jewelry including your watch and ring(s) before working on the supply.

Tanakasan

I'm looking for the pinout for a variable capacitor, the sort used in cheap transistor radios. It's got a white base with transparent case and I can see at least two multiple-plate variable capacitors inside. There are also four trimmers on the back so this could be an AM/VHF model.

If I'm lucky there will be a standard pinout <g>.

Tanakasan

If you're prepared to warm up the soldering iron have a look at http://www.kongsfjord.no/dl/dl.htm Dallas Lankford seems to be a bit of an expert on HF receiver pre-amps.

Tanakasan

I would say build.

However.....................

You need to accumulate parts and other useful useful stuff as they become available. My 13v8 supply uses the filament transformer from a hospital x-ray machine and I found it twenty years ago. I reckon that once you get a decent transformer and large heatsink the rest will be easy.

Tanakasan

I was curious about this so I just went out and tried it. Two lengths of wire 10 m long, one made of bare copper wire and the other made from 220v mains wire. I made best efforts to get the lengths correct to the nearest cm. Antennas were erected one by one using the same insulators, feeder and tree.

Bare Copper resonated at 7.0133 MHz according to my VNA and the plastic insulated wire resonated at 7.0139 MHz. My only explanation is that the plastic might change the capacitance to ground. Does the 600 Hz difference matter?

Tanakasan

1. Crimp, solder, or both?
Solder, every time. If solder gets on the connector surface then you're doomed so I normally solder the insert with the wire up in the air so the solder can wick downwards.

2. Roll pins, glue, or
Roll pins for automobile applications, for everything else I just leave them out.

3. Tie wraps behind the connectors, yes/no?
No, never needed them.

One final thing. Most of the colors manufactured by Powerpole are fine but the brown is terrible. Even in decent light it looks very close to black so I ended up painting the shell with light brown model paint.

Tanakasan

I have never seen an IC-560 but I once owned an IC-260 which is the 2 metre version. Assuming the basic circuit is the same (this is a BIG assumption) then the following information may help.

On the main PCB locate IC9, this is a NJM4558D device. Near to this chip is R115 which is a 1K ohm preset, this adjusts the FM audio level on transmit.

Again on the main PCB and probably close to IC9 look for transistor Q25 and next to it R132 which is a 3K ohm preset, this adjusts the modulation level on SSB.

Any of these adjustments are at your own risk. Make small adjustments first to make sure you are altering the correct preset.

Tanakasan

Try a local fishing shop.

Tanakasan

"I believe in being fair, so I will update this forum on the results on if I receive my rebate check. "

Well done. I have always believed that mail-in rebates are a scam but if someone (or some company) is willing to be honest I may change my opinion.

Tanakasan

See http://www.eham.net/forums/Elmers/174787

Whatever counter system you use it would need to take account of the BFO frequency, the VFO frequency and the frequency of a crystal oscillator which varies depending on band.

Tanakasan

Been there, done that. The only problem is that I forgot the glass of water. The explosion cracked the glass on the microwave oven and I had to buy the XYL a. new one.

I did however strip the broken oven for parts and used the transformer in a homebrew linear. Nice how things work out in the end.

Tanakasan

In theory this could work.

In practice some amplifiers (mainly solid-state) like to see a purely resistive input with very little or any reactance. You therefore may need to fit an attenuator between the amplifiers to improve stability.

Tanakasan

The problem you face is the internal architecture of the FT101. The final output frequency is achieved by mixing together the output of a crystal oscillator, the BFO and the VFO. One or two turns of hookup wire in a loop near the PA compartment will be enough to monitor your transmit frequency but monitoring the receive frequency may be too complicated.

Tanakasan

One hundred watts into fifty ohms is 70.7 volts RMS or just under 200 volts peak to peak. Have a look in the Mouser catalog for AVX SQ and AQ series capacitors which are 500V rated and usable up to microwave frequencies.

Tanakasan

When did you last clean out the inside of the amplifier cabinet?

Tanakasan