Repare/replace S-Meter for Panasonic RF-2200

[prespres]

Hi all, first post here.

I’ve picked up a Panasonic RF-2200 (actually the Japanese Cougar 2200 branded one), and am enjoying getting it back up to spec with new caps and LED-strip lighting etc. Its selectivity is glorious—I’m getting all sorts of Korean and Chinese stations on MW from here in Japan. Couldn’t be happier.

The only defect in my unit is that the S-Meter has been non functional since arrival. I’ve looked at the current coming into it and that appears to be working fine, dropping to 0 with a strong signal etc, so the problem appears to be with the meter itself.

A quick eBay search reveals no obvious booming aftermarket for replacement S-meters for the RF-2200, so:

Is it reparable? How on earth would I do that? Any tutorials available?

Failing that, would a comparable meter be available somewhere that I could slot into it? What should I be looking for?

It works fine other than the meter, but better to have it fully repaired than mostly repaired, right?

Thanks,
Pres

 

[wenzeslaus]

you checked the current going TO the meter, did you check the meter with current?

I second the opinion that you probably won't find a direct replacement part. if there is one somewhere with close enough specs and dimensions you might be able to fudge it by filing off plastic as needed and it might require a resistor or etc to match specs. it would take a lot of effort to find one.

waiting for a parts radio to appear on feebay may take months or years and you're still paying a lot for just a meter.

the meter is a relatively simple electronic part. I would suggest trying to get it repaired. I think that would be the fastest and most cost-effective solution.

 

[prespres]

Yes I’ve tried sending some current through the meter and it doesn’t respond.

The Panasonic Cougar 101 looks like it uses a rotated printing on a very similar meter so I suppose that might be another option to look for parts, but those are nearly as expensive as the 2200s. Not to mention cannibalizing a perfectly good radio just to get another radio working seems a bit brutal—you'd think there'd be more Junk listings of units that just don't work that people want to get rid of, but...

 

[LesWurk]

you checked the current going TO the meter, did you check the meter with current?

I second the opinion that you probably won't find a direct replacement part. if there is one somewhere with close enough specs and dimensions you might be able to fudge it by filing off plastic as needed and it might require a resistor or etc to match specs. it would take a lot of effort to find one.

waiting for a parts radio to appear on feebay may take months or years and you're still paying a lot for just a meter.

the meter is a relatively simple electronic part. I would suggest trying to get it repaired. I think that would be the fastest and most cost-effective solution.

if it's simply stuck

 

[prespres]

Thanks for the idea. There was also another YT video that showed dissolving the locktite with acetone (rather than melting it as here) then backing the screw(s) off a bit. But when I tried opening it up, the needle appears to be normally "bouncy" when poked, not just physically stuck.

 

[Dirk_SDR]

Can you separate it from the circuit and measure a DC resistance over the meter?
Or: Panasonic RF-2200 Radio Part - REPLACEMENT TUNING / BATTERY METER | eBay

 

[prespres]

I disconnected it and checked; I'm getting infinite resistance through the s-meter. The mechanism looks good to me, but I know so little about analog meters that there could be some obvious fault I just can’t see.

Interesting that though I can click your link directly, if I search eBay myself for even exactly the name of the item you linked, that listing just doesn’t come up at all. Maybe its "Does not ship to Japan" flag is auto-filtering items like that out for me. Either way I can’t buy it.

I did find a superficially similar meter that does ship to Japan, if I want to play roulette. What could go wrong lol: NATIONAL PANASONIC RF-1180B Radio Receiver Tuning & Battery Level Meter ASSY

 

[wenzeslaus]

if the needle moves but you get "infinite resistance" somewhere doesn't that mean that it has an open circuit? aka wire broke

 

[Dirk_SDR]

if the needle moves but you get "infinite resistance" somewhere doesn't that mean that it has an open circuit? aka wire broke

Yes! Are the wires coming from the instrument's coils broken?
Try to move them carefully.