DX-88 Acting Crazy

[Butterbean]

A friend brought me his DX-88. It works fine for a while. Then all of a sudden, the freq drops from 27.185 to around 23.613. When the freq drops, the radio also loses TX and RX. I have replaced the 10.240 crystal and still it's acting up. I know it's something simple. The radio is used in a 4wd truck on a strip mine, so it takes a beating. Has to be something loose. It'll work fine on the bench for hours and then it'll go crazy. HELP PLEASE.

[outlawmobile]

Perhaps you could do a visual inspection of the board and poke around a little{gently}could be a bad solder joint on the board.Im no tech to say the least but in my years in radio I have had all kinds of crazy problems which were traced to bad solder on the board.Shawn

[316]

I have heard when they start drifting or dropping freqs that they are going out.

[gravedigger4222]

i have a galaxy dx-66 doing the veryyyyy same thing it starts humming and the freg counter goes down on ch.19 to 27.179 back to 27.190 back and forth it keys up and modulates but you still cant talk or hear anybody i turn it on and back on and it goes back to normal but then acts up again ...years ago i had a galaxy mirage 88 doing the same thing the tech took a toothbrush handle and touched around on the circuit board all of a sudden it made a loud noise in one spot he touched he resolded that part and it worked fine after that

[Butterbean]

thanks for all of the replies. I'm checking the solder joints. It's all kinds of crazy. I've heard of freq drift, but GEESH!! from 27.185 to 23.613. lol. and no RX or TX at all. if it weren't mine, i'd blow it up. once again, thanks guys

[gravedigger4222]

if you figgure it out let me know i have a dx-66 doing the same thing i think its a bad solder joint but where

[Butterbean]

I'm still working on it. have very little time. I have resoldered every joint i can find. I can find a spot that is causing my freq drop. it is somewhere between TR25 and TR26. But for me, here's the odd part of my problem. If i rub the pcb in this area with my plastic tool, nothing at all happens. if i rub it with my finger, once in a while i can get it to go nuts. I'm sure there is a simple explanation, but hey, I'M STILL LEARNIN'.

Also have a 66 myself that is causing me stress.
everything works on TX like it should. on rx, the freq counter gets brighter and will only show 27.888 on any channel. dimmer doesn't work the counter. it controls the channel display though. i know the dimmer board, freq board, and channel board are fine. i took them out of an old 55. put them back in the 55 and eveythings fine. i though changing the boards would help my 66, but it acts the same.