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Inside The Drake TR-7 Transceiver by: Ronald Baker / WB4HFN Contents Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 >Page 10< Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16
Poor Man's AM Filter Modification
The picture on the left is a close-up of the wide band AM mode modification. Shown here is a 450 ohm resistor, but a lower value such as a 150 ohm resistor will also work fine. In some cases the lower value will allow a little more signal to pass but may be more prone to overloading the receiver with a strong signal. The larger value will pass less signal and is less susceptible to receiver overloading. The higher value would be better choice for radios which exhibits high signal gain or considered a 'Hot" receiver. In this picture a 2 watt, 450 ohm resistor installed in slot "C". Any wattage resistor will work since the power rating is not a factor, and can be installed in any open slot. The 2 watt resistor is typically used because the lead size is approximately the same size as the filter pins which makes a nice fit.
All Band Transmit Modification
TR-7 Quiet Fan Modification The original Drake FA-7 Fan option was intended to be used for the extended transmit mode like RTTY and AM. Under normal SSB and CW operations the fan option wasn't required, though possibly needed for heavy "contesting" type of use. When the Drake FA-7 fan accessory was installed it did a good job keeping the radio cool, however it was a noisy fan. The constant roaring noise level was objectionable in an otherwise quiet ham shack. Several modification surfaced which seemed to help but required modifying the radio, adding parts and in some cases an entire circuit board to control the fan. Though effective in reducing the noise most were not simple installation. The basic problem was the fan ran from 110VAC which being an AC motor made it harder to electronically control or switch. Also, the FA-7 fan ran the entire time the transceiver was powered on whether cooling was needed or not.
Now there at two different thoughts on two different subjects around the installation and operation of the fan. Should the fan blow inward or outward, and should it run all the time or just during transmit. Blowing in or out is more a personal choice and everyone has an opinion on that subject. Since the fan mounts either way, that choice is your decision. Powering the fan you will need to decide whether you want it on all the time or on only during transmit, the wiring difference is where you place the red positive power lead. I choose to have the fan blow inward and to run all the time because the fan noise is just a whisper, and virtually undetectable. The constant air flow keeps the radio at a more even temperature for better operating stability.
This picture shows the back side of the fan connector This show the tight area behind the antenna relay Before starting make sure the radio is completely disconnected from all power. In this modification I used the "FAN" receptacle next to the fan. First I cut back and tape both of the existing wires connected to the two terminals. Tape well because there is 110VAC across those wires when using the PS-7 Power Supply. Next route the red & black fan power leads through the fan blade opening and over the divider as shown in the picture. Next cut the leads to length leaving some slack and solder the black wire to the lower terminal and the red wire to the upper terminal. Next take a small length of wire and solder one end to the lower terminal where the black wire is attached. Solder the other end to the chassis ground terminal just to the left of the fan connector. Next take a long length of red wire and solder that to the upper connection where the red fan lead wire is soldered. Route the length of wire across the back of the panel to the other side bringing the end in front of the low pass filter, input board, where the antenna relay is mounted.
After this connection is made, recheck the installation and reassemble the radio. The fan connector now also serves as a +12DVC low current power source with continuous or switched +12VDC depending on how the fan was wired.
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