AOR AR8600 Manual

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AR8600 Bulletin Page
The bulletinscontained on this page are not generally intended for self-fit, they generally
represent 'dealer assistance'. Fitting of the optional filters, optional battery and enabling of I.F.
output is intended for action byworkshop technicians. No liabilityis accepted for damage
caused by inexperiencedpersonnel.
AR8600 MK1 to MK2
The AR8600 Mark2 hasbeen introduced during June 2002. The main RF PCB is completely
revised, it is not possibleto update a Mark1 to a Mark2 bysimplecomponent change... the
frequencycoverage has also been extended with a revisedCPU being employed.
AR8600 I.F. output
The AR8600 is provided with a rear BNC socket which provides 10.7MHz I.F. output. The
bandwidth is about 2MHz and our workshop measurementsusing WFM mode suggest that a
positive gain exists between aerialinput and I.F. output of 35dB to 40dB across the frequency
bands.
Out of the carton box, I.F. output is limitedto WFM mode onlyto minimisethe effects of
internal spurii, as the WFM oscillatoris used to produce the 10.7MHz I.F. output. If you wish to
obtain I.F. output in ALL MODES, please referto the associated bulletin (Acrobat PDF file) -
clickhere.
Whilethe AR8600 maybe used with either the SDU5000 or SDU5500 is passive mode,the
RS232 communicationwith either spectrum displayunit is not supported.
Failure of IC410 - over-voltage(earlyAR8600 MK1)
We have encountered two AR8600 which have suffered damage due to over-voltage power
being applied to the power socket (20V), one via an unregulated power supplyand the other by
vehicleconnection. Here in the UK we onlysupply12V & 15V ‘REGULATED’ power
suppliesfor the AR8600 (UK manufactured)... we cannot comment on power suppliesprovided
outside of the UK.
In
b
oth cases, the voltage regulator on the CPU PCB IC410 (TK11245) ha
d
faile
d
, whic
h
in
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turn had damaged the EEPROM memorystore IC402 (AT29C512) on the same PCB. This
resulted in spurious behaviour and the inabilityto change memorycontents.
Both components had to be replaced, and it is suggested (by AOR Japan, the equipment
manufacturer) that two additional diodes (1N4148 or 1SS1588 or 1SS266) are inserted in series
with the un-switched 12V line between connector J403 and the regulator IC410… this is best
achieved by a cut in the track between the unused +ve pad of C426 en-route IC410. It is likely
that the ‘systemdata’ mayneed to be reinstated after component replacement, using a modified
versionof the EM8200 slot card (referredto as an AR8600 workshop tool).
Additionalseriesdiodes have been fitted to all new stock equipment in recent months to increase
robustness of the power supplycircuit (for occasions where an over-volt connection is
encountered).
If you require further clarification, please request that your supplierpursues the matter through
their ‘distribution chain’ of supplyas this levelof informationfallsoutside the scope of a simple
technical bulletin.
Low batter indicator(BP8600)
If you have the optional internal NiCad battery (BP8600) fitted, the low battery indicator circuit
maynot function when the above modificationis applied.
Change the following resistorvalues to restore normal operation:
R446 should now be 56k OHM (was 100k OHM)
R447 should now be 100k OHM (was 68k OHM)... you can use the resistortaken from
R447
The change in value is due to the voltage drop presented bythe seriesdiode. The indicator
should turn on when the battery voltage drops around 8.2V to 8.3 V. If youare not using the
internal battery, ignore these component value changes. If you do not change the components,
no damage will occur, the set will simplystop working when the BP8600 battery runs flat -
without warning.
*Note re
g
ardin
g
p
owe
r
su
pp
l
y
volta
g
e when usin
g
BP8600
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Initiallydesigned to provide up to two hours of operation, tests have shown that once the
internal battery has been fullycharged using an optional 15V regulated DC power supply, the
monitoringtime extends to around FIVE HOURS (with back-lit LCD lampsoff).
Note: Operational times are for guidance but depend upon the style ofoperation (volume level,
backlight, scanning etc) and are not guaranteed.
Corruptdata AR8600 (also appliesto AR8200 MK1 and MK2)
If your AR8200 is behaving strangelysuch as lockingup or powering down unexpectedly, it may
be sufferingfrom corrupt data (programmabledata or systemdata or both) due to a power glitch
(a.c. supplyinterruption, battery low etc).
The corruption can affect the search bank, memorybank (or channel) or indexes such as pass list
of select scan list. Instead of the data reading (for example) 123.450 MHz, it will attempt to
read 123.zv0 MHz... as the corrupt data
is not recognised, it caused the AR8200 to 'crash' - likea computer program.
Try deleting & over-writing search banks, pass lists, select scan lists etc.
If the problem persists, it mayrequirethe systemdata to be refreshedusing a modifiedversionof
the EM8200 external memorycard (which allows system data to be written). If you alreadyhave
an EM8200 card, yoursuppliermaybe able to arrange for the EM8200 to be modifiedand
loaded with default data (so the recoveryprocedure will be just a couple of key presses). Please
contactyour supplierif you are unable to progress the matter.
EM8200 external memoryslot card with AR8600
Following a report by Bob Farish (direct and via the internet) we investigated a report that
memorydata was being lost when using the AR8600 with the EM8200 external memoryslot
card.
The problemshows if the single 'memorybank' function is used.
No problemsare experiencedif 'allmemories' are used.
If a singlememorybank is loaded to the slot card , it is stored correctly.
I
f
the singl
e
memor
y
b
an
k
i
s
loade
d
back to the set, the memorie
s
and individua
l
text comment
s
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are re-loade
d
to the set correctl
y
b
ut the overal
l
'
b
an
k
' text commen
t
i
s
not re-loade
d
(thi
s
appears to be the case regardlessof if the set is in scan, search or VFO).
However if the set is being used on a differentmemorybank to that being re-loadedfrom the slot
card, the overallbank text comment isthen correct for the re-loadedbank, BUT, the bank that
the set was being used on then gets labelledwith whatever text comment was previouslyin the
bank being overwritten.
This onlyhappens in the AR8600 (mk1 & 2).It isn't a problemin the AR8200mk3.
RU8200 operating manual inconsistencies
Inconsistencieshave been reported to us regardingthe operation of the RU8200 record /
playbackoption with the AR8600 (particularlyin continuous loop mode),neither the AR8600
operating manual or RU8200 product leaflet are 100% accurate. The revised section of the
operating manual is presented here, the main areas of charge are highlighted in red colour:
18-2 Slot card OPTION menu - registeringa slotcard
Once the slotcards have been fitted, they must be registeredfor use via the slotcard menu.
This is because onlyone slot card from GROUP 1 and one slot card fromGROUP 2 can be used
simultaneously, registeringthe slot cards is a way of managingtheir use.
The optional slot cards must be REGISTERED via the SLOT CARD OPTION MENU
before they can be manipulated via their own control menus. To access the slot card registration
menu option menu PUSH [FUNC] PRESS [CLEAR]
The menu is presented in two sections (pages), the first coversthe slot cards in GROUP 1
(TE8200, CT8200, VI8200) and the second page covers the slot cards in GROUP 2 (EM8200,
RU8200).
The UP / DOWN arrow keysare used to move between lines representing the slot card fitted, if
youdo not have the listed card fitted, youwill not be able to move to the displayedline, it will be
skipped.
For example, if youhave the TE8200 and VI8200 slot cards fitted, pressing the DOWN keywill
skip over the CT8200 selection line, the second page containing the EM8200 and RU8200
entries will alsobe inaccessible. The UP key maybe used to move backward through the menu
items. Ignore the “AUT” legend if displayedon the LCD.
When the cursor is flashingon the desiredline for the requiredoption, use LEFT / RIGHT arrow
or [PASS] key or MAIN DIAL to REGISTER or DE-REGISTER the option as a toggle. When
registere
d
, the legend ‘STAR’ will
b
e displaye
d
on the LCD nex
t
to the slo
t
car
d
descriptio
n
.
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Remembe
r
, yo
u
ma
y
registe
r
one slo
t
car
d
fro
m
GROUP 1 and one car
d
fro
m
GROUP 2 fo
r
simultaneousoperation if desired. To complete the selection, PUSH [ENT]
18-6 RU8200 optional record & playback slot card
The RU8200 enables around 20 seconds of audio to be recorded to a chip within the RU8200 for
playbackat a later time. The chip maybe used to recorded over and over again overwriting the
previousrecordings. The recordingmayalso be playedback over and over, veryuseful if you
have grabbed an interesting recording! It is also possibleto set the RU8200 to continuously
record the last 20 seconds of activity ensuring that an interesting transmissionis never missed.
The RU8200 maybe used in VFO, scan, search but note the following:
VFO mode: The RU8200 operates as laid out here, recording starts when the squelch opens or
records immediatelyif the squelch is alreadyopen. When recording has started, manual
operation of the front panel squelchcontrol is disabled. The RU8200 is best suited to use in
VFO mode.
SCAN / SEARCH mode: The RU8200 will start recordingwhen the squelch opens but
recordingwill stop immediatelyonce the squelch closes and the receivercontinues scanning or
searching. As the recording has been deactivated when the receivermoves to new channels,
accidental overwriting of the recording is prevented. If however you want to record everyactive
channel that the receiversfinds, select CONTINUOUS from the record menu. In
CONTINUOUS mode, when the receiverstops on a busychannel, the recording will start
automatically, however when the receivermoves to another channel (automaticallyduring scan
& search), the previous recording will be stopped and a new session started - speedymanual
intervention is required.
Registerthe RU8200 slot card
Insert the RU8200 slot card and switch the AR8600 on and REGISTER the RU8200 card via
the OPTION SELECT registration menu. Refer to section18-2 and the example for the
TE8200 shown in section18-3. Remember, the RU8200 is listedin group 2 of the slotcard
option list.
To use the RU8200
Insert the RU8200 slot card and switch the AR8600 on, select VFO mode. PUSH [FUNC]
PUSH [CLEAR] to access the RU8200 menu. The AR8600 will present the record / playback
menu. The legend “RECORDER” confirmsselection of the record & playbackmenu. PUSH
the [PASS] keyor use the main dialor LEFT / RIGHT arrow keysto toggle between “REC”
(RECORD), “C.REC” (continuous record) and “PLAY” (play).
PUSH [ENT] to accept the selection and return to the previous menu or PUSH [CLEAR] to
abort. Recording and playbackcan be carriedout while the AR8600 is in VFO, scan or search
mode.
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18-6-1 Recording
While in the record & playbackmenu select “REC” and PUSH [ENT]. The LCD will return to
its previousdisplaywith the legend “REC” in the bottom left cornerof the LCD to show that
the RU8200 is active. If the squelch is currentlyopen, recording will take place immediately,
otherwise recording will take place next time the squelch opens.
Whilerecordingis in progress, the second line from the bottom of the LCD (usuallydisplaying
the standby frequencyin 2VFO mode) changes to a progress bar “REC =====>” indicating that
recordingis in progress. Once started, the recording process continues for about 20 seconds and
the legend “End” is displayedwhen the recordingprocess is complete. Once started, recording
continues even if the squelch closes but you mayPUSH the [CLEAR] key half way through a
recordingto stop it fromrecording20 seconds of nothing! PUSH the [CLEAR] keyafter
recordinghas ended to clear the recordingrelated text from the LCD.
Continuous recording
To enable continuous recordingof the last 20 seconds, select “REC” while in the record &
playbackmenu select then PUSH [ENT]. The LCD will return to its previous displaywith the
legend “REC” in the bottom left cornerof the LCD to show that the RU8200 is active. If the
squelch is currentlyopen, recording will take place immediately, otherwise recordingwill take
place next time the squelch opens. When the 20 second recordingprocess has completed,
recordingwill simple startagainfrom the beginning forminga loop.
a) To force a new 20 second record period to commence, PUSH [ENT]
b) To stop the current recordingto stop at the end of the current 20 second block,
PUSH [CLEAR]
c) To stop recording immediately, PUSH [CLEAR] PUSH [CLEAR]
Note: RU8200 recordingis disabledwhen the band scope facilityis operational.
18-6-2 Playback
It is assumed that you have alreadymade a recording. While in the record & playbackmenu
select “PLAY” and PUSH [ENT]. The LCD will return to its previousdisplaywith the legend
“PLY” in the bottom left corner of the LCD to show that the RU8200 is active. Playback will
start instantly.
Whileplaybackis in progress, the second linefrom the bottom of the LCD (usuallydisplaying
the standby frequencyin 2VFO mode) changes to a progress bar “PLY =====>” indicating that
playbackis in progress. Once started, the playbackprocess continues for about 20 seconds and
the legend “End” is displayedwhen the playbackis complete.
You mayPUSH the [CLEAR] key to cancel playbackor clear the recording related text from the
LCD.
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Note: No liabilityin anyform willbe accepted in respect of recordingsmade using the RU8200
option.
Lack of SSB reception- resonatorreplacement
We have received two reports of lack of SSB reception with the AR8600 series, either USB or
LSB failure. On both occasions, the problemhas been traced to failureof the SSB resonator
with simplereplacementclearingthe fault.
AR8600 (MK2) USB and LSB resonator replacement.
Remove top and bottom case halves (16 screws).
Remove top chassis cover (6 screws – 3 down each side), unclip speaker wire).
Remove bottom chassis cover (3 black, threaded screws in centre of board from top and 6 screws
frombottom).
Looking fromthe front, top of the AR8600, the SSB resonators arelocated in the front, right
hand corner of the set.
The board is marked;
X3 LSB - This should be 453.5kHz (marked 453)
X4 USB/CW - This should be 456.5kHz (marked 456).
Replacement is simplyby de-solderingthe device and fitting a new one.
If one has stopped oscillating, before replacingit, check that none of the surroundingdevices
have any dryor failedjoints.
In practice, alignment of these devices will not have been set up too criticallyand will probably
not requiremuch alignment.
They can be aligned if necessary.
Accordingto the servicemanual;
For LSB, with the receiverset to 5.000MHz, adjust VC1 and VC2 for a BFO output of
453.5kHz +/- 50Hz (measuredat TP105-1, labelledBFO on board).
For USB, adjust VC3 and VC4 for 456.5kHz +/- 50Hz.
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In
p
ractice, i
f
the set i
s
up to workin
g
temperature and i
s
know
n
to
b
e aligne
d
ver
y
closel
y
to
correct frequencyat a spot frequency, then the trimmerscan be aligned by ear for correct
sounding audio on SSB using either a known SSB transmissionof the side band or a known AM
signal. This will onlywork if the set is closeto actual frequency. If it is not, it will either be
impossibleto adjust the trimmersfar enough or the resultant audio tone when switching between
side bands will be markedlydifferent (even just on background noise).
All ofthis is of course far easierif a frequencycounter (and signal generator) are available.
Re-fitting case parts is the reverseof the above.
AR8600 MK1
The procedureis the same as above forthe mark 1 sets with the following differences;
The LSB resonator is now labelledas X104 and the USB one as X103.
The LSB resonator frequencyis aligned by VC104 and USB by VC105.
The output frequencycan be measuredat TP105.
Viewed from the front of the set, the resonator location is on the right hand side of the set about
half way back.
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