mike ammirato Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 can someone tell me if it is possible for my transmitter to go bad only after a couple of years because i used to be able to get my station half way down the block . now i can hardly get it in front of my house. it has static spots and i tried other stations and can't get anything that is strong like i used to have on my other station. i am using a ramsey fm30 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenL_MCSE Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 I had the same problem with my Mobile Blackbox Eclipse 4000. Then I read the instructions and it said that if you shut it down, unplug, etc... I have to wait 10 minutes before turning on again. Once I followed that simple instruction, I got my distance back.... Maybe you can try; turn off for 10 minutes before plugging the power back in...Also, make sure the audio cable you are using between your computer and your transmitter is good...Good Luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max-Paul Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Looks like I better read the instructions for the E4000 I have one too. I wonder what is with that 10 min. stuff. Is it some form of power reduction that is documented? In my defence, I am a guy so when did us guys read instructions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Simmons Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 You might check the connections to your antenna. I have mine mounted on the front of the house and I left it up all year. When I first fired up the transmitter (EDM) the range was terrible. I checked the antenna and there was some rust in the connections. After taking care of that the range came back pretty well. Just be sure not to run the transmitter with the antenna disconnected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jldavis1969 Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Or touch the connector to the Antenna without static protection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenL_MCSE Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Max-Paul wrote: In my defence, I am a guy so when did us guys read instructions?This is great - yeah I read afterwards too...here is the manual - go to page 4 (Six common rules)http://www.mobileblackbox.com/downloads/eclipse-4000_users_manual_pdf.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-klb- Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 The Ramsey FM30B's do have a weak spot around their RF amplifier. Static discharge, or possibly even using a human body as a connection between the antenna and ground (Picking it up with the bare bottom metal case in one hand, and the antenna in the other) appears to cause damage to the RF amplifier.You can get the new GAL5 chip from Ramsey, but since they are surface mounted, they take a little effort to change. I've changed one, and I know someone else in the are who changed their own GAL5.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iresq Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Not that it will do you much good now, but if you can't track down the problem, Ramsey will repair for a flat fee of $25. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike ammirato Posted December 14, 2009 Author Share Posted December 14, 2009 is there a way to check to see if this gal5 is bad?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike ammirato Posted December 14, 2009 Author Share Posted December 14, 2009 JeffSorry to sound dumb but where do i find an edm and how much are they I'm assuming this is an FM transmitter as well ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-klb- Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Search this site. Not sure if anybody in the US will have any on hand. Here is where you can buy them directly.http://www.edmdesign.com/orders.htmlI know several people who have the EDM-LCD, and had my hands on the LCD-RDS version for a while, and was quite happy with it. I would probably be buying one if I did not have a spare FM30B on hand already..As for how to know if it is the GAL5, your symptoms exactly matched mine, and others who have had it fail. I have yet to hear of other failure modes within the transmitter itself, though antennas, and antenna connections have been known to fail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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