DAK IX

[BBB]

Just picked up this DAK IX from a local website ad. It's a tad bit ruff but all there except one of the meter surrounds is missing, the fuse holder cap is missing and the case screws & rubber feet are missing. Also there is a small toggle switch that has been added just above the phones jack. Hey at least they centered it, haha. Not sure what it does yet as I've yet to power it up. I see the large electrolytic caps near the tubes are bulging at the top so they gotta go. May be I'll just bypass them with new ones underneath so the old original ones still show on top. Doubt I have an old screw in type fuse holder cap, but I have a new complete fuse holder assembly. I posted in the "Wanted" section the need for a meter surround so I you know anyone that has one, please let me know. Thanks!

I'll post some more pics after I get it cleaned up.



Can't stop looking at that extra switch on the front     Stop it... picturing them drilling the hole in the pristine face plate... oh why, please... the humanity of it all

[SIX-SHOOTER]

From my own experience it may be cheaper to buy a parts radio for the meter face.Some folks think the meters & the meter faces are Gold.I had a spare many years ago but I gave it away to someone who needed one & I don't see that I will ever need an extra for my DAK Mark X.I'd suggest checking some of the Facebook CB Groups for one & not on eBay where it will cost far to much.The idiots with the drills kill me when they just drill a hole that ruins a piece of gear that can never be corrected.

SIX-SHOOTER

[BBB]

This is the parts radio Just kidding and throwing it out there again...I don't need the meter, just the black plastic surround and my DAK can once again be whole with the Classic CB Radio Universe.

[ytradio]

I know that this would not be original, and probably more work than you would care to do for this piece. But since it looks like you do have others that are the same. I have made plastic car parts that were no longer available by pressing an identical part into a clay mixture and making a form. Then poring in JB Weld or something similar. It may take a little whittling and filing and painting, but I have been able to make parts that could not be identified from the original.

[BBB]

Good idea. I was also thinking the next time I go to a HAM fest to look for something identical. There are vendors that sell hundreds of meters that I have seen spread out on a blanket or table. I guess folks that even have a DAK parts radio hold on to the stuff.

[BBB]

No offers so far on a DAK meter on a multitude of forums. Oh well... so I put my nose to the grind stone and may have found a quantity. I'm getting a "sample" this week. Fingers crossed.

[mrlew148]

parts for a dak IK do you need 

[BBB]

Thanks for the offer on the DAK parts but I was able to locate a NOS meter face plate that matched PERFECTLY !! Pat hands on back...

[Sandbagger]

Dec 9, 2017 10:17:29 GMT -5 BBB said:

Thanks for the offer on the DAK parts but I was able to locate a NOS meter face plate that matched PERFECTLY !! Pat hands on back...

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But does the radio work?

[BBB]

Not yet. 47uf 450V caps are on order. The ones in there are in the "very bulged" category. The two in the back can be by-passed underneath. The one nearest the tube is soldered in the PC board.

[Sandbagger]

Dec 9, 2017 10:32:43 GMT -5 BBB said:

Not yet. 47uf 450V caps are on order. The ones in there are in the "very bulged" category. The two in the back can be by-passed underneath. The one nearest the tube is soldered in the PC board.

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Be careful when judging those caps as "bulged" on the top. I've seen some where the plastic top bulges out, but you can easily push it down flat, as it's really not the top of the can, just a plastic dust cover, which bulges very easily. Still it's not a bad idea to replace caps that are 30+ years old.

[BBB]

Thanks for the tip on the capacitors. You were right, even though the tops were bulged they were fine. They didn't even get warm as failing caps do sometimes. On another positive note, all the LED segments are good in the CH display and it's relatively close to being on frequency CH 13 = 27.1156. Dead key is 4 watts and it swings nicely to 15+ watts PEP

Minor issues are that the RF Power/ Plate Current meter is a bit sticky still. Probably related to the meter faceplate missing for sometime. Seems that the added switch on the faceplate is for lower channels. Kinda weird that it doesn't go higher. All the other switches activate normally so I'm not finding any other switch combo to make it go higher. That added switch has two wires that go into the PLL PC board "box" and it has solder sealed tabs so I can't see exactly where they go right now. Hopefully that switch and related wires are not causing the main issue mentioned below.

The main issue I'm having is that the simple slightest touch of the channel selector causes the PLL to unlock. Power down & back up and the PLL will properly lock on what ever channel the selector is set at. As discussed, I'll take a look at the channel selector PC board for any loose wires and lube up the switch.