The AM Forum
March 28, 2024, 09:21:59 AM *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
 
   Home   Help Calendar Links Staff List Gallery Login Register  
Pages: [1]   Go Down
  Print  
Author Topic: Nautel ND-1 Transmitter Help -- in Haiti  (Read 1885 times)
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
k3msb
Member

Offline Offline

Posts: 213


« on: May 09, 2019, 08:37:50 AM »

Greetings from Haiti

I'm in the southern part of the island with a missions team (all two of us....) and we are trying to get a Nautel ND-1 back on the air.

I think I've isolated the problem to the RF Driver PCB.    I have the main manual and have followed the test procedures.

I do not have the schematics or associated manuals for the individual boards.    I need them for the RF Drive PCB and the RF Driver Controller PCB.  Web searches don't turn anything up.  

If any of you can send this information we would be VERY appreciative.   Please send info to dale.long@prodigy.net    Dale is the other missionary I'm with and he has a cell plan (I do not).  I should be able to check back on this forum around 2300Z today.

Conditions here in the field are "challenging" Grin

By God's grace (I am not an AM Broadcast engineer....) we were able to get the backup transmitter working, and I'd like to at least have more confidence that I've located the fault in the ND-1.

73 Mark HH6//K3MSB




Logged

73 Mark K3MSB
York, PA
W1ITT
Member

Offline Offline

Posts: 573


« Reply #1 on: May 09, 2019, 09:07:32 AM »

Mark.....

http://support.nautel.com/contact-support/

This page has technical contact info.  They have some documentation on transmitters available for download on the site but you have to register with them.  There are probably some smart folks there who can help you out on their older products.

GL de Norm W1ITT
Logged
k3msb
Member

Offline Offline

Posts: 213


« Reply #2 on: May 09, 2019, 08:49:34 PM »

Well, in the hot and humid transmitter hut, at the bottom back of an old metal desk drawer,  I found the two manuals I needed.

Had a good day of troubleshooting the Nautel.    We needed some wire and the engineer didn't have any so he just opened the back of an old discarded BC transmitter and started cutting.     Cry    I took some pictures, but the front is against a wall and there's not a chance of seeing it.

Some other old discarded BC rigs there too... a Continental Electronics 315R-1 and a Collins 820E-1.

Tons of parts,  and no way to get them home!

Logged

73 Mark K3MSB
York, PA
k3msb
Member

Offline Offline

Posts: 213


« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2019, 10:00:24 AM »

Got back to the USA late Sunday night.    This was my first international missions trip and my first trip to a third world country.   What a life changing experience.   I really didn't understand how blessed we are for what we have in the United States!

We found at least two problems with the ND-1.    The Low Voltage board, which is on the bottom of the transmitter, was toast due to corrosion (the legs on the regulator chip literally disintegrated in my hand when I removed it), dirt, and rat pee.   Mickey Mouse and family also chewed through a pair of wires on the underside of a wiring harness that prevented us from getting B-.   Aside from that, the transmitter is in good condition, but work stopped due to the low voltage board.   I have the board with me and will try to find a replacement.

We were successful in getting the backup transmitter on line and also installed a new tuning unit, ran new hardline etc.  It was only by God’s grace that after being off the air for nearly 3 years, Radio Lumiere in Torbeck went “live” last Friday at 3:30 PM providing service to a large part of the southern Haitian Peninsula - 1KW at 760 on your dial.

We purchased diesel fuel to provide three phase power to test the  Collins 820E-1, but no success there.  Since the transmitter site is solar powered, I suspect there will be no further effort to get the 820E-1 running as we need a transmitter that accepts single phase power.

I'll post some pictures in a few days.....   off to Dayton tomorrow to bring back some RBB/RBC radios!!!!!!!!!!!!

Logged

73 Mark K3MSB
York, PA
Pages: [1]   Go Up
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

AMfone - Dedicated to Amplitude Modulation on the Amateur Radio Bands
 AMfone © 2001-2015
Powered by SMF 1.1.21 | SMF © 2015, Simple Machines
Page created in 0.051 seconds with 18 queries.