Alright, I have 3 (!!?? ) CRT Hercule Turbo. Yepp 3 in total and all of them need care and repair for different problems...
The CRT Hercule Turbo is also known as the Galaxy Saturn Turbo / Alan 560 / RCI-2990. These base rigs have the extra amp mounted on the back of the unit. (A couple of threads already on these units in this forum.)
http://www.cbtricks.com/radios/rci/rci_2970/
You can also use the really nice modern created schematics for the RCI-2950 (same motherboard)made by Rick Jackson CB: http://www.cbtricks.com/radios/rci/rci_ ... 50_sch.pdf
Crystal clear schematic! (Thanks Rick for all these good schematics you've created!)
Anyway, back to my first of my three CRT Hercule Turbo and the first problem:
1. Radio overall in good condition and I can't see that there has been any hack mods done. All looks actually quite original with some transistors been swapped out (with same type as original).
I found a 'blown' electrolytic cap C204 near the IC6 (7808A) that I replaced.
Completely broken! (component layout at http://www.cbtricks.com/radios/rci/rci_ ... layout.gif).
2. Radio has problems with intermittent no RX and no TX. Actually more often RX is sooooo silent and when PTT the TX light goes on but no output power. This is with radio in all modes and around 27.200-27.600MHz.
Ok, so first I remove the connection of the built-in chunky power supply and feed the radio with an excellent linear power supply 13.8VDC with 30A capacity in order to exclude the possibility of bad PSU in the radio.
When I start the PLL alignment procedure I go to 28MHz and set to AM and remove the jumper board between TP1-TP2-TP3 according to the alignment procedure described. Now suddenly I get RX and TX with output power!
If I step down some channels RX diminishes and TX stops working (TX light goes on though). Almost as if PLL goes out of lock.
If I now turn the clarifier all the way to the right the RX starts to come back as well as TX but only if I stay few channels below 28MHz.
Ok, so I start to do the PLL alignment procedure and looked this procedure:
1. http://malzev.tripod.com/cb-funk/rci-2950.htm
as well as
2. the 'original one' at http://www.cbtricks.com/radios/rci/rci_ ... ll_adj.htm
and finally this excellent document
3. https://randin.org:8443/Request/Documen ... 20Mods.pdf page 153 and page 154
When following the first one above I have no problem setting voltage at J13 to 2.2VDC but I just can't get the 1.2V voltage at pin 3 IC7 to be 1.2V. Either it's jumping around below 1V or as it is now jumping around between 6-7 Volts. Connecting my scope x10 probe to pin 3 IC7 I see a jittering square wave between 0 to 6/7 VDC. It almost looks like 2 square waves at the same time.
(Waveform in next post due to the limitation of max 3 attachments per post.)
When following the 2nd and 3rd procedure and connecting freq counter (HP53131A) via an 10pF ceramic cap to L61 I can not get a reading at all. It is as if as the signal level here is just too low?
After reading through this interesting thread http://www.worldwidedx.com/threads/2950 ... 60.140737/ I decided to start removing some of the wax around the PLL chip IC7 to remove the electrolytics in that area in order to check all of them.
They do indeed look awful:
220 uF shows 235 uF with 0.36 ohm ESR
220 uF shows 228 uF with 0.72 ohm ESR
220 uF shows 241 uF with 0.20 ohm ESR
110 uF shows 102 uF with 0.66 ohm ESR
50 uF shows 51 uF with 1.10 ohm ESR
so all the caps seems to be within spec for the capacitance but I am unsure if the ESR values or ok?
So in order to trying to close up this long initial email ( ), I now need some initial help to get the PLL area going after I have replaced the electrolytic caps in this area. My questions (before caps has been replace) are:
1. Supply voltage on pin 5 IC7 is high? I read 7.8VDC there.
2. Supply voltage on output pin on regulator IC4 7805 is +5VDC so that is ok. What is causing the voltage to be so much higher on pin 5 IC7 then? The zener diode D64? I see same 7.8VDC supply voltage on the second PLL on pin 5 IC5.
3. Can the jittering on pin 3 IC7 be caused by bad varactor diode D66? If yes, can I replace it with BB809?![Crt Hercule Turbo Crt Hercule Turbo](/uploads/1/2/9/4/129495359/658141695.jpg)
4. Turning L21 has no effect on waveform on pin 3 IC7.
5. Should I also remove the tantal caps C160, C161 and C156? Is it common that tantals need to be replaced in the same way as electrolytics?
Hi All .
Here's my latest purchase . Doesn't have the turbo sticker on the front but has the factory amp on the back . Was maxed out on AM (70W) and SSB (160W) as usual . It's now been put back to a factory 50W and 100W . The thing weighs a ton !! I had to carry it for 10 minutes to the car and I still can't feel my arms A whopping 18Kgs and I'm pretty sure that 17.9Kgs of that is in the PSU
Some guy went a bit over the top with the waxing (don't you hate that ???) . Apart from that it's in good condition .
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The CRT Hercule Turbo is also known as the Galaxy Saturn Turbo / Alan 560 / RCI-2990. These base rigs have the extra amp mounted on the back of the unit. (A couple of threads already on these units in this forum.)
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Motherboard is the EPT295013Z and good schematics can be found at CBTricks:http://www.cbtricks.com/radios/rci/rci_2970/
You can also use the really nice modern created schematics for the RCI-2950 (same motherboard)made by Rick Jackson CB: http://www.cbtricks.com/radios/rci/rci_ ... 50_sch.pdf
Crystal clear schematic! (Thanks Rick for all these good schematics you've created!)
Anyway, back to my first of my three CRT Hercule Turbo and the first problem:
1. Radio overall in good condition and I can't see that there has been any hack mods done. All looks actually quite original with some transistors been swapped out (with same type as original).
I found a 'blown' electrolytic cap C204 near the IC6 (7808A) that I replaced.
Completely broken! (component layout at http://www.cbtricks.com/radios/rci/rci_ ... layout.gif).
2. Radio has problems with intermittent no RX and no TX. Actually more often RX is sooooo silent and when PTT the TX light goes on but no output power. This is with radio in all modes and around 27.200-27.600MHz.
Ok, so first I remove the connection of the built-in chunky power supply and feed the radio with an excellent linear power supply 13.8VDC with 30A capacity in order to exclude the possibility of bad PSU in the radio.
When I start the PLL alignment procedure I go to 28MHz and set to AM and remove the jumper board between TP1-TP2-TP3 according to the alignment procedure described. Now suddenly I get RX and TX with output power!
If I step down some channels RX diminishes and TX stops working (TX light goes on though). Almost as if PLL goes out of lock.
If I now turn the clarifier all the way to the right the RX starts to come back as well as TX but only if I stay few channels below 28MHz.
Ok, so I start to do the PLL alignment procedure and looked this procedure:
1. http://malzev.tripod.com/cb-funk/rci-2950.htm
as well as
2. the 'original one' at http://www.cbtricks.com/radios/rci/rci_ ... ll_adj.htm
and finally this excellent document
3. https://randin.org:8443/Request/Documen ... 20Mods.pdf page 153 and page 154
When following the first one above I have no problem setting voltage at J13 to 2.2VDC but I just can't get the 1.2V voltage at pin 3 IC7 to be 1.2V. Either it's jumping around below 1V or as it is now jumping around between 6-7 Volts. Connecting my scope x10 probe to pin 3 IC7 I see a jittering square wave between 0 to 6/7 VDC. It almost looks like 2 square waves at the same time.
(Waveform in next post due to the limitation of max 3 attachments per post.)
When following the 2nd and 3rd procedure and connecting freq counter (HP53131A) via an 10pF ceramic cap to L61 I can not get a reading at all. It is as if as the signal level here is just too low?
After reading through this interesting thread http://www.worldwidedx.com/threads/2950 ... 60.140737/ I decided to start removing some of the wax around the PLL chip IC7 to remove the electrolytics in that area in order to check all of them.
They do indeed look awful:
CRT Hercule Turbo - Electrolytic caps in PLL area - Removed C111 and C157.jpg
and there are residuals on the board as well or is this something else:CRT Hercule Turbo - Electrolytic caps in PLL area - Removed C111, C96 and C157 - Component side view.jpg
However, when I check all those caps with my ESR meter I get the following readings:220 uF shows 235 uF with 0.36 ohm ESR
220 uF shows 228 uF with 0.72 ohm ESR
220 uF shows 241 uF with 0.20 ohm ESR
110 uF shows 102 uF with 0.66 ohm ESR
50 uF shows 51 uF with 1.10 ohm ESR
so all the caps seems to be within spec for the capacitance but I am unsure if the ESR values or ok?
So in order to trying to close up this long initial email ( ), I now need some initial help to get the PLL area going after I have replaced the electrolytic caps in this area. My questions (before caps has been replace) are:
1. Supply voltage on pin 5 IC7 is high? I read 7.8VDC there.
2. Supply voltage on output pin on regulator IC4 7805 is +5VDC so that is ok. What is causing the voltage to be so much higher on pin 5 IC7 then? The zener diode D64? I see same 7.8VDC supply voltage on the second PLL on pin 5 IC5.
3. Can the jittering on pin 3 IC7 be caused by bad varactor diode D66? If yes, can I replace it with BB809?
![Crt Hercule Turbo Crt Hercule Turbo](/uploads/1/2/9/4/129495359/658141695.jpg)
4. Turning L21 has no effect on waveform on pin 3 IC7.
5. Should I also remove the tantal caps C160, C161 and C156? Is it common that tantals need to be replaced in the same way as electrolytics?
![Turbo Turbo](/uploads/1/2/9/4/129495359/731498979.jpg)
Here's my latest purchase . Doesn't have the turbo sticker on the front but has the factory amp on the back . Was maxed out on AM (70W) and SSB (160W) as usual . It's now been put back to a factory 50W and 100W . The thing weighs a ton !! I had to carry it for 10 minutes to the car and I still can't feel my arms A whopping 18Kgs and I'm pretty sure that 17.9Kgs of that is in the PSU
Some guy went a bit over the top with the waxing (don't you hate that ???) . Apart from that it's in good condition .