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Vintage Test Gear and Workshop Equipment For discussions about vintage test gear and workshop equipment such as coil winders.

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Old 7th Jul 2020, 6:38 pm   #1
duncanlowe
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Location: Stafford, Staffs. UK.
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Default Returning a Marconi TF2016A to service.

I've had a few pieces of test gear away in the loft for 20 years plus. Now I've retired I'm planning some projects (or started them already) and the first of these needs an RF generator to check it out. It's an airband RX (one of those cheapy chinese jobs) and I'm aware that the TF2016A only goes to 120MHz which is only halfway through airband, but it should be able to prove to me that the set is working.

But this post is in the test gear section, for a reason. It worked before being put away 20 years ago. But reading some threads here about this device, it's full of Tantalum capacitors which cause issues. I have the manual, but haven't even wiped the dirt from the housing, yet, so I have no idea how many of the beasts lie within. My inclination is simply to open it up, and replace them all with low ESR aluminium. But is this the right approach? I saw a few old threads where people have experience of these generators so comments are appreciated. I do also have the matching synchroniser but will come to that later.

There are a few other pieces of kit I'll be asking about as and when I need to use them, including a Marconi frequency counter, and a Philips function generator.
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Old 7th Jul 2020, 8:54 pm   #2
peterpiper
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Default Re: Returning a Marconi TF2016A to service.

Hi Duncan, before you open it up check to see if theres anything rattling around inside. I bought a used ex RAF 2016 a few years ago, when I opened it up bits of plastic (about 10) fell out. They were parts of the cams that operate the attenuator. Luckily I found them all so some superglue later all was OK.
Peter
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Old 7th Jul 2020, 9:00 pm   #3
peterpiper
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Default Re: Returning a Marconi TF2016A to service.

Hi Again Duncan, My 2016A looked well used when I got it and I never had any problems with caps, tant or otherwise. What I did add was an 8 digit counter, from ebay. theres a counter output on the back.
Peter
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Old 7th Jul 2020, 9:11 pm   #4
duncanlowe
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Default Re: Returning a Marconi TF2016A to service.

Thanks Peter. I didn't hear anything rattling. It was working last time it was used, but that was over 20 years ago.
Regarding the counter, I have one (Marconi) that will be the subject of a similar question later, plus I do have the synchroniser unit that matches the 2016, though of course age and loft storage may have seen that fail. Again a later thread!
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Old 8th Jul 2020, 8:13 am   #5
Dickie
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Default Re: Returning a Marconi TF2016A to service.

I have recently brought an old TF2016 back from the dead and had no problems with any of the capacitors. it did however had a dud diode in the 1st levelling loop and a lot of intermittent "griplets" on the VCO board. This latter issue gave all sorts of symptoms. I'm not sure if the later TF2016A was still afflicted with these.
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Old 8th Jul 2020, 10:52 am   #6
duncanlowe
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Default Re: Returning a Marconi TF2016A to service.

Thanks for the input. I've had a look inside, and there are LOADS of tants. Looks like a major task to replace all. Maybe I'll look at the circuits and see which are on power rails?

I also looked at the attenuator cams. And at least three are cracked, though not actually failed yet.

Otherwise it seems very clean, and is a well built unit.
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