Uniden Washington

[tripplenickel]

I was hoping by chance someone could help me with a problem. When I turn the radio on, sometimes the receive is LOW until I key the Mic, then all is well. This happens with the stock Mic as well as with the D-104 (amplified). If I'm talking back/forth with someone, sometimes their receive is LOW, until I just key the Mic lightly and it's OK till the next time.
Being 73 yrs young, I have been a long time CB'er, I just don't do any repairs inside the radio. This Washington is basically unmolested, just has had a TALKBACK added @ sometime before. Sure would like to hear from you.
aka 555

 

[JayMojave]

Hello T+13 (555)

Yeah reminds me of the old days when dear ol Dad ran a General Radiotelephone Super MC-11A and a Layfatte Comstant 25A, radios that had a relay that did the switch over function for receive to transmit to receive, or PTT ( Push to Talk). Had to key the Mic every once in a while to get the receiver back up to speed.

I remember Dad had a few new relays stanched away (so I wouldn't lose them or use them some where else) so when the receiver really got bad he would replace the relay.

I have heard of cleaning the relay contacts but never liked it, and tuner spray worked for a short time.

I don't know if the Washington uses a Relay for the PTT Function, but off the top of my flay head I would think so. The President Washington radio is in Sams # 128 or 222 according to CBTricks.com

KensElectronics.com has a really great selection of CB Sams Books.

Replacing the radio PTT Relay would be my first step. Cleaning the PA/CB Switch, Volume Control, with Tuner Spray, and External Speaker Plug with Scotch Bright might be the next step.

I would like to know from others, just what is the real world acceptable method of cleaning Relay Contacts.

Jay in the Great Mojave Desert Now with extra large capacity gas tank on the Dirt Bike, and a 1 gallon of gas on the back "get ya back to camp gas" GPS, and a nifty shock resistant holder with hold down straps that also charges the 2M/440 HT oh yeah! Also added to High Desert Dirt Bike Package a real world hands on proven Map with Lat and Long for the GPS to find ya.

 

[tripplenickel]

Washington

Hello T+13 (555)

Yeah reminds me of the old days when dear ol Dad ran a General Radiotelephone Super MC-11A and a Layfatte Comstant 25A, radios that had a relay that did the switch over function for receive to transmit to receive, or PTT ( Push to Talk). Had to key the Mic every once in a while to get the receiver back up to speed.

I remember Dad had a few new relays stanched away (so I wouldn't lose them or use them some where else) so when the receiver really got bad he would replace the relay.

I have heard of cleaning the relay contacts but never liked it, and tuner spray worked for a short time.

I don't know if the Washington uses a Relay for the PTT Function, but off the top of my flay head I would think so. The President Washington radio is in Sams # 128 or 222 according to CBTricks.com

KensElectronics.com has a really great selection of CB Sams Books.
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Replacing the radio PTT Relay would be my first step. Cleaning the PA/CB Switch, Volume Control, with Tuner Spray, and External Speaker Plug with Scotch Bright might be the next step.

I would like to know from others, just what is the real world acceptable method of cleaning Relay Contacts.

Jay in the Great Mojave Desert Now with extra large capacity gas tank on the Dirt Bike, and a 1 gallon of gas on the back "get ya back to camp gas" GPS, and a nifty shock resistant holder with hold down straps that also charges the 2M/440 HT oh yeah! Also added to High Desert Dirt Bike Package a real world hands on proven Map with Lat and Long for the GPS to find ya.

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Thank's Jay for the great advise. The amp does have a relay switching on the pre-amp, which I hear clicking, but with the amp off, it's not active. That's what has me puzzled. Not a real big deal, and I've even wondered when skip is rolling, it's kinda similar. Thank's again, 3's to you/yours in the desert from the south.
555

 

[JayMojave]

Hello T+13: Looking at a few diagrams on the Washington, I did not see a PTT Relay, so if that is true the PTT Switch in the Mic does the PTT function.

So maybe time to clean the Mic Switch Contacts.

Is the Washington Radio, a Uniden or a President Washington Radio?

Jay in the Mojave

 

[LoyalServant]

Washington 858 does have a relay.

As far as cleaning... never been a fan of that.. but you need a burnishing tool.
A piece of paper between the contacts often suffices.

If you can find a replacement relay or a substitute... that would be superior.
It is socketed on mine I have here so swapping it should be easy.

If I get a minute later I will see if I can find a sub for that relay.

 

[tripplenickel]

Abnormal receive

Washington 858 does have a relay.

As far as cleaning... never been a fan of that.. but you need a burnishing tool.
A piece of paper between the contacts often suffices.

If you can find a replacement relay or a substitute... that would be superior.
It is socketed on mine I have here so swapping it should be easy.

If I get a minute later I will see if I can find a sub for that relay.

Jay & LoyalServant : It is a Uniden/washington 5 pin mic. It acts like a relay somewhere and the mic is merely resetting it. I tried it last nite with a local by switching radio to 148gtl and different mic, almost same signal on both but the washington had better audio. Correct me if I'm wrong, the Amp (Silver Eagle 200) when OFF, the pre-amp relay is not active right ? it is supposed to bypass the AMP and continue through coax to antenna. When the AMP is ON, and pre-amp switch is on, sometimes I can correct the entire problem by simply flipping the pre-amp switch off and back on and the receive is there, which is much louder when on, so I know the pre-amp is doing what it is designed to do. But here is where is is strange, if I leave the pre-amp switch OFF, I still have to quickly key the mic to get the receive to normal. Hope I haven't confused you two, and I'm open for any suggestions. FYI, the D-104 or stock Uniden mic does the same symptom. Good evening to you/yours and 3's till later.
555

 

[LoyalServant]

Oh... we have an amp with an onboard preamp.....
Now it makes more sense.

By turning the preamp on and off solving the issue that's where your problem lies.
The relay, being a mechanical component is the likely culprit.
I doubt it's in a socket so it's probably not easy.
Depending on the type of relay it may be very difficult to clean and more difficult to replace

 

[tripplenickel]

But the problem is still there with the amp off, that's what I'm having problem understanding.
555

 

[LoyalServant]

And if you remove the amp?
Just radio straight to antenna?

 

[tripplenickel]

And if you remove the amp?
Just radio straight to antenna?

UPDATE......UPDATE.........I removed radio to another, problem still there, I by-passed AMP, problen is gone. I put my washington back on-line and all is well.
I am not sure if the AMP is designned that way or if the pre-amp relay is sticking. If it was merely unplug I would try that, but I believe it's soldered in the chassis board. Do you think it would be a good or bad idea to drill a very tiny hole in the relay housing in order to spray the contact area ?
This is my 1st 2 pill, so I'm not used to this. The amp is ON NOW, without the PRE-AMP ON, and it seems ok. The problem starts when yoiu turn on the PRE-AMP, and the pre-amp works, it's just that you MAY HAVE TO KEY THE MIC ONCE IN AWHILE. What would you do ? Speak to me professor!!!!!!!!!!!!
555

 

[JayMojave]

Hello T+13: Yeah good find!

It sounds like the Pre-Amp relay in the 2 pill amp, is making a intermittent connection.

From my experience you don't need or want to use the cheap pre-amp in these CB type amps. Because the Radios have a pretty hot receiver as is from the factory. On my radios I always turn down the RF Gain Control to lessen the noise out of the receiver front end amplifier, and noise from the antenna somewhat. Then using the Squelch I slightly turn it up to again reduce the noise, easier on my nerves. SSB stations that are off frequency do break the squelch at times but that's livable for me.

If you have to run the pre-amp on the amp to hear better, replacing the pre-amp relay shouldn't be a expensive fix. Keying the mic to cycle the relay to hear again surly reminds me of dear old Dad Running his General Radiotelephone Super MC11-A and a Maverick 250 amp into a Moonraker 4 beam antenna.

Using a 5 dollar two pill amp (from the TRW swap meet in Los Angles) in a 73 Dodge Duster, the pre-amp circuit didn't work, and the pre-amp transistor was dead and caused the receiver to be about 20 dB or 3 S-Units less sensitivity which I used as it again to lessen the received noise, engine noise, and such. Making the radio less noisy. I could hear the local stations and such but being -20 dB down in the receiver sensitivity worked out pretty good for me.

You millage may vary....

Jay in the Mojave

 

[tripplenickel]

Hello T+13: Yeah good find!

It sounds like the Pre-Amp relay in the 2 pill amp, is making a intermittent connection.

From my experience you don't need or want to use the cheap pre-amp in these CB type amps. Because the Radios have a pretty hot receiver as is from the factory. On my radios I always turn down the RF Gain Control to lessen the noise out of the receiver front end amplifier, and noise from the antenna somewhat. Then using the Squelch I slightly turn it up to again reduce the noise, easier on my nerves. SSB stations that are off frequency do break the squelch at times but that's livable for me.

If you have to run the pre-amp on the amp to hear better, replacing the pre-amp relay shouldn't be a expensive fix. Keying the mic to cycle the relay to hear again surly reminds me of dear old Dad Running his General Radiotelephone Super MC11-A and a Maverick 250 amp into a Moonraker 4 beam antenna.

Using a 5 dollar two pill amp (from the TRW swap meet in Los Angles) in a 73 Dodge Duster, the pre-amp circuit didn't work, and the pre-amp transistor was dead and caused the receiver to be about 20 dB or 3 S-Units less sensitivity which I used as it again to lessen the received noise, engine noise, and such. Making the radio less noisy. I could hear the local stations and such but being -20 dB down in the receiver sensitivity worked out pretty good for me.

You millage may vary....

Jay in the Mojave

Thank's Jay for all your help, I should have just left the pre-amp off, would have saved me a lot of work and grief, oh well. BTW, yesterday there was a really LOUD one from the Mojave desert(I'm thinking 661) and I thought about you, or was that you ? I could not catch him, he was covered up by skip from here, one after another.
555

 

[JayMojave]

Hello T+13, Five cubed....

Thanks for the flowers, LS was also in there with some good suggestions.

Its hard to trouble shoot problems from behind the keyboard, but still worth a try. I prefer to be there, ask technical questions, look over the equipment, ask for large meals, stay until the late night, become a nuisance, and charge with a high rate, with mediaorker performance. (Humor)

With the older tube radios and such we used two 1N40002 common diodes wired reverse to each other, and solder this crossed wired diodes across the speaker terminals, this removed the loud click feed to the speaker after releasing the PTT switch in the mic. Some radios needed it and some didn't. Also the diodes would limit the audio level, but a 10 to 27 ohm resistor wired in series with the diodes fixed that. Those were the days.....

Jay in the Mojave

Dirt Bikes are a lot of fun to putt around on, a extra strapped down gallon of gas will get you back to camp, or close enough not 2 spend the cold cold night pushing your bike back to camp, thinking how not to spend the evening, night, and early morning pushing this darn thing back. yeah....

Jay in the Mojave