Author Topic: OCXO repair, is it possible?  (Read 1089 times)

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Offline ZGoodeTopic starter

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OCXO repair, is it possible?
« on: August 31, 2024, 02:34:15 am »
So I bought two Morion MV89A, one for use in a GPSDO and the other for upgrading the timebase in my 53131A.  Turns out one of them is totally dead, of course its the one in better physical condition too, since the one that works had a completely sheared off ground pin.  I ended up making a new pin on a lathe out of brass, which seems to have repaired the one with a missing pin, so I'm at 1 for 1 so far.
The other one is a little more complicated, since it has zero signal output.  It heats up, so the oven works, but no output.  What are the odds this is salvageable?  I saw some people mentioned I might be able to open it with a blowtorch or high power heat gun, but wanted some input before I did the irreversible.
From anyone who has opened up a soldered case OXCO before what worked best for you?

Edit: I did find a post by someone using the exact same OCXO as me, but would still love some input before getting out the torch.  https://rbarrios.com/projects/mv89a/
« Last Edit: August 31, 2024, 02:37:14 am by ZGoode »
 

Offline ZGoodeTopic starter

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Re: OCXO repair, is it possible?
« Reply #1 on: August 31, 2024, 04:27:26 am »
Well, managed to crack it open with the power of a heater plate, FR301, and a heat gun.  Now it's time for an autopsy and to see if we can figure out what is borked here.
 

Offline smaultre

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Re: OCXO repair, is it possible?
« Reply #2 on: August 31, 2024, 06:29:39 am »
They used acid flux that breaks the solder joints, on some series. You can try to open and clean\re-solder bad connections...
Start a new life here!!!
 

Offline Stray Electron

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Re: OCXO repair, is it possible?
« Reply #3 on: August 31, 2024, 01:35:06 pm »
They used acid flux that breaks the solder joints, on some series. You can try to open and clean\re-solder bad connections...


   WTF?  I've never heard of using acid flux to unsolder anything and I don't know why acid flux would work any better for that than any non-acid flux.  Flux is intended to clean a surface before soldering to it, not as an aid for unsoldering. Furthermore, I would think that if you used acid flux on anything electrical that unless you can remove every trace of it (unlikely in the case of a soon to be sealed OCXO) that sooner or later the acid would creep into the electrical circuits and corrode and ruin them. 

   There are several threads in this forum and online where people have opened OCXOs and repaired them.   

    IMO acid flux has no place in electronics, period.
 

Offline Gerhard_dk4xp

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Re: OCXO repair, is it possible?
« Reply #4 on: August 31, 2024, 04:00:24 pm »
This is what is inside:
<      https://www.flickr.com/photos/137684711@N07/49585174873/in/album-72157662535945536/       >

One of my MV-89A stopped oscillating when the tuning voltage was > 1V.
The tuning range drifts when they age, and these MV89s on ebay
already had a life on a Chinese telecom tower behind them.

I just took the 5 MHz SC cut crystal. Yes, the 10 MHz oscillator has a
frequency doubler, and it shows on the output.

Gerhard
« Last Edit: August 31, 2024, 04:12:35 pm by Gerhard_dk4xp »
 

Offline ZGoodeTopic starter

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Re: OCXO repair, is it possible?
« Reply #5 on: August 31, 2024, 07:30:50 pm »
The solder joints on the inside are horrendous.  I'm gonna add some good no-clean flux and reflow all the joints.

This is what is inside:
<      https://www.flickr.com/photos/137684711@N07/49585174873/in/album-72157662535945536/       >

One of my MV-89A stopped oscillating when the tuning voltage was > 1V.
The tuning range drifts when they age, and these MV89s on ebay
already had a life on a Chinese telecom tower behind them.

I just took the 5 MHz SC cut crystal. Yes, the 10 MHz oscillator has a
frequency doubler, and it shows on the output.

Gerhard


Gerhard, did you get pictures of the internal oven?  Some of the solder joints are so bad on mine that parts are barely holding on, I want to make sure that the parts I put back are in the right places.
 

Offline Gerhard_dk4xp

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Re: OCXO repair, is it possible?
« Reply #6 on: August 31, 2024, 09:12:06 pm »
Did you overheat the entire oven when removing the outer box?
I did file the roof off (cold) and could then peel away the side walls.
On Flickr, there are the pictures of the innards. Use the < and >
for the others. Methinks the remains are still around. I could take
more photos if you want.
Or I can send you the stuff, barring xtal and thermistor.
No idea how to set that up for customs.

The inner oven is not air-tight. More a folded piece of Alu.
I do not see a point in repairing that stuff. It is probably
aged at 87°C for 20+ years. That could be OK just for
the XTAL, but the amount of other parts does not change
the statistics for success in your favor.
All in all, my Chinese MV89A were not much of a success.

SC crystals are not so easy to get. 20 years ago I asked a
German company and the answer was as if I had asked if
I could lend the CEO's wife. Now DigiKey has at least some.
(SC xtals, not wifes)

Sooner or later, I ´ll try the univ of York oscillator with it.

Gerhard

« Last Edit: August 31, 2024, 09:35:03 pm by Gerhard_dk4xp »
 

Offline ZGoodeTopic starter

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Re: OCXO repair, is it possible?
« Reply #7 on: August 31, 2024, 09:53:31 pm »
Yeah, if you still have it, I woulb probably be interested in its guts to try and make a franken-OCXO out of the two.  The weird little inductor/transformer things in the inner oven of mine are definitely borked since I broke those tiny little wires by accident when opening the inner oven.  Unfortunately there was a rattling in the inner oven, so I had no choice.
Any clue what those small little transformer/inductor things are or what they do?  I might try and rewind them, but I have no clue what their pinout or ratios are.
 

Offline Gerhard_dk4xp

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Re: OCXO repair, is it possible?
« Reply #8 on: August 31, 2024, 10:02:05 pm »
My guess is that they are part of the 5-> 10 MHz frequency doubler.
Probably with 2 diodes. I did not check it.
« Last Edit: August 31, 2024, 10:04:10 pm by Gerhard_dk4xp »
 

Offline ZGoodeTopic starter

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Re: OCXO repair, is it possible?
« Reply #9 on: September 04, 2024, 08:53:38 pm »
On Flickr, there are the pictures of the innards. Use the < and >
for the others. Methinks the remains are still around. I could take
more photos if you want.
Or I can send you the stuff, barring xtal and thermistor.
No idea how to set that up for customs.

If you're still open to the idea of sending me the parts you no longer need, I would greatly appreciate it.  The little coil thingies on mine are not salvageable, so even if I could fix other possible problems, without those it probably won't work.
 

Offline Gerhard_dk4xp

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Re: OCXO repair, is it possible?
« Reply #10 on: September 04, 2024, 10:48:55 pm »
Send me your post address by private message.
It may take a little it of time; i have so search it.

cheers, Gerhard
 
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Offline ZGoodeTopic starter

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Re: OCXO repair, is it possible?
« Reply #11 on: September 04, 2024, 11:23:13 pm »
Sounds good!  Just sent you a PM with that information.
Thank you!
 


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