VX-2200 Accidentally Reversed Polarity on Hookup. Is my radio toast?

[leedowney]

Yes, it's true. Tonight when I was hooking up my Vertex 2200, I accidentally got the positive and negative reversed. Old age I guess. Just plain stupid. When I connected the plug near the radio end, i heard a pop and small smoke electrical puff.

Is my new radio toast? Can this be fixed by a Vertex dealer?

Thanks.

 

[mmckenna]

Not sure exactly how the Vertex radios are set up, someone can probably confirm...
Kenwood and Motorola radios have a reverse protection diode inside the radio very near the power input. If you accidentally reverse polarity it'll show as a dead short and pop the fuse. Likely the diode gets damaged also, and the result is the radio won't power up.

Unlikely replacing the fuse alone will fix it, you'll probably need to replace the diode also.

Not an impossible task, simple soldering job, usually.

Someone with more experience with Vertex could probable confirm this.

And, for the record, I did this once many years ago with a Motorola Spectra. Long hours, distraction, etc.

 

[Oldhoon]

I believe most radios have some sort of reverse polarity these days
shouldn't be too bad.
Any decent electronics person could fix
Don't stress

BM
PS: we all have done it at some point in our lives....

 

[MBill]

If you were using the fused power cord that comes with the radio you may just need to replace both
fuses in the positive/negative power cord leads. 15 amp for VHF models and 10 amp for UHF models.
Otherwise as stated the reverse power diode will probably have to be replaced. Hopefully nothing
else was damaged.
I once saw a power cord for a new VX-2200 that had the positive lead wired to the negative fuse and
the negative lead wired to the positive fuse. The installer didn't notice it, not expecting it and installed
the radio and applied power. They had to send radio back to Vertex as I recall for repairs. Fortunately
it was under warranty. So even the manufacturers make mistakes at times.
Needless to say I always check the power cords now just in case one slips thru.
Bill