ss 3900 needle stuck

as the title suggests the needle on my ss3900 is stuck, now before i do anything silly can i get into it? i know what im like shovel hands lol

There is a way to try and loosen the needle but as you said you have shovel hands I would advise if you try it be extra really careful or get someone else to do it, but anyway if you take off the top cover of the radio which will show you the top of the meter, on top of the meter if you have good eyesight or a magnifying glass you will see a very very small screw using a tiny screwdriver ie:watchmaker style very gently try and loosen one way or the other to see if the needle moves you have  to do this while radio is on just be careful if that doesn't work basically you will need a new one because there a sealed unit ,if you're not confident doint what I've said just get a new one fitted but there pretty hard to find new now so try ebay or Knights CB he might have some.

Ok thanks il give that a miss il see if I can find someone to do it lol

I forgot to ask did it work before ,ie:like on recive or when you press the mic button.

No I bought it as is

Just a thought, is it actually TXing, I've had the finals fail on my JFK and the needle doesn't move because there's no RF going out?

Hi Andy,

The problem is we are all going to be taking a "stab in the dark" for you as we have limited information

Where is the needle stuck? In the low position, (left side), or high position, (obviously right side)?
Is it stuck somewhere in the middle?

Do you hear receive noise which gets quieter or louder when you turn the RF gain control or change modes, (usb/lsb etc)?
(Obviously with the volume up too).

Do you have an external SWR or power meter? Does this show movement when you key to transmit, (AM/FM)?

All the above will give us some indication to the state of your rig before guessing a meter fault.

If the meter is faulty it can usually be freed up but requires good eyesight and some dextrous hands.
(I put my reading glasses on and despite having 'bear paw' hands can play guitar and handle surface mount electronics )
Otherwise replacements can be had, usually way more expensive than you think, (£12.99 on fleabay at the moment!), but far easier to replace than repair.

Anyway, a little more information would go a long way

Hope that helps you get somewhere.

All the best,
Victor

Tbh honest I think il just sell both the rigs giving up interest in it

That'd be a shame Andy.

I see you haven't had a Charlie Tango call-sign long judging by your number but don't know how long you've been an active CBer.

I know when I first came back I had a slight rose-tinted view with CB memories from the 'good-ol-days' when you picked up the mic and instantly got a contact Bit harder now, called for days on the old 19 and nearly gave up! It was only when we got a 'lift' on a couple of days over December and foreign stations flooded in that I got really excited again. But then I did enjoy the challenge of the DX contact as well as local chats back in the day, although that isn't for everyone’s interest.

Whatever you decide, best of luck with it.

73's
Victor

v8forlife wrote:

Tbh honest I think il just sell both the rigs giving up interest in it

sounds like it maybe knackered mate, but as someone else has basically repeated the advise I gave I'll let him carry on ,dont get dissuaded about CB,true it's not how it was back in the old days (mid 70s for me when I started) try and stick with it ,point is it's too much modern communications tech about now plus also there not what I call true CBers about now there mostly wannabe Amateurs who dont want to do the licence,whatever you do mate goodluck.

I haven't done it myself, but I do know that a lot of those meter cases are just held together with fairly soft glue which will melt with an air gun. It may be the pointer just needs a slight nudge.

I was just fed up I have removed the front the needle has a broke spring il get a new meter in there job done, or just use the alinco I’ve a 5/8 Sirio coming soon

No worries Andy, we can all get a little fed up now and then especially when things aren't going right.

Sounds like the rig works OK other than the s-meter broken spring? In which case it's still useable, you know when you're TXing and if you can hear someone on receive it doesn't truly matter what the s-meter says

Anyway, sounds like you've got a spare rig, (always handy), and a new antenna on the way. Happy days!

Here's hoping the 'radio gods' smile on you, with the SS3900 meter repair and future contacts with the new antenna.

All the best,
Victor