Heathkit HM-102 and HM-2102 Refurb

I am kind of tied to the house for a few months due to some medical procedures. So I can’t get out to the shop and work.

To keep myself busy, I have been going around the Ham Shack and working on some projects that have been started and abandoned for far too many years to mention. This week I worked on a pair of SWR/RF meters from Heathkit. The venerable HM-102 and HM-2102 meters.

The HM-102 just needed the cable replaced and a diode replaced. I used a 1N5711 in it. Having been sitting around for many years apart, I of course lost the case screws for both of them and had to go to the local ACE hardware and find some suitable replacements. After reassembly, the HM-102 was aligned on SWR and kind of the RF side. I need to find my RF probe and do a full alignment on the RF side yet, but it is pretty close.

The HM-2102 needed the most work. For some reason the builder did not install the D3 and C2 part of the internal alignment circuit. I installed a 12pF mica cap in C2 and a 1N5711 in D3. The next problem was the meter itself. I could not get it to zero with the front screw. I finally had to pop the front cover off and align it with the tab and then pop the cover back on. One foot was missing, so I designed the foot in openscad and printed it on my 3D printer using TPU filament. Finally I assembled it with the new fasteners from ACE and did an alignment using the internal alignment circuit that I had repaired.

These are going to be a great nostalgic addition to the shack.

Till next time.
73
WD0DXD

New Lights for the TS-790

I had to replace the back lights on my Kenwood TS-790 again. I had replaced them with LEDs before, but I didn’t have the diffused ones then, so I just sanded them to make them not so bright. Well they went out again for whatever reason and I had to replace them again.

This time I ordered some diffused ones and replaced them. I ordered them about a year ago, but just finally got around to putting them in. It had been so long I forgot they were green. They are growing on me, I kind of think they are neat. You can kind of see them in the pic.

Let’s hope these last longer.

WD0DXD
73

3D Printer Rebuilds

I spent the last two months rebuilding a couple of old 3D printers I had. It probably would have been easier to just buy new, but I hadn’t gotten the money out of these ones, so it became kind of a personal crusade on my part. At least I learned quite a bit.

Coax Patch Panel

I needed a coax patch panel. Wanted something instead of a switch. The only one I could find was from MFJ and even they didn’t have them in stock.
So I cut one out using my laser cutter from acrylic. So far it is holding up, and it looks great. I might have to make some of these. What do you think?

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