Installation Comments shared by Terry K9TW

                                                                                                                                                         A special thanks to Terry for his valuable support and comments:

     I have just had an opportunity to get my hands on the newly designed and manufactured upper chain drive sprockets for the TS530 and TS830 rigs. Those of you who own or work on these rigs know that the original white nylon sprockets crack at the set screw tapped holes and if bad enough can allow the three air variable capacitors to get out of sync that among other things causes the ALC indication to get touchy and RF drive to be less than ideal. 

     Gregory NR6C has manufactured these beautiful replacements using a 3D printing process and is now offering them for sale on his website. Go to WWW.NR6C.COM and click on the link to see the design story and place an order for your sets.

     I have installed a set in one of my TS-830 radios and they work just fine. The install is easy. Just take a digital picture of the original installation. Mesh the plates fully which should bring each chain tensionsers up to within one link of engaging the sprocket teeth.  Loosen the 4 screws on the brass coupler and slide it back. Now you can grasp the drive shaft with the cracked sprockets and dis-engage it from its bearing stanchions on each end. Now you can remove the chains and the old sprockets ( assuming previous owner didn't attempt JB Weld or Epoxy repairs). Use a jewelers file and clean the burrs off the shaft where the old set screws seated. You can also lightly polish the shaft with crocus cloth or fine sandpaper. Now just slip on three new sprockets and reverse the assembly. Make sure that all plates are fully meshed and when you move the Drive control knob that they all open simultaneously. They may not if someone has stretched out the chain tensioners. With the knob at 1200 position all three capacitors should be 50% open. 

     I want to thank Gregory for his efforts. When I hold these in my hand it is hard to believe how quickly from the idea to actual production this has happened. In my day the draftsman would still be sitting at his drafting board working on the hand drawn engineering drawing. 

     Check with Greg regards availability and shipping. He has set the price very reasonable. Looks to me like it is just a labor of love to help our members keep these treasures on the air without resorting to bubble gum and baling wire!

73s
Terry  K9TW