It's officially declassified Larry! I did keep a couple items classified but...... I will declassify and spill my guts to the world when the time is right
1950's President found
- Thread starter vendo81
- Start date
It's officially declassified Larry! I did keep a couple items classified but...... I will declassify and spill my guts to the world when the time is right
There really is a lot stuffed into this console. Looking from the rear it's obvious this could double as a heater.
Declassified, but boy -- nothing like the proposed schematic of the unit. This unit appears to have only one Phono/Tape Head preamp, whereas the schematic indicates two Tape Head Preamps. None of the power supply filter caps are located in this unit like the schematic shows, the signal switching appears at different points in the signal path, and this unit appears to be the first where Fisher used a dual triode to pass the signal of both channels through it. Interesting still, but clearly an effort to pare down with the extreme complexity of the unit shown on the schematic!
Dave
Dave
More study reveals that it looks like the mono phono preamp tube is for phono service only, and does not double as a Tape Head preamp in this unit. That would tend to indicate that the Stereo Tape playback function in this unit is a high level input designed for tape decks that include their own stereo tape head playback preamp circuits. Fisher really did a lot to pare this unit down from the previous offering.
Dave
Dave
Yes the schematic wasn't much good here! Everything I wanted to see on a schematic wasn't on the proposed one, or was configured differently.
The service manual does help with the AM and FM tuners and the two amplifiers, with the only difference being the preamp getting it's power from the tuners. The FM tuner I have has the extra preamp transformer taps mounted on lugs but going nowhere. They added the separate power supply so the taps were not needed. This tuner may have been left over from the year before.
The AMPEX 960 (inline heads Stereo) came out in either late '56 or Early '57 and that's what FISHER used up to the 1960? SONY's and Tandbergs for 2-3 years, then they went back to the AMPEX for the 1250/F-44 models in the1963 and newer Exec's, Regents, Presidents.
Thanks Catmanboo.
Lately I've tried to get the best seam I can.
I now use a diamond wheel on my dremel and cut right at the bottom where it flares out. It makes a very thin and clean cut and I touch up any burrs left on the can with a file. After stuffing, I put a ring of masking tape about 1/8" up the can from where it was cut. I then put it together in a rubber jawed wood clamp to hold it all tight and carefully apply 2 part, clear 30 minute epoxy around the seam. I mount the arm of the clamp in a vise with the top of the can down so the excess drips onto the masking tape. After about 15 to 20 minutes I hold the can with one hand (while still in the vise and clamp) and remove the tape. I then flip it over in the vise to finish drying. This leaves a very thin but strong layer that is very hard to detect.
I usually prefer ready made cans as they are a breeze to install, but I question the quality of the insides. I had ordered one each, a CE 40/40/40/40uf @ 350V from Antique Electronics supply for both tuners as there is not enough room in the existing cans for 4 caps.
Finally getting some time to finish the Prez.
Last night I took the clock apart. I had first let it run but soon found that it ran intermittently. I've read where it is a common problem with these to have broken or bad connections on the coil wires. In this case it was a broken wire that would work when it wanted to. I had bought a parts clock that is exactly the same but without the Fisher face. It had stopped from the same problem. I ended up taking both apart....
Carefully taking the cover off of the coil I discovered one wire was broken. You can see how fine the wires are..
I was able to find both of the wires, with one being hidden under the thin inner paper that covers the coil. You have to be very careful removing the thin paper as you can damage the fine wires that make up the coil that lie just underneath. I glued the terminal strips on and carefully soldered the wires back onto the terminal. After the glue dried I installed the heavy paper outer cover that wraps the coil.
Last night I took the clock apart. I had first let it run but soon found that it ran intermittently. I've read where it is a common problem with these to have broken or bad connections on the coil wires. In this case it was a broken wire that would work when it wanted to. I had bought a parts clock that is exactly the same but without the Fisher face. It had stopped from the same problem. I ended up taking both apart....
Carefully taking the cover off of the coil I discovered one wire was broken. You can see how fine the wires are..
I was able to find both of the wires, with one being hidden under the thin inner paper that covers the coil. You have to be very careful removing the thin paper as you can damage the fine wires that make up the coil that lie just underneath. I glued the terminal strips on and carefully soldered the wires back onto the terminal. After the glue dried I installed the heavy paper outer cover that wraps the coil.
I ended up using the parts clock chassis as someone had turned the timer knob too hard and bent parts inside. It also damaged the knob shaft. The parts clock worked very smoothly and had all of it's 3 knobs intact. I lubricated all moving parts and put it back together with the Fisher face.
Once together I gave it "the test" and it ran perfectly for several hours....
Now on to the amplifiers. They are really dirty
I cleaned one up while the clock was running and it came out very nice. I had to use rubbing compound on the painted chassis as it was so dirty and faded.
Once together I gave it "the test" and it ran perfectly for several hours....
Now on to the amplifiers. They are really dirty
I cleaned one up while the clock was running and it came out very nice. I had to use rubbing compound on the painted chassis as it was so dirty and faded.
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Nice job Vendo, watching this everyday!
Hummm. You might check the temp that the clock coil operates at. Seems funny that several have the same problem.......
Dave
Dave
It's not from heat but from the terminal strips being held on only with thin paper. The parts clock had it's AC terminals torn completely off the motor. This one had obviously been "looked at" when the timer froze up as I found the paper was partially torn.
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They were made by Telechron. They look fairly well made but the brittle paper holding the terminal strips can be torn off with a pair of tweezers!
nooshinjohn
Member
Nice work Vendo.
I've been inside those things before, the construction is very marginal around those terminals. Any sort of wire flex, or just years of vibration would be enough to crack the wire off. Its like human hair attached to a big lug that is basically held with a sheet of paper. I've fixed tweeters with roughly similar construction and similar problems before. Soldering that wire is not easy, but not impossible with a steady enough hand.
Great description! The outer layer makes soldering difficult and if not careful taking it apart you can easily loose a wire or cause damage.
