Galaxy Saturn

[adriel]

Hello everybody,

I have a question about a radio i just got....when i turn it on everything seems to be OK, however, it just shows the channels, it doesn't show the frequency readout....any ideas?

Thanks all

[Popcorn501]

Is it the 5 band or 6 band Saturn?Some of the older ones(5band) where bad about the freq counter going out on them.Does it transmit at all or have you tried it?

[adriel]

wow thanks for the quick reply. it shows bands A-F, the only transmitting i have done was to do an antenna check and it lit up and the meters did their rounds. also i dint think the leds are burned out because when you turn on the radio they do a quick flash.

[Popcorn501]

Im sorry i should have been more clear on what i meant by that.Not the digits them selfs but the freq counter board inside of the radio.Sounds to be like it is bad

[adriel]

is the freq board modular? could i do a quick swap if it is bad? so the frequency counter is not connected to the channel digits? i thought it was odd that those work but the counter doesn't....

[adriel]

what is the main cause for those to go bad - for future reference? or is this just a random incident?

[Popcorn501]

Yeah the channel selector and and freq counter don't run off the same suboard.They where just poor design. If you look inside the radio there should be a suboard,either a long silver box or a small board that isn't inside a box like the older ones in the silver box, the number on the small board is ept004410z, and i just looked and there is a small one in a silver box to it should have wires going to the freq board(digits).

[Phyco_Radio_911]

my Buddy had a turbo and all ways had problems with it

[adriel]

thanks for the info, ill take a look at it - never know - maybe i will notice the problem.

[North Texas Mudduck]

before you do all that
when i turn my dim knob counter clockwise all i see is my channel
when i turn it to the right freq display comes on

[adriel]

dim knob? dint think it has one.... well i opened it - i by eye i couldn't see anything or smell anything odd about it....i did notice that there have been some modifications by the previous owner - the most obvious is a switch wired to the back that cuts the circuit at D80 on the main-board not sure what that does. hmm most other ones deal with the front panel and the echo board ( a wire jumped to the back of the board from one side to the other - may be original don't know) some wires in the front are electric taped together (one red one brown but i cant trace them)

[BigBopper]

First check that the 13.8 Volt Supply is available and constant on pin 1 of IC609 (LM7808 Regulator), next check for 8.04 volts on pin 3 of IC609, (LM7808 Regulator), if this voltage is absent then the IC609 is defective will need replaced. After replacing the IC609 and before appling power to the unit you should also replace C619 with a 200uF 16V electrolytic (capacitor ). Sometimes the C612 will develop a short and this will cause the premature failure of the IC609. This should restore the operation of the freq counter, and should prevent anymore problems

[adriel]

First check that the 13.8 Volt Supply is available and constant on pin 1 of IC609 (LM7808 Regulator), next check for 8.04 volts on pin 3 of IC609, (LM7808 Regulator), if this voltage is absent then the IC609 is defective will need replaced. After replacing the IC609 and before appling power to the unit you should also replace C619 with a 200uF 16V electrolytic (capacitor ). Sometimes the C612 will develop a short and this will cause the premature failure of the IC609. This should restore the operation of the freq counter, and should prevent anymore problems

thanks for the step-by-step. looks like i have a little project.

[Popcorn501]

Saturn doesn't have a dimmer.And more than likely the freq counter board is bad,if you got another radio there with the same freq counter board you can just swap them out.Or you can check all the stuff that bopper said to check if you know where to find all that stuff without a book on the saturn.

[adriel]

Saturn doesn't have a dimmer.And more than likely the freq counter board is bad,if you got another radio there with the same freq counter board you can just swap them out.Or you can check all the stuff that bopper said to check if you know where to find all that stuff without a book on the saturn.

as far as i know, the regulator and the cap is in that "silver box" - in addition to that i have the book :D

[Phyco_Radio_911]

good luck on the repairs

[Popcorn501]

does it have the long big silver one??

[adriel]

does it have the long big silver one??

i wouldn't call it long probably (mounted vertical) about 4 height inches by 2 1/2 long. but inside is a small board with a regulator and a cap - may be some more stuff but that is what stuck out in memory.

[Popcorn501]

huh,not sure on that one,the one im talking about is about the width of a Galaxy mobile radio and about 2 inches wide and about 1 inch thick.

[adriel]

yeah not sure, i didn't see anything like that in the radio i am using...i just found a small silver box connected to the front panel (frequency counter)

[adriel]

well i pulled the board out with the radio on to test the regulator and the frequency counter started working. go figure. also this model uses the 7805 not the 7808...

[Popcorn501]

I think some of the Freq counter boars had a ground wire running to them you might check that.

[adriel]

well i pulled the board out with the radio on to test the regulator and the frequency counter started working. go figure. also this model uses the 7805 not the 7808...

nope - looked at the wrong one - it is a 7808.....accidental fix moving the wrong board....again, go figure.