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Technical Topics => Equipment => Topic started by: flexoman61 on February 04, 2017, 0110 UTC

Title: Realistic DX-150 service manual
Post by: flexoman61 on February 04, 2017, 0110 UTC
My DX-150 is in need of repair but I can't find the service manual. These seem to be scarce.
I tried the yahoo groups for Realistic receivers with no luck yet. Any help getting one would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Title: Re: Realistic DX-150 service manual
Post by: WA4FHY on February 04, 2017, 1722 UTC
Good morning, Flex,
You might try Rich Post KB8TAD <kb8tad@gmail.com>. Rich
is the vintage radio guru @ "The Spectrum Monitor" e-magazine
and often comes up with answers to similar requests. TSM is
a great mag, kinda the successor to the now departed "Monitoring
Times".
Good luck, Paul
Title: Re: Realistic DX-150 service manual
Post by: flexoman61 on February 04, 2017, 1754 UTC
Thanks WA4FHY, I will try him.
Title: Re: Realistic DX-150 service manual
Post by: Josh on February 05, 2017, 1822 UTC
Might ask here too;
http://antiqueradios.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=5&sid=ff30a1675c1e6770bb5cddd0399aa9c5
Title: Re: Realistic DX-150 service manual
Post by: BoomboxDX on February 07, 2017, 1807 UTC
Ditto on the Antique Radio Forum. They're always a great help.
Title: Re: Realistic DX-150 service manual
Post by: Pigmeat on February 08, 2017, 0224 UTC
Try SAMS www.samswebsite.com (http://www.samswebsite.com)  You've got to pay a fee but if they don't have it, it's probably not out there.
Title: Re: Realistic DX-150 service manual
Post by: BDM on February 13, 2017, 1627 UTC
I can email it to you. I have only the 150A and 150B SMs, not the straight 150
Title: Re: Realistic DX-150 service manual
Post by: flexoman61 on February 14, 2017, 1502 UTC
Thanks for the help everyone. All I am able to find is the schematic for the DX-150 and the service manual and schematic for the DX-150A.
One guy I was talking to said the only difference between the 150 and the 150A is the FET front end on the 150A.
My son will be working on this radio and he is in training as an Air Force radio tech. It's a simple radio and once he brings it to the shop on the base they should have no problem fixing it.
Title: Re: Realistic DX-150 service manual
Post by: BoomboxDX on February 17, 2017, 1137 UTC
Curious as to what is wrong with the radio? In your first post, you mentioned that it's not working.
Title: Re: Realistic DX-150 service manual
Post by: flexoman61 on February 17, 2017, 1523 UTC
Curious as to what is wrong with the radio? In your first post, you mentioned that it's not working.
I should have mentioned that. When it broke down I was tuned to a station on 20 meters. Then it started to drift off
freq. I kept following the drift down for a few seconds or so and then the radio went deaf,
no audio at all on any band.
Title: Re: Realistic DX-150 service manual
Post by: Josh on February 17, 2017, 1720 UTC
Top of head response to the described issue;
voltage regs/power supply issue
Title: Re: Realistic DX-150 service manual
Post by: TheRelayStation on February 17, 2017, 1749 UTC
Top of head response to the described issue;
voltage regs/power supply issue
my money is on a cold solder connection.
Title: Re: Realistic DX-150 service manual
Post by: Davep on February 18, 2017, 0401 UTC
Flexoman, it's probably a capacitor. I'm not familiar with that radio , but it's a common problem in vintage radios. There are kits for sale.

Edit : read that you have help. They should do all of the larger caps although you might get away with replacing just the one that's bad.Replacing all of them is a shotgun approach usually successful, instead of spending time looking for the bad one . In situ bad caps can read good on a multimeter anyway.
 Likely one of the larger values in the power supply as Josh stated or audio, ( they either fail uf or short-short not good!)
If that's what it is, that's a symptom they will go bad one by one ( like an old car unless you do the whole thing)
Do all of them while the chassis is out if they don't mind , my advice
http://hamamateuradio.com/realistic-dx150a-replacement-electrolytic-capacitor

If you want to try it yourself

Heresy:
You don't really need a schematic or service manual. Remove one and replace with the same value, then do the same on the next one and etc. Note the arrows or lead makings on the body, they need to be positioned the same way as the old . New/ old should be marked with the values so that's not a problem.
Not rocket science but skills with soldering will help. The real challenge is be careful,don't rush and try not to overhandle or butcher :)

I have wanted one of those or later models for awhile, but unfortunately I am under a radio restriction decree from the wife and am monitored for any new acquisitions. If I got one it couldn't be out in the open anyway.

Title: Re: Realistic DX-150 service manual
Post by: BoomboxDX on February 27, 2017, 2218 UTC
If the DX-150 has a DC power input plug, you could try running it on DC power to see if the problem is just the AC supply built inside the radio.

DX-150's and 160's are very light on battery usage... if that happened to be the problem, and the radio works on batteries, you could always use it on battery power and delay fixing the radio.

But as you mentioned you already have help with the radio, perhaps it's a non-issue by now....
Title: Re: Realistic DX-150 service manual
Post by: flexoman61 on February 27, 2017, 2226 UTC
Have power, no audio. I bought a cap kit, gonna start there.
Thanks