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Troubleshooting the SGDO-FSU Detector

Check for detector signal at the transmitter by using DAC 112003. If your
detector is set to 9.6 VDC on air, the value should be approx. 6.311E4. If
the DAC is 6.542E4, the detector signal is over 10 VDC and cannot work
properly. If the DAC is less than 6.200E4, then either the detector gain is
not set correctly or the detector is malfunctioning.

Go to the detector and remove the lid. Measuring VDC, measure the
voltage from pin 1 to pin 4 of J1 on the detector preamp board. Pin 1 is
the pin furthest from the edge of the board. You should have approx. 30
VDC. This shows that you have both your +15 VDC and -15 VDC that
comes from the transmitter are reaching the detector. If your voltage is
only 15 VDC, then one of the 15 VDC supplies is not reaching the
detector. If the voltage is zero, then neither of the 15 VDC supplies is
reaching the detector. Check cabling and the output of the VPI board in
the transmitter.

Next measure the VDC on pin 2 to pin 3. This is the output of the detector
and should be 9.6 VDC with air in the pipe. If the output VDC is within 3.0
VDC of 9.6 VDC, then you should be able to adjust the R35 pot on the
preamp board to get the output set to 9.6 VDC with air in the pipe.

If the output is above 10 VDC and will not adjust, check to make sure that
the gain jumper is on W1 and that the W3 jumper is not installed. If they
are not in this condition, modify them. If they are, fill the pipe with water
and see if the voltage drops below 10 VDC. If it does not, the preamp
board is bad and needs to be replaced or repaired.

If the output voltage does drop below 10 VDC when the pipe is filled with
water, then the gain is set too high. Remove the W1 jumper completely
and the gain will lower to the point that the R35 should now adjust the
output to 9.6 VDC on a pipe full of air.

If the output voltage will adjust with the R35 pot, but will not adjust up to
the 9.6 VDC on a pipe full of air, then the gain is set too low. Move the
W1 jumper to W2 (keeping in mind that the center hole is the common
connection) and in most cases this will now let you adjust the R35 pot to
get your 9.6 VDC on air.

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If the output voltage is very low and will adjust only approx. 0.5 -1.0 VDC
with the R35 pot, then check the R5 resistor on the preamp board. If it is a
49.9 kohm resistor, change it out to a 8 kohm resistor. Doing this has a
high probability of raising the gain enough to get your 9.6 VDC on air in
the pipe. If it does not, then the preamp board is probably bad.

(See Technical Bulletin TB-0416-002-v2 for complete gain setting details)

If you suspect that a detector preamp board is bad, you may want to
check the factory settings on the board by performing the following
procedure. Also if you have bought a detector preamp board (885623) by
itself as a spare part, the R1 and R28 pots have not been set for proper
operation. Therefore it is necessary to perform the following procedure
for the preamp to work properly.

With power applied to the preamp board, connect a wire jumper from the
center conductor coaxial cable to test point 6. Measure the voltage at test
point 6 and use the R28 pot to set this voltage to -80 millivolts. Then
measure the VDC on test point 1 and use R1 to set this voltage to +5
millivolts.

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