TM231A From : N4YJC @ N4LDG.#MIAFL.FL.USA.NA OUT OF BAND MODIFCATIONS TO KENWOOD TM-231A CONDENSED FROM INFO BY:PAUL SAFFREN --- N6NHH THIS MODIFICATION WILL ALLOW TRANSMIT THROUGHOUT THE 136 TO 173 MHZ RANGE. FIRST OF ALL YOU SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THIS MODIFICATION DISABLES THE AUTOMATIC ARRL TRANSMIT OFFSET FEATURE. YOU WILL NEED A 1N914, OR SIMILIAR GLASS DIODE (NOTE: IF YOU HAVE A CHIP DIODE OF SIMILIAR RATING, ALL THE BETTER!). IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO WRITE DOWN THE MEMORIES ON A PIECE OF PAPER, AS DOING THE MOD ERASES THE MEMORIES. REMOVE THE 4 BLACK PHILLIPS HEAD SCREWS FROM THE TOP AND BOTTOM BLACK METAL SHIELDS.REMOVE THE TWO METAL COVERS. NOTE: IF YOU JUST WANT TO MOD THE RADIO FOR MARS/CAP, JUST REMOVE THE TOP COVER AND CLIP THE GREEN WIRE JUST ABOVE THE VFO,MR,MHZ SWITCHES, AND REPLACE THE TOP COVER. THIS EXTENDS TRANSMIT ABOUT 3 MHZ ON EITHER SIDE OF THE HAM BAND. LOOKING AT THE FRONT OF THE RADIO, YOU WILL SEE HOW THE BLACK FACE PLATE IS HELD IN PLACE BY 4 LITTLE PLASTIC KEEPERS. BY GENTLY INSERTING YOUR FINGER NAIL AND PUSHING EACH KEEPER, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO REMOVE THE FACE PLATE, PULL THE VOLUME, SQUELCH AND FREQUENCY SELECTOR KNOBS OFF. NEXT, USING A PAIR OF PLIERS, REMOVE THE MIC CONNECTOR RING NUT FROM THE MIC CONNECTOR, NOW REMOVE THE NUT THAT IS ON THE FREQ. SELECTOR. REMOVE THE LCD ASSEMBLY FROM THE RADIO. THE NEXT STEP IS TO REMOVE THE METAL SHIELD THAT COVERS THE CPU BOARD. DO THIS BY REMOVING 4 SCREWS, TWO ARE LOCATED ON THE SHORT SIDES AND THE OTHER TWO ARE LOCATED ON THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF THE RADIO. GENTLY REMOVE THE METAL PLATE FROM THE RADIO AND PUT IT ASIDE. FINALLY THE CPU BOARD MUST BE REMOVED. THERE ARE 3 SCREWS THAT HOLD THE CPU BOARD ON TO THE RADIO FRAME. THERE ARE TWO MULTI PIN CONNECTORS LOCATED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BACKSIDE OF THE CPU BOARD THAT CONNECT TO THE RF PORTION OF THE RADIO. REMOVE THE 3 SCREWS. GENTLY DISCONNECT AND REMOVE THE CPU BOARD. WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, IS TO SOLDER A DIODE TO THE PADS LOCATED UNDER THE TONE SWITCH. (S205) THIS IS D209 ON THE SCHEMATIC. YOU WILL PROBABLY NOTICE HOW SMALL AND HOW THINLY SPACED THE PADS ARE, AND YOU WILL BE WONDERING HOW THAT BIG DIODE IS GOING TO FIT!... 2) MAKING THE MOD --YOU WILL HAVE TO FABRICATE YOUR OWN SMT DIODE. DO THIS BY BENDING THE LEADS OF THE DIODE UNDER THE BODY AND CLIPPING THE REMAINING LEAD LENGTHS SO THAT SPACE BETWEEN THE LEADS ARE EQUAL TO THE SPACING OF PADS ON THE BOARD. THE DIODE MUST BE POSITIONED SO THAT THE CATHODE IS POINTING DOWN, TOWORD THE CPU CHIP. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. 3) RESET THE CPU. PRESS THE MR BUTTON AND TURN THE RADIO ON. THAT'S IT, JUST CONNECT POWER, ANTENNA AND THE MICROPHONE. TURNING ON THE POWER WILL RESET THE RADIO ERASING ALL MEMORIES. OH WELL... GOOD LUCK AND 73, PAUL SAFFREN --- N6NHH @KI6EH ----- END OF MESSAGE 23471 FROM WP4XQ @ WP4XQ.PR.USA.NA ----- IC-3200A FIX sysop note: Had to break this in two messages. Original too long. W2TKU@W2TKU-Sarasota,FL ллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллл ====================================================================== A QUICK AND DIRTY FIX FOR THE KNWD TM231A LOW MIC OUTPUT TILL (IF) KNWD COMES OUT WITH A FIX IS TO BYPASS R 63 (3.3K). R 63 AND R64 FORM A VOLTAGE DIVIDER AT THE INPUT TO THE MIC AMP. R63 IS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE RIG. WITH THE BOTTOM COVER OFF AND THE FRONT OF THE RIG FACING YOU, LOCATE THE MIC AMP BOARD 3610 WHICH STANDS VERTICALLY OFF THE MOTHER BOARD. FOLLOW THE 3RD PIN FROM THE LEFT TO R63. A JUMPER HERE GIVES THE TX AUDIO A NICE BOOST. BE SURE TO READJUST THE DTMF OUTPUT IN THE MIC (THE ONLY POT IN THE MIC). 73 AND GOOD LUCK. GREG. 1951z, 473 msgs, #1786 last @KD6TH-4 MailBox> ======================================================================== TM321A Mars/cap mod from WM8J msgID 2846_wa2rkn To give the TM321 tx coverage from (142 0r 143, don't remember which) to 151.995 mhz, remove the top cover. Look for a loop of wire comming from the display area (the board with the CPU) and going right back. Cutting this wire and then doing a CPU reset is all you need to do. Takes about 2 minutes. Be sure that the ends of the wire don't short to something. 73s =========================================================================