Tram 23CH to 40CH "Conversion" ? ? ? ? ? ?

[SteveInOregon]

Question: I am receiving two clean working Trams, one is a D201 23CH , thee other a D201"A" 40CH.

Preface: Me and my friends, we all talk on 38LSB, so the 23CH version is useless to us.

This is an amateur no nothing question , but can a good tech convert the 23 to a 40 without ruining the exterior stock integrity of the front face of an American made hand wired classic Tram with a lame hole & a nasty looking toggle switch through it.

I was thinking "External VFO" ?

Better yet I like the idea of internal modification, over an ugly black Siltronix type VFO sitting on my desk, so is there an "internal" mod that a qualified tech can do to convert the 23 CH SSB to 40 CH SSB without adding a Siltronix type of external VFO ?

I know, I know, > Steve why the hell would you do that, just use the 40CH and leave the 23 alone !!! , lol.

You see I don't want to talk on a Mexi-Tram, I want to keep the older U.S.A version, but I am a 38LSB guy.

If it can't be converted internaly without gutting the inard's , I "guess " I can use an external VFO ? and so perhaps I can keep the USA version Tram and give the MexiTram to my friend.

Your experienced input is appreciated.

[Sandbagger]

Feb 19, 2011 1:36:58 GMT -5 SteveInOregon said:

Question: I am receiving two clean working Trams, one is a D201 23CH , thee other a D201"A" 40CH.

Preface: Me and my friends, we all talk on 38LSB, so the 23CH version is useless to us.

This is an amateur no nothing question , but can a good tech convert the 23 to a 40 without ruining the exterior stock integrity of the front face of an American made hand wired classic Tram with a lame hole & a nasty looking toggle switch through it.

I was thinking "External VFO" ?

Better yet I like the idea of internal modification, over an ugly black Siltronix type VFO sitting on my desk, so is there an "internal" mod that a qualified tech can do to convert the 23 CH SSB to 40 CH SSB without adding a Siltronix type of external VFO ?

I know, I know, > Steve why the hell would you do that, just use the 40CH and leave the 23 alone !!! , lol.

You see I don't want to talk on a Mexi-Tram, I want to keep the older U.S.A version, but I am a 38LSB guy.

If it can't be converted internaly without gutting the inard's , I "guess " I can use an external VFO ? and so perhaps I can keep the USA version Tram and give the MexiTram to my friend.

Your experienced input is appreciated.

You've a few good options here, each has an associated drawback or two.

First off, I wouldn't be so quick to "diss" the 201A. There have been circuit updates (especially in the SSB detector area) that were engineered into the later models which corrected some earlier issues. THat "mexican" Tram is probably the better radio for SSB work.

That being said, there are a couple of things you can do to put the older Tram on the upper channels. The easiest is to perform (if it's not already been done) the manual tuner transmit mod. That'll give you essentially an internal VFO which will take you where you need to go. The downside to this, is that there have been frequency drift issues when using the manual tuner on SSB.

The next thing you might want to do is to sub out a crystal for a set of channels you don't use much, for a crystal that will give you 36, 37, 38 and 40. This would be much more stable, but you would lose some lower channels. This it usually an acceptable tradeoff for most avid SSB'ers though.

You could also look for the synthesizer board and selector from a junked D201A. They can be dropped right in in most cases and will essentially convert a D201 to a 201A. Of course, finding the parts might not be all that easy. There are also guys making PLL replacement synthesizers for the Trams which will replace the old synthesizer including an LED channel display. Guys who don't want to modify the original appearance in any way may frown on this though.

Lastly, you could go with an external VFO. In this case, it's no different than any other radio, and external VFO's tend to drift as well.

Hope that helps a little.

[SteveInOregon]

This is VERY helpful thanks ,

And now time for a rant : As for the Mexi-Tram, I am in a pure state of rebellion against ANY thing made outside of our country.

The only reason I am getting the MexiTram is that it is "used" , sure it is mildly collectible and a good SB rig, I would NEVER have bought this new.

I NEVER buy anything new from ComChi or Mex for many reasons

Thanks again that was VERY helpful

[rifleman]

Over the years I have had about a dozen D201's and D201A's....

(I still have a few D201's around here... waiting to be cared for...)

They are like beautiful women, when they are in a good mood, they are wonderfull. When they are in a bad mood, they are the biggest b*tches in the world !!! Right Sandbagger LOL !!!

Sandbagger is right on all points....

IF you plan to go with an external VFO, a PAL is a good choice. If you get one with the light tan face, it is a close match to the light color on the face of the Tram's. Also, I have found that the PAL's are more stable than the Siltronix's.

Besides the GREAT AM audio, and it's good looks, one of the big selling points on them is the manual tuner.

When modified INTERNALY (no external switches needed) you set the crystal selector switch to ch 9, turn the crystal/manual switch to manual, and then you can use the manual tuner as a VFO, taking you to 27.550 with the D201, and 27.700 (I beleive) on the D201A. (Set to ch 9, the manual tuner tracks on the freqs printed on the dial)

As was said, most of these radios have already been modded for extra freqs. I have only had ONE over the years that was not done already. There are several ways to do it, some better that others (SSB stability problems). Again, Greg Barkett is one of the gurus out there on Trams. He has a lot of knowledge and parts for them. If you have a lot of old Tram's and Browning's you will most likely end up on a first-name basis with him.

One other thing about the D201 series... THEY RUN HOT !!!
Because of the heat they generate, they tend to self-destruct !!!

Because of the heat, tube sockets, resistors, capacitors, circuit board traces, and the crystals ALL take a beating. And of course, there is the dreaded "BA" board heat problems. (Why Tram set a vertical circuit board RIGHT NEXT to the hottest tube in the radio is beyond me !!)

I would NOT reccommend any power, audio, or extra modulation mods be done on them (maybe a fan on the back, aimed at the "BA" board area). Most of those mods only add to the heat problems, and most of them also adversly effect that SWEET audio they put out.

I personaly think they are GREAT radios, but having one is like having a classic car. There is ALWAYS something to be done to them, and you can never use it as your "Daily Driver".

Don't worry about these things. I am sure that there more than a few guys here who are very knowledgable about these radios, and can send you in the right direction when it comes to problems with them. (if you ever need them, I have copies of the manuals and schematics on all of the models, and copies of a lot of the mods for them, in case you have to "Backtrack" butchered-up mods)

As far as "Mexico" made, they are like "American" cars.... My '06 Roush Mustang was assembled in the USA, BUT it has a French built transmission in it !!!

BTW... there are (3) MAJOR different models of these radios, and before you work on them you need to know which are which. Here are some photos to help you know which ones you have.

This is the original 23 channel, 100% made in the USA "Hand Wired" D201.....

(It is also the only one of the D201 series that had VOX built into it from the factory)

Attachments:

[rifleman]

Here is the 23 channel sub-assemblys "Made In Mexico" D201.....

Attachments:

[rifleman]

And here is the 40 channel sub assemblys "Made In Mexico" D201A....

Attachments:

[Sandbagger]

Feb 19, 2011 13:37:12 GMT -5 rifleman said:

Over the years I have had about a dozen D201's and D201A's....

(I still have a few D201's around here... waiting to be cared for...)

They are like beautiful women, when they are in a good mood, they are wonderfull. When they are in a bad mood, they are the biggest b*tches in the world !!! Right Sandbagger LOL !!!

Sandbagger is right on all points....

IF you plan to go with an external VFO, a PAL is a good choice. If you get one with the light tan face, it is a close match to the light color on the face of the Tram's. Also, I have found that the PAL's are more stable than the Siltronix's.

Besides the GREAT AM audio, and it's good looks, one of the big selling points on them is the manual tuner.

When modified INTERNALY (no external switches needed) you set the crystal selector switch to ch 9, turn the crystal/manual switch to manual, and then you can use the manual tuner as a VFO, taking you to 27.550 with the D201, and 27.700 (I beleive) on the D201A. (Set to ch 9, the manual tuner tracks on the freqs printed on the dial)

As was said, most of these radios have already been modded for extra freqs. I have only had ONE over the years that was not done already. There are several ways to do it, some better that others (SSB stability problems). Again, Greg Barkett is one of the gurus out there on Trams. He has a lot of knowledge and parts for them. If you have a lot of old Tram's and Browning's you will most likely end up on a first-name basis with him.

One other thing about the D201 series... THEY RUN HOT !!!
Because of the heat they generate, they tend to self-destruct !!!

Because of the heat, tube sockets, resistors, capacitors, circuit board traces, and the crystals ALL take a beating. And of course, there is the dreaded "BA" board heat problems. (Why Tram set a vertical circuit board RIGHT NEXT to the hottest tube in the radio is beyond me !!)

I would NOT reccommend any power, audio, or extra modulation mods be done on them (maybe a fan on the back, aimed at the "BA" board area). Most of those mods only add to the heat problems, and most of them also adversly effect that SWEET audio they put out.

I personaly think they are GREAT radios, but having one is like having a classic car. There is ALWAYS something to be done to them, and you can never use it as your "Daily Driver".

Don't worry about these things. I am sure that there more than a few guys here who are very knowledgable about these radios, and can send you in the right direction when it comes to problems with them. (if you ever need them, I have copies of the manuals and schematics on all of the models, and copies of a lot of the mods for them, in case you have to "Backtrack" butchered-up mods)

As far as "Mexico" made, they are like "American" cars.... My '06 Roush Mustang was assembled in the USA, BUT it has a French built transmission in it !!!

BTW... there are (3) different models of these radios, and before you work on them you need to know which are which. Here are some photos to help you know which ones you have.

This is the original 23 channel, 100% made in the USA "Hand Wired" D201.....

(It is also the only one of the D201 series that had VOX built into it from the factory)

A couple of things;

First, there are a few more than 3 D201(A) versions made, although the differences are a little more subtle. The American-made "point" wired (with VOX) was the first, followed by the "early" PC Mexican version, which had a 2 prong AC plug and used 455 khz resonators in the AM IF. Then there's the "late" Mexican version with the 3 prong AC plug and the Murata IF filters in the AM IF.

The 201A had 2 or three versions as well. Starting with hinged versus non-hinged top covers, and the version with a different BA board which changed the bias method for the audio output tube, and there was the switch to the different RF output tube.

On the internal VFO mod, if it is done correctly, you shouldn't have to put the channel selector on any special channel, as the switching transistor and diodes will completely take the selector out of circuit (and hard switch it to the channel 9 crystals). Some people deliberately want the selector to be enabled so that they can gain the three or so more channels that the shift in channels will give them. It's a matter of personal choice.

And you are correct about the radio running hot and not using it as a daily driver. It's shame that Tram designed the radio the way they did. A little extra effort to create another power supply at about 150V would have saved a great deal of wasted power and premature part failures.

[rifleman]

You are so right Sandbagger....

Yes, I should have said "Major" model differences....

(I know they were costly, but the Collins mechanical filters that were in the "Titan II" would have been nice in the already costly D201 series)

And thank you for the info on the top covers. I have always wondered about them. I have seen D201A's with hinged covers and no interlocks, and with non-hinged covers WITH interlocks.

I just did not know....

Also, what is your opinion on the D201A channel selectors ?

I have heard so many bad things about them, but I have never had a problem with them.

I have never been sure if they were a problem, or if it was someone trying to sell $200 replacements... LOL !!

Thanks again.

Yours, Ron

[Sandbagger]

Feb 19, 2011 16:10:57 GMT -5 rifleman said:

You are so right Sandbagger....

Yes, I should have said "Major" model differences....

(I know they were costly, but the Collins mechanical filters that were in the "Titan II" would have been nice in the already costly D201 series)

And thank you for the info on the top covers. I have always wondered about them. I have seen D201A's with hinged covers and no interlocks, and with non-hinged covers WITH interlocks.

I just did not know....

Also, what is your opinion on the D201A channel selectors ?

I have heard so many bad things about them, but I have never had a problem with them.

I have never been sure if they were a problem, or if it was someone trying to sell $200 replacements... LOL !!

Thanks again.

Yours, Ron

The D201A channel selectors were a sore spot. The original selector was square and black in color. They would almost always fail before the original warranty ran out, especially if you were a frequent channel changer. The replacement selector was grey in color an had beveled edges. This was a much better made switch and would usually last. The bad news is that it is not pin for pin compatible with the black switch and cuts and jumps had to be made on the synth board to replace a bad switch. It's a tedious (and expensive now as the switches have become somewhat scarce) job, and you really have to know which pins do what.....

[rifleman]

Thanks for the information....

Black = Bad

Grey = Good

Easy to remember, and VERY helpfull.

[Sniper..Unit 305]

Feb 19, 2011 12:42:23 GMT -5 SteveInOregon said:

This is VERY helpful thanks ,

And now time for a rant : As for the Mexi-Tram, I am in a pure state of rebellion against ANY thing made outside of our country.

The only reason I am getting the MexiTram is that it is "used" , sure it is mildly collectible and a good SB rig, I would NEVER have bought this new.

I NEVER buy anything new from ComChi or Mex for many reasons

Thanks again that was VERY helpful

Hi SteveInOregon, I understand where your coming from, BUT...have you checked the clothes you wear or the shoes on your feet, the vehicles you drive although they may be Ford,Chevy, or Chrysler......there are many many sub components made out of the country. The electronics,transmissions,etc. Most of your household appliances like it or not, are not made entirely in this once great country of ours! It is most definitely hard to get away from foreign products. That being said....I have my original Tram D201 that I bought new, and my D201A also bought new by me, and I can tell you that Sandbagger hit it on the head when he says they drift a bit on the manual vfo, but it is still very usable. I have a Yaesu FT901dm that I chase around constantly, so chasing the Trams on manual tune is no big deal. I think you will really enjoy your Trams, they are definitely a joy to listen to.

[SteveInOregon]

Feb 20, 2011 0:13:02 GMT -5 Sniper..Unit 305 said:

Feb 19, 2011 12:42:23 GMT -5 SteveInOregon said:

This is VERY helpful thanks ,

And now time for a rant : As for the Mexi-Tram, I am in a pure state of rebellion against ANY thing made outside of our country.

The only reason I am getting the MexiTram is that it is "used" , sure it is mildly collectible and a good SB rig, I would NEVER have bought this new.

I NEVER buy anything new from ComChi or Mex for many reasons

Thanks again that was VERY helpful

Hi SteveInOregon, I understand where your coming from, BUT...have you checked the clothes you wear or the shoes on your feet, the vehicles you drive although they may be Ford,Chevy, or Chrysler......there are many many sub components made out of the country. The electronics,transmissions,etc. Most of your household appliances like it or not, are not made entirely in this once great country of ours! It is most definitely hard to get away from foreign products. That being said....I have my original Tram D201 that I bought new, and my D201A also bought new by me, and I can tell you that Sandbagger hit it on the head when he says they drift a bit on the manual vfo, but it is still very usable. I have a Yaesu FT901dm that I chase around constantly, so chasing the Trams on manual tune is no big deal. I think you will really enjoy your Trams, they are definitely a joy to listen to.

Thanks, myself I dont care about being "rock solid" if I did I wouldn't even keep them, but I like old cool stuff , motorcycles, musical instruments, etc..... and CB's that need massaging to keep them running right, it makes me feel like I am part of the machine, sorta like an old steam train, lol, so I really dont mind re-adjusting every few min's , hell my friend Ray who is re-building my Stoner as a type is also talking to me on his old Siltronix, "winks"