I am just returning, from a long winter's nap (some 25 yrs), to repairing/refurbishing vintage equipment. I need to begin alignment of the tuners sections of Pioneer receivers as well as bringing tuner units themselves up to speed.

I still have my basic tool kit, but I would like your recommendations and widsom on the specifics I will need:

Test Equipment (recommended):
AM signal generators
FM signal generators (stereo)
IF signal generators
Anything special?

Chemicals:
solvents
cleaners (I have DeOxit, ProGold, & Cailube)
lubricants

Documentation:
I can get full manuals (Service & User)

Anything I need to be especially careful about?
(Certain chemicals in certain areas, etc.)

Anything I need to replace regardless of apparent condition?

Any help or words-to-the-wise would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks to all, in advance...
Rich P

Figure the better generator, the better. I've been using a leader 3216.. okay but probably not as good as some of the HP's or Panasonic. You'll have to have a decent Distortion Meter... Sound Technology 1700 or better. Unless it'll do less than .01% distortion on it's own it'll just get in the way of a good tuner. I'm drawing a blank on the minimum HP model u should look for.... 39 comes to mind though. A good VTVM can be helpful and you'll need a scope that'll do at least a little over 100mhz if you want to do better than IF work. Nothing like a good trans checker and cap checker too.... list could go on ad-nausium I guess. I use a really nice Vu-Data trans checker. Just got a Sencore LC53 but have the feeling I may be getting a better ESR meter like the ED-88...

Ron

I use a Sound Technology 1000A Stereo FM Alignment Generator,
HP 333A distortion Analyzer.
Also you need a good 100MHz scope.
A spectrum analyzer is really, really helpful in tracking down some difficult probelms, like poor rf gain, amplifiers that oscillate, and oscillators that won't. You usually have to pay about $450 for an older HP 141T mainframe and rf plug-ins for 80 - 110MHz. I was lucky to find a nice Tektronix 1401A that uses your scope as a display.

I seem to recall a whole thread on this at the FM Tuner Info site. My memory fails at that point though, so you'll have to hunt around. Good luck!

I think the FM tuner site just refers to a Yahoo group thread that details the alignment on a Scott and some other receiver.

There was a thread last night about some eb-ay auction where the guy shot Radio-Shack "cleaner" all over an analog Nikko tuner. Can you say "bad idea"? According to EW, it will be fine once washed with IPA and blown dry with compressed air.

Hopefully I will be able to do an alignment of my SX-780 once I recap it. I have a Sencore FM stereo signal generator along with two other FM non-stereo generators that iirc have an external mod input. Keep us posted on your progress.

Thanks, guys. All good stuff. Now I need to peel my eyes and keep them that way. Looking for the Sound Technology 1000A. Picked up a nice scope (Kikusui COS6100M), and a couple of nice distortion analyzers (HP 8903A and Sound Technology 1700B).

Got 2 Pioneer TX-9500-IIs to get up to full glory. Won't stop till they are, since they are some of the best Pioneer ever made. Also have a TX-7500 to do.

Making good progress,
Rich P

Bump

Rich P

Despite what EW says, good advice though, I've found the Tektronix 7000 series on ebay. They have most plugins including the spectrum analyzer, scope modules out to 500MHz for some models, generators, counters ... Plus the technology is only like twenty years old for the older models.

Their availability of particular ICs however is a bit cloudy. I've downloaded but have yet to have read Tektronix's "XYZs of Scopes" (pun intended) pdf.

Wow! As far as that other fabulous equipment recommended, well...dunno YET! I'll get to the bottom of it! I always do. Even if I screw up first.

The most important thing is that the equipment used for test is "better" than the specs under measurement of the device. If you plan to make a business of this stuff, then so be the expense of the recommendations given.

However, if you are not, I cannot see the expense; though, truth be told, I would still like to have them. Yummmm.

However, there are so many Heathkit RF generators going on on ebay, so many NEWER as in still being manufactured ones from TENMA are there also for the low low.

Me too, have just put stuff on the bay and more to come to fund my projects.

Oh yes, for the older equipment, meaning tubed stuff, I believe the input impedence of the device is critical. Some stuff won't lend itself well to DMMs. One circuit seems to strictly forbid it. I haven't tested it to see just yet, however we will see. :naughty: :scratch2:

That sound tech stuff is good, been to their website "UNDER Construction". However, when reading and taking looks under the hoods, same analog construction as the cheaper "no good heathkit stuff"! Wow!

Tuning caps, .............

Look below, I'm a math man, I'll view the numbers. If I can find specs on some of the older junk I'll chime in with cheaper alternatives. :yes: