flex3000 wont switch on when cold. have to warm it up before it turns on.. help appreciated

Dave Herbie

flex 3000 club radio, not used ofrt and shack is a cold attic room.. when we do want to use it , we have to warm it up infront of a fan heater before it will switch on

John

I would think there are temperature specs in which the transceiver should be kept. Changes to temperature and humidity in an uncontrolled room will probably cause condensation to form on the inside and there may well be traces of corrosion on the electronics. I suggest you open it up and check for water damage first.
The cure might be to install a heating element inside the transceiver up against the top cover, with a thermostat sensor to keep it warm

Neal_K3NC

Dave, how cold is 'cold' when you are trying to start it up?

73

Dave Herbie

less than 10 degrees Celsius i would say... the first relay clicks but it does not start..
i could put the heating on in the shack ,and come back in a short while to find the radio has started. runs fine once it has started

Neal_K3NC

I wonder if one of the relays is sluggish...

Tim - W4TME

I suspect John is correct that the ambient cold and humidity are responsible for the behavior you are seeing.  Take the radio to a warmer, less damp location and see if the behavior persists.

Dave Herbie

ime going to bring it home and use it for a while. see how it does.

Tim - W4TME

That is a good plan.

Bruno Beckers