SSB help in Jacksonville,Fl area

[annk]

Going quietly around the bend here!
Icom 700 pro and AT130 tuner, receiving OK but not transmitting at all.
Changed the tuner to aerial wire, checked wire from radio to tuner, checked wire from battery to radio.

Is there anyone in the Jacksonville area who could offer some advice/assistance? We set off back to Europe in a couple of weeks and really need to get this thing working.

Had the same setup prior to a lightning strike and this is all new kit.

[btrayfors]

Wish you were in northern Chesapeake area; I'd help you in a flash.

The professionals I know are in southern and western Florida. What I'd suggest is that you email Jeannie Schreiber. She's a ham, delivery skipper, and is Secretary of the Waterway Radio and Cruising Club. She lives in Palm Coast, just south of Jacksonville and may have some good ideas about how to resolve your problem.

Her email is: Jeanie Schreiber <secretary at waterwayradio dot net>

(replace the "at" and "dot" with appropriate symbols)

Bill
WA6CCA

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by annk

Going quietly around the bend here!
Icom 700 pro and AT130 tuner, receiving OK but not transmitting at all.

Concur with Bill's advice.

In the meantime, how do you know it isn't transmitting? Have you looked at current draw when you try to transmit? Do you have a power or SWR meter in the coax? Have you confirmed that the AT130 at least tries to tune (lots of clicking)?

[annk]

Thanks for the responses and the lead, I will send an email shortly.

I know that the radio is not transmitting as it is only using 5,6 amps, not nearly enough. I also cannot raise a response from sailmail.

I think it may be a fault in the control cable from the radio to the tuner. I will tackle that in the morning, have had enough for today!

[misty]

Keep us posted. I would love to hear the resolution to ur problem.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by annk

I know that the radio is not transmitting as it is only using 5,6 amps, not nearly enough. I also cannot raise a response from sailmail.

That helps.

The radio should draw a bit under 2A in receive. It's trying to do something to draw 5 or 6A. It is likely the tuner isn't tuning and the radio is protecting itself by dropping power. Your control cable diagnosis is consistent with that. Why do you think the cable is the problem? Are there physical indicators? Have you pulled the cable out and metered the pins end-to-end?

[annk]

Oh Joy!!!

Success, finally.

It was the molex fitting on the control cable, not obvious until we got it under a magnifying glass. A real fiddle to repair but with the help of a tutorial on YouTube I have sent and received from SailMail and made contact with another cruiser.

Patience is certainly a virtue on a boat. Thank you so much for the input chaps and chapesses it was most valued.

[btrayfors]

Congratulations! Glad you had success.

Those Molex connectors on the tuner & radio are a constant source of irritation and trouble. Can't tell you how many I've found defective, including brand new right out of the box.

Why in the world Icom persists in furnishing these awful connectors is beyond me.

Bill