Fellow tech saved me 3 hours on a GRC-171 troubleshooting run

Old timer from the Montgomery depot told me to check the coax barrel connectors before touching the unit itself. I spent all morning pulling test adapters and chasing a TX fail on a GRC-171. Sure enough, the center pin on one barrel was pushed back, 5 minutes with a dental pick fixed it. Anyone else got a 'check the dumb part first' tip like that from the older guys?

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1 Comment

torres.jason1mo ago

Fix the idea that this is just an old timer thing, man. Checking the cheap stuff first is just basic troubleshooting, any good tech will tell you that. Ive seen younger guys waste hours on a fancy radio when the real issue was a corroded connector or a loose ground strap. The old timers just have more scar tissue from making that exact mistake, so they know to look there first. Honestly, the GRC-171 is a tank but the cables and adapters are always the weak link. You gotta treat those barrels like theyre suspect number one every single time. Its not dumb to check them, its just smart to save your own sanity before you start pulling boards.