[Moon-net] Bird problem

[Edward Cole]

At 02:44 AM 6/7/2008, Michael R. Owen wrote:
>David -
>
>There isn't much to take apart.  I would suggest burnishing the element
>contact fingers with a pencil eraser and also pulling them up(out) a bit
>so they make sure contact with the element.  Also check the cable &
>connectors that join the sensor to the meter.  Finally, unscrew the
>input and output coaxial connectors and burnish them.  Sometimes they
>get tarnished and don't make reliable contact.  Beyond that, I don't
>think that there is anything fixable.  There is nothing inside the
>sensor module that can move or fail.
>
>W9IP
>
>David Hilton-Jones wrote:
> > I thought an element had gone on my Bird 43 - very low reading. 
> Just realised that the problem is the same with other elements. Any 
> obvious diagnosis before I take it apart?
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > David

I would echo Michael's comments.  I have a venerable old model-43 (SN 
99283) bought in 1976 from Henry Radio Store in West LA.  The case 
has suffered quite a few bruises thru the years (even drops) and the 
meter movement (the most delicate part of the meter) keeps 
working.  I have had it stop working a few times but that was 
generally due the element contact spring inside the coaxial pickup 
housing, or the wire connectios to the meter.  I have bent a couple 
elements when the meter fell face forward making the element not fit 
in the sensor well.  I have done the pencil eraser trick a few times.

BTW I have come into a rack-panel mounted electronic meter 
manufactured by Quintron Corp. that is most certainly a bird 
meter.  I wonder if anyone knows the connections for a bird 
directional coupler (the part that the element installs in).  The 
meter is electronic and shows two ranges 0-25w and 0-250w.  There are 
two threshold adjustment pots for Fwd and Rfld.  I am hoping to use 
the meter to monitor output using a 20-dB directional coupler.


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73, Ed - KL7UW              BP40iq, 6m - 3cm
144-EME: FT-847, mgf-1801, 4x-xp20, 185w
http://www.kl7uw.com     AK VHF-Up Group
NA Rep. for DUBUS: dubususa at hotmail.com
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