Hi mate, just for info the M810 is a Mixer/IF/amp only certain parts of it being used and the 1846S is a Walki Talki Transciever chip, again only parts of it being used, it's full number is RDA1846S and of course the STM32 is the Microprocessor and top left of the Proc is a memory chip. OH! the chip under the M810, PE4302DS is another Attenuator and the tiny one at the bottom is a switch Bob UK
Good little signal generators but they only need a sniff of RF and the chip is dead. I now have a no mic in rig policy here when connected to the generator.
I did the same thing to mine. Found the chips for sale on AE too. Now working good but I bought a Marconi 2022 it has a 25w safe input. Great fix for a very useful tool. Mark 2w0jmk
@@MicroChipz Yes you a right. Thats why I bought the Marconi much safer and spot on frequency too. Keep up the good work. O Knoxieman is right the TinySA Ultra is a great tool and used quit a lot here too.
Interesting gadget and a nice fix, I'd maybe consider a protection circuit built into somehting like a BNC M-F adapter, probably doesn't need to be any more complex than a pair of inverse parallel diodes to ground (like the ones fitted to most CBs) but you can do all sorts of fancy things like isolating the output by driving PIN diodes on/off with an overload detector circuit. Some of the older Marconi, R&S, HP etc. sig gens have service manuals with schematics that show their protection circuits and they're not too complex to copy.
Some back to back diodes or zenners would be a good idea across the chip output just before the coupling cap, just got a hp8657a and paranoid of breaking it so any comments on output protection very welcome, any probs with the diode or zenner idea? The diode capacitance shouldn't be a problem at 50 ohm, same as long coax iam thinking?
@@MicroChipz how much to fix it for me? However mine is completely dead on signal, otherwise looks ok, comes on and adjusts just like it is working. I used it one night it was fine the next day nothing 😞
@@MicroChipz Thanks I got my signal generator up and running again. It was my first SMD solder job with my new hot air machine. Took me a few tries but all good now.
Thats what cb radios do on the rx rf input a pair of back to back diodes ,for this case it depends on the gens max ouput level so maybe zenners instead its just the extra capacitance that might be a issue but at 50ohm dont think it would be
These are terrible signal generators, I guarantee you didn't key up in to it, I had one and it did exactly the same, there is zero filtering or protection, it's held together with hot glue and tape, you absolutely cannot rely on these, nice repair job by you but it will blow again because it's so badly designed, if you want a cheap signal generator use a tinysa, so much more accurate and reliable but more fiddly to use, if you check around on here and online you will find others who have had the same problem with this, most end up in the bin, the tinysa will modulate your tone at 1Khz and will do AM as well, you still have to be careful not to key up directly in to it so I use a 40db attenuator and set that in the menu of the tinysa, easy peasy, I only use the Tinysa for am these days as I have pro gear for FM. Nice video, love seeing things fixed even dodgy stuff.👍
Thanks for you comment , yes they are very cheap made and held together with glue and good will. Going off the other comments on this you are most probably right , sneeze near it and it fails . I will check out the tinysa , thank you . Even tho its a crap unit , i did enjoy fault finding it , i didn't have any prior knowledge on the fault , purely guesswork and datasheet studying . as soon as i seen the -30db attenuators and it failing on -30db i know it had to be that .
@@MicroChipz Surely, a bit of thought from our Asian friends might have included some sort of input protection for how little it would cost. I dont know why mine went, i wasnt keying up but there's certainly no output fom the unit. I will let you know how i get on also. Thanks for the heads up and putting this out though, great stuff Sir.
Hi mate, just for info the M810 is a Mixer/IF/amp only certain parts of it being used and the 1846S is a Walki Talki Transciever chip, again only parts of it being used, it's full number is RDA1846S and of course the STM32 is the Microprocessor and top left of the Proc is a memory chip. OH! the chip under the M810, PE4302DS is another Attenuator and the tiny one at the bottom is a switch
Bob UK
Yeh I thought it was like a baufang
Hi yep been there done that as well. I did the same thing and had to change the chip. It is small work but done with care it is possible.Chris
Hi , glad its just not me then. nice repair i think.
Good little signal generators but they only need a sniff of RF and the chip is dead. I now have a no mic in rig policy here when connected to the generator.
I cant remember transmitting into mine , i could have, it only takes 1 slip up and its gone .
I did the same thing to mine. Found the chips for sale on AE too. Now working good but I bought a Marconi 2022 it has a 25w safe input. Great fix for a very useful tool. Mark 2w0jmk
Seems everyone has had issues , see knoxiemans comment ;)
@@MicroChipz Yes you a right. Thats why I bought the Marconi much safer and spot on frequency too. Keep up the good work. O Knoxieman is right the TinySA Ultra is a great tool and used quit a lot here too.
Interesting gadget and a nice fix, I'd maybe consider a protection circuit built into somehting like a BNC M-F adapter, probably doesn't need to be any more complex than a pair of inverse parallel diodes to ground (like the ones fitted to most CBs) but you can do all sorts of fancy things like isolating the output by driving PIN diodes on/off with an overload detector circuit.
Some of the older Marconi, R&S, HP etc. sig gens have service manuals with schematics that show their protection circuits and they're not too complex to copy.
Yea some sort of protection is needed on this , or it maybe as knoxieman says they are just crap and fail for the fun of it .
Some back to back diodes or zenners would be a good idea across the chip output just before the coupling cap, just got a hp8657a and paranoid of breaking it so any comments on output protection very welcome, any probs with the diode or zenner idea? The diode capacitance shouldn't be a problem at 50 ohm, same as long coax iam thinking?
Good idea . Might give it a try
Excellent video. I have one of these generators so if I do the same thing at least I know where to start looking now. Thank you
Glad it was helpful!
Yeah, it's too easy to reverse RF back into a sig generator. Nice fix mate and interesting attenuator ICs.
Thanks
I've blown my one up too....gutted!! and I'm no good at surface mount stuff. Only had it around 3 months too :(
Opps
@@MicroChipz how much to fix it for me? However mine is completely dead on signal, otherwise looks ok, comes on and adjusts just like it is working. I used it one night it was fine the next day nothing 😞
@@TheMagnumUK Sounds like you have another issue , might be better to just bite the bullet and get the tinysa
@@MicroChipz i bought another one but it seems such a shame to bin this one... I do have a tinysa👍
I got exactly the same problem. Thanks for the video.
Glad it helped, i hope you are ok with microsoldering, aliexpress have the ic's
@@MicroChipz Thanks I ordered 2 from Aliexpress now. Let's say i've watched a few youtube videos how to use a hot air station now 😂
@@MicroChipz Thanks I got my signal generator up and running again. It was my first SMD solder job with my new hot air machine. Took me a few tries but all good now.
@@DuanesMind Well thats a 100% win , im glad you got it sorted and saved it going in the bin .
Thats what cb radios do on the rx rf input a pair of back to back diodes ,for this case it depends on the gens max ouput level so maybe zenners instead its just the extra capacitance that might be a issue but at 50ohm dont think it would be
Hiya mate top job I have the unit and I keyed up into it so I just sent it back and got another top video
Well from what’s been said , sneeze on them and they fail .
These are terrible signal generators, I guarantee you didn't key up in to it, I had one and it did exactly the same, there is zero filtering or protection, it's held together with hot glue and tape, you absolutely cannot rely on these, nice repair job by you but it will blow again because it's so badly designed, if you want a cheap signal generator use a tinysa, so much more accurate and reliable but more fiddly to use, if you check around on here and online you will find others who have had the same problem with this, most end up in the bin, the tinysa will modulate your tone at 1Khz and will do AM as well, you still have to be careful not to key up directly in to it so I use a 40db attenuator and set that in the menu of the tinysa, easy peasy, I only use the Tinysa for am these days as I have pro gear for FM. Nice video, love seeing things fixed even dodgy stuff.👍
Thanks for you comment , yes they are very cheap made and held together with glue and good will.
Going off the other comments on this you are most probably right , sneeze near it and it fails .
I will check out the tinysa , thank you .
Even tho its a crap unit , i did enjoy fault finding it , i didn't have any prior knowledge on the fault , purely guesswork and datasheet studying . as soon as i seen the -30db attenuators and it failing on -30db i know it had to be that .
Yup you did a great job with the repair it's a shame they didn't do a great job making these things 😒
Cracking video
Thanks
Been there, had one, very unreliable, got a used Marconi now, which also gives me AM, and stands a transmitter keyed in error, which easily happens.
Seems a lot say the same . Maybe one day il find a Marconi
mine failed within 3 weeks, they didnt want to know on Ebay.
Seems they fail a lot .
@@MicroChipz I have ordered the chip, mine doesn't give any signal output whatsoever, it's certainly worth a try, fingers crossed.
Not hard to fit if you have a hot air station , im only using one of those cheap hot air guns the 858d type
@@MicroChipz Surely, a bit of thought from our Asian friends might have included some sort of input protection for how little it would cost. I dont know why mine went, i wasnt keying up but there's certainly no output fom the unit. I will let you know how i get on also. Thanks for the heads up and putting this out though, great stuff Sir.
Hi, can I have your email please