• To anyone looking to acquire commercial radio programming software:

    Please do not make requests for copies of radio programming software which is sold (or was sold) by the manufacturer for any monetary value. All requests will be deleted and a forum infraction issued. Making a request such as this is attempting to engage in software piracy and this forum cannot be involved or associated with this activity. The same goes for any private transaction via Private Message. Even if you attempt to engage in this activity in PM's we will still enforce the forum rules. Your PM's are not private and the administration has the right to read them if there's a hint to criminal activity.

    If you are having trouble legally obtaining software please state so. We do not want any hurt feelings when your vague post is mistaken for a free request. It is YOUR responsibility to properly word your request.

    To obtain Motorola software see the Sticky in the Motorola forum.

    The various other vendors often permit their dealers to sell the software online (i.e., Kenwood). Please use Google or some other search engine to find a dealer that sells the software. Typically each series or individual radio requires its own software package. Often the Kenwood software is less than $100 so don't be a cheapskate; just purchase it.

    For M/A Com/Harris/GE, etc: there are two software packages that program all current and past radios. One package is for conventional programming and the other for trunked programming. The trunked package is in upwards of $2,500. The conventional package is more reasonable though is still several hundred dollars. The benefit is you do not need multiple versions for each radio (unlike Motorola).

    This is a large and very visible forum. We cannot jeopardize the ability to provide the RadioReference services by allowing this activity to occur. Please respect this.

GE Delta S Lowband to 6m Conversion

Status
Not open for further replies.

KC8ESL

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 8, 2008
Messages
550
Location
Mentor, Ohio
So it seems I can find information for hours on the web about VHF-Hi (136-174MHz) about converting these radios to 2m band, but when it comes to finding any information (or acknowledgement that they even exist) on the VHF Low band Delta S radios, its nearly impossible.

Let me explain my setup to eliminate any guessing of the obvious on your end:
GE Delta S Combination N3B106 loaded with a 16 channel EEPROM currently programmed myself using Niles Radio Software and the Niles Programmer on the following freqs...

1 52.525RX / 52.525TX plRX 0.0 plTX 0.0 CCT 0 ste Y
2 52.400RX / 52.400TX plRX 0.0 plTX 0.0 CCT 0 ste Y

Using an 8 channel head Combination number C4A108

I've successfully locked both the TX and RX VCO's so I'm pleased with that. I've also verified that on 52.400MHz, I am running 110W into a dummy load so the transmitter is working.

Now I run into the trouble... Alignment of the RX section of VHF Hi and VHF Low are 2 different beasts. I'm thinking about tapping an IF (service manual would be nice to know what IF to tap...) and using my SDR to view the signal with another radio transmitting a low signal into a dummy load and tuning for max amplitude. My 6m antenna is about 100ft from the house so I suspect it should work fairly well for my purposes.

The only thing I hear right now is a steady extremely low volume "hissssssssss" out of the speaker, maybe a slight variance in audio output in respect to where the VOL/SQL pots are sitting.

I guess after all that, my ultimate question is: Does anyone have the service manual for this radio?
 

jim202

Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2002
Messages
2,729
Location
New Orleans region
So it seems I can find information for hours on the web about VHF-Hi (136-174MHz) about converting these radios to 2m band, but when it comes to finding any information (or acknowledgement that they even exist) on the VHF Low band Delta S radios, its nearly impossible.

Let me explain my setup to eliminate any guessing of the obvious on your end:
GE Delta S Combination N3B106 loaded with a 16 channel EEPROM currently programmed myself using Niles Radio Software and the Niles Programmer on the following freqs...

1 52.525RX / 52.525TX plRX 0.0 plTX 0.0 CCT 0 ste Y
2 52.400RX / 52.400TX plRX 0.0 plTX 0.0 CCT 0 ste Y

Using an 8 channel head Combination number C4A108

I've successfully locked both the TX and RX VCO's so I'm pleased with that. I've also verified that on 52.400MHz, I am running 110W into a dummy load so the transmitter is working.

Now I run into the trouble... Alignment of the RX section of VHF Hi and VHF Low are 2 different beasts. I'm thinking about tapping an IF (service manual would be nice to know what IF to tap...) and using my SDR to view the signal with another radio transmitting a low signal into a dummy load and tuning for max amplitude. My 6m antenna is about 100ft from the house so I suspect it should work fairly well for my purposes.

The only thing I hear right now is a steady extremely low volume "hissssssssss" out of the speaker, maybe a slight variance in audio output in respect to where the VOL/SQL pots are sitting.

I guess after all that, my ultimate question is: Does anyone have the service manual for this radio?

There use to be a bunch of information on the conversion on these Delta S radios in the high split to 6 meters on the Internet. I know, I was one who wrote at least one of the documents. Problem is I have not been able to locate ant of my files. Have move a number of times since the conversion work was done. I still have all my manuals in boxes here since my last move in April.

The bottom line is that there were a number of caps that were changed in both the TX and RX tuned circuits. One of the manuals in one of the many boxes has all the marked up sheets with the changes. Have done probably done the mods to 6 or more of the radios in the low band, high split to get them to work well on 6 meters. Without the mods, you will not be able to get the RX to tune up in the range of the high FM range of 6 meters. If I remember correctly, it was the same issue on the transmitter multiplier chain.

When you get done, you will be able to get between 80 to over 100 watts out of the transmitter. The receiver will open the squelch at below 0.5 microvolts signal input. Typically the radios would open up at around 0.3 microvolts.

This work was done more than 15 years ago, so I don't remember the details right now.
 

KC8ESL

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 8, 2008
Messages
550
Location
Mentor, Ohio
Hi Jim, I have several sources (including the guy who gave me the pile of radios) tell me the radios should be good up to about 53.7 MHz which I am fine with, without any mods to hardware.

I just hope i am not misinformed. Otherwise, it will end up being a great mobile rig once I learn how to program the s990 head I have sitting in bubble wrap but only after I figure out how to tune the rx chain.
 

obijohn

Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Messages
349
A signal generator would be really helpful in this situation. The only tuning adjustments that need to be made is the local oscillator injection tuning (3 adjustments, IIRC) and the preselector. If you got it to
transmit you obviously reset the VCO lock voltage. Good Luck!
 

KC8ESL

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 8, 2008
Messages
550
Location
Mentor, Ohio
I think I'm going to have to break down and buy the signal genny. It's just a tool that could come in handy for so many things that I do.
 

KC8ESL

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 8, 2008
Messages
550
Location
Mentor, Ohio
Thanks to someone who wishes to be anonymous, I have the service manual I was looking for.

http://www.repeater-builder.com/ge/lbi-library/lbi-31345.pdf

Not sure how I missed that on a google search...

Also, FWIW, I used another transceiver to rough in my receiver on the Delta S. It worked so-so. Basically, I can hear a repeater output ID - but very scratchy - when I key up and give out my callsign. When I key up the radio on the other side of the room, it is full quieting at the radio I'm working on.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top