From: schuster@panix.com (Michael Schuster)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.shortwave
Subject: ICF-2010 frequency adjustment
Date: 1 Jan 93 21:37:29 GMT
Organization: Panix Public Access Internet & Unix, NYC

Frequency inaccuracy of as much as 200 Hz is common on the ICF-2010.
I just found this on Genie and, later, ported to Fidonet by Bill Oxner.

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Sony 2010 SSB Adjustment

I recently got sick of listening to SSB on my Sony 2010, because
it was just a bit off frequency, and I actually got better sound
100 Hz lower, for instance, 11175.9 rather than 11176.0. Now,
I've been told that the BFO adjustment is detailed in the
service manual, but not having it, I decided to go poking around
inside anyway. Well, I found the adjustment for the BFO, and
thought some of you might like to try it as well if you're in my
previous position...

But first, a warning.... Poking around in your radio without a
service manual can be hazardous to your future listening habits!
Don't try it if you're not comfortable with taking apart your
radio or don't have confidence that it will work when you are
done! Otherwise, it might become time to take a trip to the
closest Sony repair center. :) And of course, I am not
responsible for whatever you do to your radio...

Okay, now for the description. (Now might be a good time to
write down your frequencies stored in memory, if they are
important...) You can disconnect power if you wish, but you'll
need it later when adjusting, so it doesnt matter, really.
Remove screws on back and take off the back lid. Don't forget
the screw in the battery compartment. You will see a circuit
board and the back of the speaker. Remove the screws in the
board with arrows pointing to them and release the plastic
snap-clamps along the edge of the board.

For the next step, be careful not to rip out any wires; yours
might be shorter than the ones in my radio. Separate the boards
enough so you can get to the bottom of the board that is now
loose. Take care to avoid pulling out the ribbon cables for the
keyboard--they are only held there mostly by friction. (I found
out the hard way; the ribbon slipped out partially, without me
noticing, and suddenly the keypad didnt work... Had me scared
for a while :).)

You can see a metal case labeled 'sync unit' about 3/4"x3/8"(?)
that is mounted on the board. Next to it is a blue trimmer pot,
the only pot in the near vicinity of the metal case. This is the
BFO adjust.

Now tune in a somewhat strong SSB frequency that can be clearly
heard. Military stations are best, since their equipment is
going to be more accurate than a ham radio operator's (in most
cases :)). I used the GHFS frequencies. Wait until some traffic
comes on and adjust the pot in VERY small increments. The pot is
very sensitive, and not much turning will be needed to realign
your receiver. This adjustment is best done with a non-metallic
screwdriver or other instrument, since metal might temporarily
affect the capacitances, inductances, etc. of the circuit, and
cause it to be off frequency again once you remove the metal
object. Of course, if you make small adjustments and then check
it, a metal screwdriver will do the job.

After getting the receiver sound to your liking, which may take
a while depending on the amount of traffic, switch to some other
freqs, both USB and LSB, Ham and Military, to see if you need to
make any final adjustments before closing it all up again.

Just reverse the process to get your 2010 back together. Make
sure the volume, RF gain, and tone switch all align with their
counterparts on the case. Best way to do this is to push them
all either up or down fully. Now, hopefully, your Sony 2010 is
now back on the right track, and SSB no longer has that hint of
D.Duck in there!

The adjustment will also affect the SYNC setting, so if your
sync LEDs didnt always light up on the correct freq, that
probably is fixed now too. I think Sony should have added a
'user-servicable' pot on the back or side with a little hole in
the case where an 'inclosed' screwdriver could be inserted to
fine-tune the SSB without delving into the innards of the radio
or taking it to a service center; are you listening Sony? :)

Does anyone know what the other blue pot is for on that board,
the one that is more or less off by itself? The PCB is labeled,
but there is a blob of hardened sealer gunk on mine that makes
it illegible.

I really should pick up the service manual... I still want to do
the mod to the tone switch. It would also be nice if there was
some way for the radio to select WIDE instead of NARROW when a
band is selected...oh well, can't have everything... :) It's
still one heck of a radio for the price...
-- 
_______________________________Mike Schuster________________________________
NY Pub. Access UNIX/Internet: schuster@panix.com | 70346.1745@CompuServe.COM
The Portal (R) System: schuster@shell.portal.com | MCI Mail,GEnie: MSCHUSTER
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