SGC SG-230 tuner problem

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mancow

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My SG-230 tuner started acting up recently. I noticed that when I apply power to it the thing immediately starts attempting a tune sequence without any RF applied. It would run for several minutes sounding like an approaching revolutionary war period armiy drummer. Finally it timed out. I then applied a signal to it and it tuned fine but then went dormant and did not respond to another tune request until the power was cycled and the process was repeated. I brought it inside and see nothing obviouisly wrong but recently it went through the whole automatic tune cycle with no RF applied and stopped with a blinking lock line indication.

I can't seem to get a reply from SGC by email or phone. Has anyone encountered this type of failure. It's not mentioned in any of the common troubleshooting topics in the manuals.
 

prcguy

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Jun 30, 2006
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So Cal - Richardson, TX - Tewksbury, MA
I've had at least six SGC tuner failures over the last 15yrs or so, three SG-230s, two SG-237s and within the last month a new SG-239. The 230s probably died from lightning strikes within a few miles, although I can only pinpoint one about a block away years ago and no other strikes within 6 blocks that I know of. The remainder of the failures were on a remote station near Boston feeding a 43ft vertical and they died for no apparent reason.

Several friends have had SGC tuners in their vehicles and base antennas and they all failed. Various symptoms are no tune cycle, endless tuning cycle when RF applied, just plain dead, one had a large inductor fall off the board inside the housing, etc. I've heard some diodes in the front end for rectifying power for forward or reflected measurements will pop with high static electricity or nearby lightning stirkes.

Bottom line, SGC sucks, all of their products suck and if you sent a tuner in for repair you will pay about what the street price is for a used one. Then it will fail again. And again. I think the S in SGC stands for suck. But I'm not bitter, no, not me.....

My SG-230 tuner started acting up recently. I noticed that when I apply power to it the thing immediately starts attempting a tune sequence without any RF applied. It would run for several minutes sounding like an approaching revolutionary war period armiy drummer. Finally it timed out. I then applied a signal to it and it tuned fine but then went dormant and did not respond to another tune request until the power was cycled and the process was repeated. I brought it inside and see nothing obviouisly wrong but recently it went through the whole automatic tune cycle with no RF applied and stopped with a blinking lock line indication.

I can't seem to get a reply from SGC by email or phone. Has anyone encountered this type of failure. It's not mentioned in any of the common troubleshooting topics in the manuals.
 
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