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Greetings all ... has anyone found a place to purchase Harris SX series transmitter parts? I've still got a couple in the field and while they're a bit long in the tooth they're running along "OK". But I'd like to try and stock pile some stuff in case one of them slides over the edge.
I'm sure I'm not the only one with a couple (or more) of these boxes still on the air.
You can still get some parts from Harris - the ones that are used in the Gates series that came after the SX. I replaced the big electrolytics in a SX-5 a month ago - they came from Harris.
You can still get some parts from Harris - the ones that are used in the Gates series that came after the SX. I replaced the big electrolytics in a SX-5 a month ago - they came from Harris.
Yeah those parts are certainly available; I bought a handful of parts to repair one of the oscillator cards. I guess I should have been more specific though. I'm actually looking for complete cards.
You can still get some parts from Harris - the ones that are used in the Gates series that came after the SX. I replaced the big electrolytics in a SX-5 a month ago - they came from Harris.
Yeah those parts are certainly available; I bought a handful of parts to repair one of the oscillator cards. I guess I should have been more specific though. I'm actually looking for complete cards.
The last time I tried to get a complete card, my logic controller went south. Harris wanted over $900 for one. Since this was also about the time that Harris was shuttering support for the rig, we went here and found replacement parts instead: www.nautel.com.
If one had enough smarts, time and money, he/she could probably redesign the S&M board and the microprocessor board down to a single PIC chip and a few other parts to run the rest of the transmitter.
If this rig must serve you for an extended period, stockpile critical spares while ye have a chance. If possible, look at vendors who do better jobs with supporting rigs when they must be used when elderly in some fashion. Nautel, Continental and even BE do better for you here.
If one had enough smarts, time and money, he/she could probably redesign the S&M board and the microprocessor board down to a single PIC chip and a few other parts to run the rest of the transmitter.
One must also weigh the cost of rebuilding a S&M board in time, money and effort for an old transmitter verses the cost of purchasing a new one. Consider also that with an older transmitters while you may fix the board with a homebrew board, that does not preclude other parts failing that are no longer manufactured and will need to be homebrewed for a replacement. More often than not, the total cost of rebuilding a board(s) will out weigh the cost of a newer transmitter.
In this day and age of engineering help saying grace over 15 transmitters, it doesn't leave much time to do something like that for most. It's not that it is not possible, it's just not practical.
If I were an SX owner, I could be convinced to pay maybe up to $1000 to replace the S&M board and uP boards with a single simpler board with parts I could get for 10 more years out. The rest of the transmitter is mostly a Gates series at that point with parts still available including the newer PA boards. If someone had orders for 100 of these boards, it may be worthwhile to someone to design and make it.
A few years ago we lost some large caps in the SX series at a station in Illinois. Harris didn't have them in stock according to the parts folks. Having installed a few gates transmitters I asked that question. I was told in no uncertain terms I was not correct. Pulled the parts list and compared them to Harris Parts and asked if I ordered identical SX parts for the Gates would they ship them? At this point the parts guy knew what I was doing and he had to ask. The answer became not one of could they, they didn't have them in stock either.
I asked: What if one of the 3 less than 6 month old SX transmitters takes a lightning hit? Their answer was there were no in stock parts for the Gates series either.
This is the point I decided I would not use a Harris product unless there was no other option.
There is a card that allows you to bypass the computer card and operate in some manual mode but it wasn't regularly sold by Harris. They used it at the shop and had few components. Something like this with a remote control might be a better option. You don't want to re-create their mess. You just want the RF to excite at times you decide it should.
As stated in my earlier post, I was able to get the four 5100uF/350V capacitors that are used in the PDM amps (and the power supply) of the SX-5 from Harris with no problem at $100 apiece (kind of pricey, but that is an unusually large cap). I guess its who you talk to there as to what luck you have getting something. Apart from the controller, remote interface board and an improved PA board, I see no major differences between the SX and Gates series.
You know, most of these SX transmitters replaced thirty to forty year old equipment. It doesn’t look like these will see the life-span of the transmitters that preceded them. The trade-off being reliability and power savings. Unfortunately in this business climate, it appears many of the owners don’t have the financial wherewithal to afford replacements for them. Declining number of persons able or willing to work on them is another problem. Some discrete components subject to extinction as well.
Best of luck!
w/
It may be karma, but in my experiences, stations that invested in a full spares kit for their transmitters when purchased never seemed to have many problems with them over the years; that big bag of parts usually sat on the shelf untouched.
It may be karma, but in my experiences, stations that invested in a full spares kit for their transmitters when purchased never seemed to have many problems with them over the years...
Maybe those stations investing in spares kits when the transmitter was purchased also were motivated to install those transmitters so that their electrical/environmental operational specs were met, and to maintain those systems properly -- all of which can minimize or prevent problems needing a spares kit to resolve.
//
You know, most of these SX transmitters replaced thirty to forty year old equipment. It doesn’t look like these will see the life-span of the transmitters that preceded them. The trade-off being reliability and power savings. Unfortunately in this business climate, it appears many of the owners don’t have the financial wherewithal to afford replacements for them. Declining number of persons able or willing to work on them is another problem. Some discrete components subject to extinction as well.
Best of luck!
w/
Recently worked for a station that had replaced the Harris SX with a Nautel. The Bauer 707 that serves as the backup...is still there. The owner opted to dump the Harris and keep the Bauer. In my opinion, a very smart man since parts to the Bauer are still readily available and relatively inexpensive compared to parts for the Harris.
If the old tube AM or FM rig is in nice shape and reliable, I use it as a standby. And I don't think any of them save for Nautels will last even 60 percent of the old rig they replaced. Much less under less than ideal conditions of use. Such as dirty environments, lightning country, hot environments,poor maintenance and dirty power among them. Like I tell all, a clean, cool transmitter with a good antenna load of 50j0 is a happy transmitter. Appreciate your excellent contributions to WSM and TN radio.
I've had extremely good luck with a couple of Gates One 1kw transmitters. Are the parts not supported on these units anymore? One of the only things I had to replace on one of them was a contactor. Harris sent the wrong part and argued a bit on it's return. I found the right part locally and fixed it without issue. The one they sent had the wrong coil voltage. Other than a fuse blown a couple times in both units, I've had no other failures. Both sites actually are lousy, there is no power protection, and they live in dusty rooms. I'd say they are pretty darn good units indeed!
The Gates One is a close relative to the SX series. Harris still supports this model to some extent on parts. But you know about Big H support policies on older gear. Oh, how I miss Parker S. Gates being at the helm. He really was big on service and support even on older gear.
Yeah. That's a huge limitation for anything Big H. They've made their share of good equipment, but in radio you really need a longer support time than they provide at times. I'm a fairly big fan of their solid state FM stuff, but I have to hope they are going to discontinue their line because that causes the clock to tick down on how long their support it. That's not a good thing...
My luck with the Harris spare parts kits is I always need something that's not in it.
Like those big blue caps and a power transformer.
OK, so I have used a fuse or two from them.
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