RADIO

551 797 80A RADIO is what gives the operator the freedom to run the machine from a safe distance. It's the critical link for all those remote commands – tramming, collaring, even some of the feed functions depending on the rig model. Essentially, it’s your eyes and hands when you can't be right up against the drill, especially on those bigger surface rigs where safety dictates keeping clear.

When this unit starts acting up, you'll usually feel the rig getting a bit sluggish to respond, or sometimes it just drops commands for a second or two. It's not just an inconvenience; it can be a real safety hazard when you're trying to stop a tramming rig or control the feed precisely. You might get intermittent signal loss, or the machine just won't acknowledge the remote, leaving you wondering if it's the RADIO or something deeper in the control system.

Before you just yank it out and throw a new one in, always take a minute to check the antenna connections. That's both on the rig's receiver and on the remote itself if it's got one. A loose coax or a bit of corrosion there can cause all sorts of grief. Also, make sure the receiver unit is actually getting power – I've seen more than a few 'dead' radios that just had a blown fuse or a disconnected wire. If those basics check out and you're still having trouble, then yeah, it's probably time for a replacement.