Cadillac Model 7265825 Ratchet

5/15/2007 1:39:01 AMDave Froehlich

Hello All,
The ratchet in this radio doesn't always work. If I move the short piece of spring steel a iitlle bit it does catch. But most of the time it doesn't put enough pressure on the piece that makes the clicking sound like winding a watch (I don't know the name of this part) So it slips and wont ratchet at all. So the tuning wont stay at the begining of the band. Do I have to take the metal piece out an bend it? Is it not it right? Has anyone had this problem with the mechanical part of the signal seeker?

Thanks,

Dave

This is in SAMS AR-6 on page 41. But there's no information on the mechanical parts.

5/15/2007 10:55:43 PMmag

Hi Dave,
If I understand you correctly, it sounds like the relay arm is not extending into the governor housing far enough. The "spring steel" arm should hold the plastic flywheel (looks like a paddle wheel) from turning until the relay operates in "Search mode".

The relay is adjustable by loosening the 2 relay mounting bolts and tilting the relay (and arm)until the arm just catches the flywheel.

Meade

:Hello All,
: The ratchet in this radio doesn't always work. If I move the short piece of spring steel a iitlle bit it does catch. But most of the time it doesn't put enough pressure on the piece that makes the clicking sound like winding a watch (I don't know the name of this part) So it slips and wont ratchet at all. So the tuning wont stay at the begining of the band. Do I have to take the metal piece out an bend it? Is it not it right? Has anyone had this problem with the mechanical part of the signal seeker?
:
:Thanks,
:
:Dave
:
:This is in SAMS AR-6 on page 41. But there's no information on the mechanical parts.

5/16/2007 1:17:22 AMDave Froehlich

Mag,
All the electro-mechanical items (solenoids) work fine. It's the ratchet part that's not working. This is nowhere near the solenoid or arm that releases the paddle wheel (governor). That works fine. This problem is in the "Music box" mechanism. The non-electric part. If the ratchet isn't engaged, there is nothing to govern using the governor (the paddle wheel). It's not engaged at all if the ratchet isn't engaged. The spring cannot stay stretcehed without the ratchet to hold it stretched. I knew that this one would be difficult to explain. But that's about the best I can explain it.
THe return solenoid can try to return the pointer but it will just snap right back because the ratchet isn't holding it in the "wound-up" position and the spring instantly pulls it back again. The spring is good but the gearing is not engaging to slow it down.
I hope that it makes sense. Maybe I can take a movie of it and post it somewhere.
If I can get the ratchet to engage by stretching the spring to the 540 position and then giggling the ratchet when I have the mechanism in that "wound-up" position, then it will stay "wound-up". Then when I release the governor it will turn slowly like it's supposed to. But it's a little inconvenient and not accessable to always have to press the ratchet into place using a dental probe. There must be some way of bending that piece (strip) of spring steel so it presses harder on the ratchet piece. But I don't see any way to do that.
The ratchet is a part of one of the gears. There is no ratcheting or clicking when the pointer is returned. It just slips instead of ratcheting. In other words the wayt it's supposed to work is that it can turn one way to wind it up but not allowed to turn the other way until the governor is released. But the problem allows it to turn both ways even though the governor is held. Maybe this is begining to make sense. I hope so. If not, I'll try again. I'm sure someone has seen this problem before. It doesn't look too bad and I want to correct it the correct way.

Thanks,

Dave

:Hi Dave,
:If I understand you correctly, it sounds like the relay arm is not extending into the governor housing far enough. The "spring steel" arm should hold the plastic flywheel (looks like a paddle wheel) from turning until the relay operates in "Search mode".
:
: The relay is adjustable by loosening the 2 relay mounting bolts and tilting the relay (and arm)until the arm just catches the flywheel.
:
:Meade
:
:
::Hello All,
:: The ratchet in this radio doesn't always work. If I move the short piece of spring steel a iitlle bit it does catch. But most of the time it doesn't put enough pressure on the piece that makes the clicking sound like winding a watch (I don't know the name of this part) So it slips and wont ratchet at all. So the tuning wont stay at the begining of the band. Do I have to take the metal piece out an bend it? Is it not it right? Has anyone had this problem with the mechanical part of the signal seeker?
::
::Thanks,
::
::Dave
::
::This is in SAMS AR-6 on page 41. But there's no information on the mechanical parts.

5/16/2007 11:23:08 AMMAG

Dave,
Okay, I'm on the "same page" as you now! I was talking about a later tuner, and yours is the earlier tuner.
The problem is that your rachet wheel or the pawl (or both) are worn and will no longer hold. The flat metal spring that pushes on the pawl should be brass.

It may be pretty hard to do with the gear still in the radio, but if you can pull the pawl end of the flat spring away from the pawl to let the pawl swing out for inspection, you will probably see that the end of it is rounded off (should have a fairly sharp point). The toothed ratchet wheel that the pawl engages should have distinct teeth, but when worn, the teeth are rounded off (very hard to see, even with the gear out of the radio).

Some of those ratchet wheels were brass and naturally tended to wear faster than the ones made of steel.
I'm afraid that you will be looking for a parts signal seeker radio to get the ratchet mechanism. And, you will need to find one that also has manual tuning, as the ones without manual tuning used a different ratchet mech. (no friction disk above the ratchet wheel).

Meade

:Mag,
: All the electro-mechanical items (solenoids) work fine. It's the ratchet part that's not working. This is nowhere near the solenoid or arm that releases the paddle wheel (governor). That works fine. This problem is in the "Music box" mechanism. The non-electric part. If the ratchet isn't engaged, there is nothing to govern using the governor (the paddle wheel). It's not engaged at all if the ratchet isn't engaged. The spring cannot stay stretcehed without the ratchet to hold it stretched. I knew that this one would be difficult to explain. But that's about the best I can explain it.
: THe return solenoid can try to return the pointer but it will just snap right back because the ratchet isn't holding it in the "wound-up" position and the spring instantly pulls it back again. The spring is good but the gearing is not engaging to slow it down.
: I hope that it makes sense. Maybe I can take a movie of it and post it somewhere.
: If I can get the ratchet to engage by stretching the spring to the 540 position and then giggling the ratchet when I have the mechanism in that "wound-up" position, then it will stay "wound-up". Then when I release the governor it will turn slowly like it's supposed to. But it's a little inconvenient and not accessable to always have to press the ratchet into place using a dental probe. There must be some way of bending that piece (strip) of spring steel so it presses harder on the ratchet piece. But I don't see any way to do that.
: The ratchet is a part of one of the gears. There is no ratcheting or clicking when the pointer is returned. It just slips instead of ratcheting. In other words the wayt it's supposed to work is that it can turn one way to wind it up but not allowed to turn the other way until the governor is released. But the problem allows it to turn both ways even though the governor is held. Maybe this is begining to make sense. I hope so. If not, I'll try again. I'm sure someone has seen this problem before. It doesn't look too bad and I want to correct it the correct way.
:
:Thanks,
:
:Dave
:
::Hi Dave,
::If I understand you correctly, it sounds like the relay arm is not extending into the governor housing far enough. The "spring steel" arm should hold the plastic flywheel (looks like a paddle wheel) from turning until the relay operates in "Search mode".
::
:: The relay is adjustable by loosening the 2 relay mounting bolts and tilting the relay (and arm)until the arm just catches the flywheel.
::
::Meade
::
::
:::Hello All,
::: The ratchet in this radio doesn't always work. If I move the short piece of spring steel a iitlle bit it does catch. But most of the time it doesn't put enough pressure on the piece that makes the clicking sound like winding a watch (I don't know the name of this part) So it slips and wont ratchet at all. So the tuning wont stay at the begining of the band. Do I have to take the metal piece out an bend it? Is it not it right? Has anyone had this problem with the mechanical part of the signal seeker?
:::
:::Thanks,
:::
:::Dave
:::
:::This is in SAMS AR-6 on page 41. But there's no information on the mechanical parts.

5/16/2007 5:16:04 PMDave Froehlich

Mead,
It's the brass piece that isn't putting pressure on the piece that holds the click stops. The teeth are perfectly good and the piece that clicks against them is perfectly good. The brass piece is not in right and not putting pressure where it's supposed to. If I operate the mechanism manually, I can supply the pressure to the ratchet and it works fine. It winds up fine. When I release the governor, it unwinds perfectly. I don't think anything is rounded off. I have another identical unit for a guide. That's how I figured out why I heard no winding sound. Neither one has manual tuning. The position of the brass piece is the problem.
I am much more "electronically inclined" than I am mechanically inclined. So removing the gears would be a nightmare for me. I'm surprised that I understand what's going on here. I can reach what I need to with the gears where they are. I have some very small tools that can get in there. I may have to take off the brass piece, bend it and put it back in or bend the end the right way so that it presses on the piece that clicks in the teeth.

Thanks,

.Dave
:Dave,
:Okay, I'm on the "same page" as you now! I was talking about a later tuner, and yours is the earlier tuner.
:The problem is that your rachet wheel or the pawl (or both) are worn and will no longer hold. The flat metal spring that pushes on the pawl should be brass.
:
:It may be pretty hard to do with the gear still in the radio, but if you can pull the pawl end of the flat spring away from the pawl to let the pawl swing out for inspection, you will probably see that the end of it is rounded off (should have a fairly sharp point). The toothed ratchet wheel that the pawl engages should have distinct teeth, but when worn, the teeth are rounded off (very hard to see, even with the gear out of the radio).
:
:Some of those ratchet wheels were brass and naturally tended to wear faster than the ones made of steel.
:I'm afraid that you will be looking for a parts signal seeker radio to get the ratchet mechanism. And, you will need to find one that also has manual tuning, as the ones without manual tuning used a different ratchet mech. (no friction disk above the ratchet wheel).
:
:Meade
:
:
::Mag,
:: All the electro-mechanical items (solenoids) work fine. It's the ratchet part that's not working. This is nowhere near the solenoid or arm that releases the paddle wheel (governor). That works fine. This problem is in the "Music box" mechanism. The non-electric part. If the ratchet isn't engaged, there is nothing to govern using the governor (the paddle wheel). It's not engaged at all if the ratchet isn't engaged. The spring cannot stay stretcehed without the ratchet to hold it stretched. I knew that this one would be difficult to explain. But that's about the best I can explain it.
:: THe return solenoid can try to return the pointer but it will just snap right back because the ratchet isn't holding it in the "wound-up" position and the spring instantly pulls it back again. The spring is good but the gearing is not engaging to slow it down.
:: I hope that it makes sense. Maybe I can take a movie of it and post it somewhere.
:: If I can get the ratchet to engage by stretching the spring to the 540 position and then giggling the ratchet when I have the mechanism in that "wound-up" position, then it will stay "wound-up". Then when I release the governor it will turn slowly like it's supposed to. But it's a little inconvenient and not accessable to always have to press the ratchet into place using a dental probe. There must be some way of bending that piece (strip) of spring steel so it presses harder on the ratchet piece. But I don't see any way to do that.
:: The ratchet is a part of one of the gears. There is no ratcheting or clicking when the pointer is returned. It just slips instead of ratcheting. In other words the wayt it's supposed to work is that it can turn one way to wind it up but not allowed to turn the other way until the governor is released. But the problem allows it to turn both ways even though the governor is held. Maybe this is begining to make sense. I hope so. If not, I'll try again. I'm sure someone has seen this problem before. It doesn't look too bad and I want to correct it the correct way.
::
::Thanks,
::
::Dave
::
:::Hi Dave,
:::If I understand you correctly, it sounds like the relay arm is not extending into the governor housing far enough. The "spring steel" arm should hold the plastic flywheel (looks like a paddle wheel) from turning until the relay operates in "Search mode".
:::
::: The relay is adjustable by loosening the 2 relay mounting bolts and tilting the relay (and arm)until the arm just catches the flywheel.
:::
:::Meade
:::
:::
::::Hello All,
:::: The ratchet in this radio doesn't always work. If I move the short piece of spring steel a iitlle bit it does catch. But most of the time it doesn't put enough pressure on the piece that makes the clicking sound like winding a watch (I don't know the name of this part) So it slips and wont ratchet at all. So the tuning wont stay at the begining of the band. Do I have to take the metal piece out an bend it? Is it not it right? Has anyone had this problem with the mechanical part of the signal seeker?
::::
::::Thanks,
::::
::::Dave
::::
::::This is in SAMS AR-6 on page 41. But there's no information on the mechanical parts.

5/16/2007 10:30:38 PMDave Froehlich

Mead,
In the one that works the end of brass piece pushes down. On the one that doesn't work the end of the brass piece is pulling up. I have tried bending it down but no matter what I do it keeps pulling up instead of pushing down. How do I bend it so that it pushes down?
I have tried wedging rubber pieces in between the opening in the gear and the brass piece but they all fall right out. There's no way to attach anything,it seems and there's no way to bend the brass piece. I'll work on it until 3 AM and see if I can get it to bend the way I want to.

Thanks,

Dave
:Mead,
: It's the brass piece that isn't putting pressure on the piece that holds the click stops. The teeth are perfectly good and the piece that clicks against them is perfectly good. The brass piece is not in right and not putting pressure where it's supposed to. If I operate the mechanism manually, I can supply the pressure to the ratchet and it works fine. It winds up fine. When I release the governor, it unwinds perfectly. I don't think anything is rounded off. I have another identical unit for a guide. That's how I figured out why I heard no winding sound. Neither one has manual tuning. The position of the brass piece is the problem.
: I am much more "electronically inclined" than I am mechanically inclined. So removing the gears would be a nightmare for me. I'm surprised that I understand what's going on here. I can reach what I need to with the gears where they are. I have some very small tools that can get in there. I may have to take off the brass piece, bend it and put it back in or bend the end the right way so that it presses on the piece that clicks in the teeth.
:
:
:Thanks,
:
:.Dave
::Dave,
::Okay, I'm on the "same page" as you now! I was talking about a later tuner, and yours is the earlier tuner.
::The problem is that your rachet wheel or the pawl (or both) are worn and will no longer hold. The flat metal spring that pushes on the pawl should be brass.
::
::It may be pretty hard to do with the gear still in the radio, but if you can pull the pawl end of the flat spring away from the pawl to let the pawl swing out for inspection, you will probably see that the end of it is rounded off (should have a fairly sharp point). The toothed ratchet wheel that the pawl engages should have distinct teeth, but when worn, the teeth are rounded off (very hard to see, even with the gear out of the radio).
::
::Some of those ratchet wheels were brass and naturally tended to wear faster than the ones made of steel.
::I'm afraid that you will be looking for a parts signal seeker radio to get the ratchet mechanism. And, you will need to find one that also has manual tuning, as the ones without manual tuning used a different ratchet mech. (no friction disk above the ratchet wheel).
::
::Meade
::
::
:::Mag,
::: All the electro-mechanical items (solenoids) work fine. It's the ratchet part that's not working. This is nowhere near the solenoid or arm that releases the paddle wheel (governor). That works fine. This problem is in the "Music box" mechanism. The non-electric part. If the ratchet isn't engaged, there is nothing to govern using the governor (the paddle wheel). It's not engaged at all if the ratchet isn't engaged. The spring cannot stay stretcehed without the ratchet to hold it stretched. I knew that this one would be difficult to explain. But that's about the best I can explain it.
::: THe return solenoid can try to return the pointer but it will just snap right back because the ratchet isn't holding it in the "wound-up" position and the spring instantly pulls it back again. The spring is good but the gearing is not engaging to slow it down.
::: I hope that it makes sense. Maybe I can take a movie of it and post it somewhere.
::: If I can get the ratchet to engage by stretching the spring to the 540 position and then giggling the ratchet when I have the mechanism in that "wound-up" position, then it will stay "wound-up". Then when I release the governor it will turn slowly like it's supposed to. But it's a little inconvenient and not accessable to always have to press the ratchet into place using a dental probe. There must be some way of bending that piece (strip) of spring steel so it presses harder on the ratchet piece. But I don't see any way to do that.
::: The ratchet is a part of one of the gears. There is no ratcheting or clicking when the pointer is returned. It just slips instead of ratcheting. In other words the wayt it's supposed to work is that it can turn one way to wind it up but not allowed to turn the other way until the governor is released. But the problem allows it to turn both ways even though the governor is held. Maybe this is begining to make sense. I hope so. If not, I'll try again. I'm sure someone has seen this problem before. It doesn't look too bad and I want to correct it the correct way.
:::
:::Thanks,
:::
:::Dave
:::
::::Hi Dave,
::::If I understand you correctly, it sounds like the relay arm is not extending into the governor housing far enough. The "spring steel" arm should hold the plastic flywheel (looks like a paddle wheel) from turning until the relay operates in "Search mode".
::::
:::: The relay is adjustable by loosening the 2 relay mounting bolts and tilting the relay (and arm)until the arm just catches the flywheel.
::::
::::Meade
::::
::::
:::::Hello All,
::::: The ratchet in this radio doesn't always work. If I move the short piece of spring steel a iitlle bit it does catch. But most of the time it doesn't put enough pressure on the piece that makes the clicking sound like winding a watch (I don't know the name of this part) So it slips and wont ratchet at all. So the tuning wont stay at the begining of the band. Do I have to take the metal piece out an bend it? Is it not it right? Has anyone had this problem with the mechanical part of the signal seeker?
:::::
:::::Thanks,
:::::
:::::Dave
:::::
:::::This is in SAMS AR-6 on page 41. But there's no information on the mechanical parts.

5/16/2007 11:21:25 PMDave Froehlich

Mead,
I built up some solder on the end of the brass piece and then pushed it into place. I actually wedged it into place and I can now operate the ratchet manually and the dog (that's a good name for it), clicks on the teeth and holds the spring pulled. I see there's another problem. When I pull down on the solenoid it's slipping a bit. I'll have to see where that problem is. When all seems well, I will try it powered.
That's pretty good. I have made some progress.

Thanks,

Dave
:Mead,
: In the one that works the end of brass piece pushes down. On the one that doesn't work the end of the brass piece is pulling up. I have tried bending it down but no matter what I do it keeps pulling up instead of pushing down. How do I bend it so that it pushes down?
: I have tried wedging rubber pieces in between the opening in the gear and the brass piece but they all fall right out. There's no way to attach anything,it seems and there's no way to bend the brass piece. I'll work on it until 3 AM and see if I can get it to bend the way I want to.
:
:
:Thanks,
:
:Dave
::Mead,
:: It's the brass piece that isn't putting pressure on the piece that holds the click stops. The teeth are perfectly good and the piece that clicks against them is perfectly good. The brass piece is not in right and not putting pressure where it's supposed to. If I operate the mechanism manually, I can supply the pressure to the ratchet and it works fine. It winds up fine. When I release the governor, it unwinds perfectly. I don't think anything is rounded off. I have another identical unit for a guide. That's how I figured out why I heard no winding sound. Neither one has manual tuning. The position of the brass piece is the problem.
:: I am much more "electronically inclined" than I am mechanically inclined. So removing the gears would be a nightmare for me. I'm surprised that I understand what's going on here. I can reach what I need to with the gears where they are. I have some very small tools that can get in there. I may have to take off the brass piece, bend it and put it back in or bend the end the right way so that it presses on the piece that clicks in the teeth.
::
::
::Thanks,
::
::.Dave
:::Dave,
:::Okay, I'm on the "same page" as you now! I was talking about a later tuner, and yours is the earlier tuner.
:::The problem is that your rachet wheel or the pawl (or both) are worn and will no longer hold. The flat metal spring that pushes on the pawl should be brass.
:::
:::It may be pretty hard to do with the gear still in the radio, but if you can pull the pawl end of the flat spring away from the pawl to let the pawl swing out for inspection, you will probably see that the end of it is rounded off (should have a fairly sharp point). The toothed ratchet wheel that the pawl engages should have distinct teeth, but when worn, the teeth are rounded off (very hard to see, even with the gear out of the radio).
:::
:::Some of those ratchet wheels were brass and naturally tended to wear faster than the ones made of steel.
:::I'm afraid that you will be looking for a parts signal seeker radio to get the ratchet mechanism. And, you will need to find one that also has manual tuning, as the ones without manual tuning used a different ratchet mech. (no friction disk above the ratchet wheel).
:::
:::Meade
:::
:::
::::Mag,
:::: All the electro-mechanical items (solenoids) work fine. It's the ratchet part that's not working. This is nowhere near the solenoid or arm that releases the paddle wheel (governor). That works fine. This problem is in the "Music box" mechanism. The non-electric part. If the ratchet isn't engaged, there is nothing to govern using the governor (the paddle wheel). It's not engaged at all if the ratchet isn't engaged. The spring cannot stay stretcehed without the ratchet to hold it stretched. I knew that this one would be difficult to explain. But that's about the best I can explain it.
:::: THe return solenoid can try to return the pointer but it will just snap right back because the ratchet isn't holding it in the "wound-up" position and the spring instantly pulls it back again. The spring is good but the gearing is not engaging to slow it down.
:::: I hope that it makes sense. Maybe I can take a movie of it and post it somewhere.
:::: If I can get the ratchet to engage by stretching the spring to the 540 position and then giggling the ratchet when I have the mechanism in that "wound-up" position, then it will stay "wound-up". Then when I release the governor it will turn slowly like it's supposed to. But it's a little inconvenient and not accessable to always have to press the ratchet into place using a dental probe. There must be some way of bending that piece (strip) of spring steel so it presses harder on the ratchet piece. But I don't see any way to do that.
:::: The ratchet is a part of one of the gears. There is no ratcheting or clicking when the pointer is returned. It just slips instead of ratcheting. In other words the wayt it's supposed to work is that it can turn one way to wind it up but not allowed to turn the other way until the governor is released. But the problem allows it to turn both ways even though the governor is held. Maybe this is begining to make sense. I hope so. If not, I'll try again. I'm sure someone has seen this problem before. It doesn't look too bad and I want to correct it the correct way.
::::
::::Thanks,
::::
::::Dave
::::
:::::Hi Dave,
:::::If I understand you correctly, it sounds like the relay arm is not extending into the governor housing far enough. The "spring steel" arm should hold the plastic flywheel (looks like a paddle wheel) from turning until the relay operates in "Search mode".
:::::
::::: The relay is adjustable by loosening the 2 relay mounting bolts and tilting the relay (and arm)until the arm just catches the flywheel.
:::::
:::::Meade
:::::
:::::
::::::Hello All,
:::::: The ratchet in this radio doesn't always work. If I move the short piece of spring steel a iitlle bit it does catch. But most of the time it doesn't put enough pressure on the piece that makes the clicking sound like winding a watch (I don't know the name of this part) So it slips and wont ratchet at all. So the tuning wont stay at the begining of the band. Do I have to take the metal piece out an bend it? Is it not it right? Has anyone had this problem with the mechanical part of the signal seeker?
::::::
::::::Thanks,
::::::
::::::Dave
::::::
::::::This is in SAMS AR-6 on page 41. But there's no information on the mechanical parts.

5/17/2007 2:59:59 PMDave Froehlich

Mead,
I can't just yet. The return switch is broken. That's why the metal piece falls off it. This cannot be soldered together. I have already located a NOS replacement and it's on its way. I'll let everyone know how it works when I can finally power it up.

Dave
:Mead,
: I built up some solder on the end of the brass piece and then pushed it into place. I actually wedged it into place and I can now operate the ratchet manually and the dog (that's a good name for it), clicks on the teeth and holds the spring pulled. I see there's another problem. When I pull down on the solenoid it's slipping a bit. I'll have to see where that problem is. When all seems well, I will try it powered.
: That's pretty good. I have made some progress.
:
:Thanks,
:
:Dave
::Mead,
:: In the one that works the end of brass piece pushes down. On the one that doesn't work the end of the brass piece is pulling up. I have tried bending it down but no matter what I do it keeps pulling up instead of pushing down. How do I bend it so that it pushes down?
:: I have tried wedging rubber pieces in between the opening in the gear and the brass piece but they all fall right out. There's no way to attach anything,it seems and there's no way to bend the brass piece. I'll work on it until 3 AM and see if I can get it to bend the way I want to.
::
::
::Thanks,
::
::Dave
:::Mead,
::: It's the brass piece that isn't putting pressure on the piece that holds the click stops. The teeth are perfectly good and the piece that clicks against them is perfectly good. The brass piece is not in right and not putting pressure where it's supposed to. If I operate the mechanism manually, I can supply the pressure to the ratchet and it works fine. It winds up fine. When I release the governor, it unwinds perfectly. I don't think anything is rounded off. I have another identical unit for a guide. That's how I figured out why I heard no winding sound. Neither one has manual tuning. The position of the brass piece is the problem.
::: I am much more "electronically inclined" than I am mechanically inclined. So removing the gears would be a nightmare for me. I'm surprised that I understand what's going on here. I can reach what I need to with the gears where they are. I have some very small tools that can get in there. I may have to take off the brass piece, bend it and put it back in or bend the end the right way so that it presses on the piece that clicks in the teeth.
:::
:::
:::Thanks,
:::
:::.Dave
::::Dave,
::::Okay, I'm on the "same page" as you now! I was talking about a later tuner, and yours is the earlier tuner.
::::The problem is that your rachet wheel or the pawl (or both) are worn and will no longer hold. The flat metal spring that pushes on the pawl should be brass.
::::
::::It may be pretty hard to do with the gear still in the radio, but if you can pull the pawl end of the flat spring away from the pawl to let the pawl swing out for inspection, you will probably see that the end of it is rounded off (should have a fairly sharp point). The toothed ratchet wheel that the pawl engages should have distinct teeth, but when worn, the teeth are rounded off (very hard to see, even with the gear out of the radio).
::::
::::Some of those ratchet wheels were brass and naturally tended to wear faster than the ones made of steel.
::::I'm afraid that you will be looking for a parts signal seeker radio to get the ratchet mechanism. And, you will need to find one that also has manual tuning, as the ones without manual tuning used a different ratchet mech. (no friction disk above the ratchet wheel).
::::
::::Meade
::::
::::
:::::Mag,
::::: All the electro-mechanical items (solenoids) work fine. It's the ratchet part that's not working. This is nowhere near the solenoid or arm that releases the paddle wheel (governor). That works fine. This problem is in the "Music box" mechanism. The non-electric part. If the ratchet isn't engaged, there is nothing to govern using the governor (the paddle wheel). It's not engaged at all if the ratchet isn't engaged. The spring cannot stay stretcehed without the ratchet to hold it stretched. I knew that this one would be difficult to explain. But that's about the best I can explain it.
::::: THe return solenoid can try to return the pointer but it will just snap right back because the ratchet isn't holding it in the "wound-up" position and the spring instantly pulls it back again. The spring is good but the gearing is not engaging to slow it down.
::::: I hope that it makes sense. Maybe I can take a movie of it and post it somewhere.
::::: If I can get the ratchet to engage by stretching the spring to the 540 position and then giggling the ratchet when I have the mechanism in that "wound-up" position, then it will stay "wound-up". Then when I release the governor it will turn slowly like it's supposed to. But it's a little inconvenient and not accessable to always have to press the ratchet into place using a dental probe. There must be some way of bending that piece (strip) of spring steel so it presses harder on the ratchet piece. But I don't see any way to do that.
::::: The ratchet is a part of one of the gears. There is no ratcheting or clicking when the pointer is returned. It just slips instead of ratcheting. In other words the wayt it's supposed to work is that it can turn one way to wind it up but not allowed to turn the other way until the governor is released. But the problem allows it to turn both ways even though the governor is held. Maybe this is begining to make sense. I hope so. If not, I'll try again. I'm sure someone has seen this problem before. It doesn't look too bad and I want to correct it the correct way.
:::::
:::::Thanks,
:::::
:::::Dave
:::::
::::::Hi Dave,
::::::If I understand you correctly, it sounds like the relay arm is not extending into the governor housing far enough. The "spring steel" arm should hold the plastic flywheel (looks like a paddle wheel) from turning until the relay operates in "Search mode".
::::::
:::::: The relay is adjustable by loosening the 2 relay mounting bolts and tilting the relay (and arm)until the arm just catches the flywheel.
::::::
::::::Meade
::::::
::::::
:::::::Hello All,
::::::: The ratchet in this radio doesn't always work. If I move the short piece of spring steel a iitlle bit it does catch. But most of the time it doesn't put enough pressure on the piece that makes the clicking sound like winding a watch (I don't know the name of this part) So it slips and wont ratchet at all. So the tuning wont stay at the begining of the band. Do I have to take the metal piece out an bend it? Is it not it right? Has anyone had this problem with the mechanical part of the signal seeker?
:::::::
:::::::Thanks,
:::::::
:::::::Dave
:::::::
:::::::This is in SAMS AR-6 on page 41. But there's no information on the mechanical parts.

5/17/2007 5:22:02 PMEdd

Mechanical Referencing:
http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/9053/latchingratchetinggearty2.jpg

I certainly don't have a unit in front of me to reference and for sure, haven't in ~50 years but wouldn't that be a latching / ratcheting type of gear configuration. With the lever that is tensioned in against the wheel made of spring steel or if "brass" colored, probably a bit more durable, phospor bronze. The mechanism loads and tensions and then at the peak tensioning the bar moves over and latches the gear from further movement until the tensioning action provided by the spring has been depleted down to the level where it needs "re-cocked". The failure mode being either or both...... the mechanical wearing of the end of the lever from its pristine condition (A)
to either a rounded condition in (C) or a flattened corner as in (B). along with your mentioning of the unit deviating from the first depiction ..to the drawing to the right , where it doesn't even engage any more.

If mechanical conditions and placements of partsd along with access was available,I might have tried taking a sacrificial Allen wrench
and ground a vertical slot in its small end as shown with a cutoff wheel n a Drermel tool and then drop down into the mechanism and straddle the slot just above the point shown with the arrow. Realizing... that the physical lateral movement of the end of the lever will be limited by the width of the gear
tooth BUT the overtensioning on the bend will have shifted the shape of the area worked on such that the unit will return, yet, with some tensioning present to hold the unit pressed into the the gear now. If overdone, incremental "detensioning" is ever so easier.

73's de Edd

5/17/2007 11:43:29 PMDave Froehlich

Edd,
It doesn't look at all like that. The brass strip is in the shape of the letter C. It is attached at one end to the gear. There is another gear in the middle of that gear. The end of the brass strip pushes another thing onto the the teeth. The only way to fix it was to put a blob of solder on the end of the brass strip and wedge it into place. Now the thing that clicks against the sproket teeth, pushes against them and it works fine.

Thanks,

Dave
:Mechanical Referencing:
:http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/9053/latchingratchetinggearty2.jpg
:
:I certainly don't have a unit in front of me to reference and for sure, haven't in ~50 years but wouldn't that be a latching / ratcheting type of gear configuration. With the lever that is tensioned in against the wheel made of spring steel or if "brass" colored, probably a bit more durable, phospor bronze. The mechanism loads and tensions and then at the peak tensioning the bar moves over and latches the gear from further movement until the tensioning action provided by the spring has been depleted down to the level where it needs "re-cocked". The failure mode being either or both...... the mechanical wearing of the end of the lever from its pristine condition (A)
:to either a rounded condition in (C) or a flattened corner as in (B). along with your mentioning of the unit deviating from the first depiction ..to the drawing to the right , where it doesn't even engage any more.
:
:If mechanical conditions and placements of partsd along with access was available,I might have tried taking a sacrificial Allen wrench
:and ground a vertical slot in its small end as shown with a cutoff wheel n a Drermel tool and then drop down into the mechanism and straddle the slot just above the point shown with the arrow. Realizing... that the physical lateral movement of the end of the lever will be limited by the width of the gear
:tooth BUT the overtensioning on the bend will have shifted the shape of the area worked on such that the unit will return, yet, with some tensioning present to hold the unit pressed into the the gear now. If overdone, incremental "detensioning" is ever so easier.
:
:73's de Edd
:
:

5/19/2007 1:30:25 AMDave Froehlich

Edd,
How do I post a picture to this imageshack website? Anyway, the soldered end pulled out after a couple of good powered ratchets. So I guess I have to lengthen the tab so that it can grip the outside of the hole in the gear better, and maybe a little more solder so it cannot pull out.

Thanks,