WD9N Radio

Photo Credit: Kenwood USA    I was getting a bid annoyed with my 480 drifting around with temperature fluctuations in the truck, so in goes the SO-3 TCXO.  It wasn't as simple as the 590SG, but not really any more difficult.  Right there is the board that must be removed.  Lift the white connectors on each side, they are tight, a flat tool of some kind working on each side a little at a time and they come up.  Remove the three screws and the board will lift right out.  Above is the bottom of the board with the TCXO partially soldered.  I wanted to show how I held the unit in place by slightly bending the tabs in.  You may find another method works for you.  Solder each of the four pins AND both tabs of the case.  I use an isolated pen with a smallish tip at about 760F.  Solder flowed well if you use good technique, ie. heat the joint then apply solder.  I let the tip set on the tab to heat the large thermal mass of the cas...

Ok, so me beloved Kenwood V71 radios are going deaf, it's a known issue you can research for yourself.  So until I purchase parts and see if I can do the detialed solder job to repair them, I purchased an Icom 2730 with the black screen. The black is a bit extra, but I really liked the look of the display and I am not disappointed with it at all.  Now, the problem is Icom in a stroke of both genius and ignorance at the same time DOES NOT include a single piece of mounting hardware...not even screws.  They leave it up to you to decide how you are going to mount the radio and then purchase the mounting hardware that fits your install.  I get it, vehicles today are so difficult to find ways to install radios.  No use purchasing a radio with hardware just to find you can't use any of it and still have to purchase what you need.  Maybe a better way would have been to make packages with each type of mounting, but even with in that I see ways to mix and match, so ...