Hi! I know these are not desirable decks for most people, but I love the look, the large analog meters and the dual counters, memory, clock, and timer features of the deck. It also sounds better than the specs would indicate. Mechanically, I have it in great shape and the transport works perfectly. I did a mod to add more lighting using a wall wart and the timer AC output as I couldn't find the correct bulbs to replace some of the display lamps. It may not sound as precise as my 3-head decks, but that isn't really what I bought it for and it is hard to find one of these that still has a working microprocessor.
At any rate, this deck has an issue when it powers on where it starts playing slower after it warms up for a few minutes. I don't have the test equipment I used to have back in my component-level troubleshooting days, but I did note the voltage appears to drop about half a volt at the motor as it warms up. I looked at the schematic and see the motor circuit taps off the secondary on the main transformer separately from the main power supply. I actually had a new spare capstan motor I swapped in thinking perhaps the circuitry inside the motor itself was causing issues, but that didn't make a difference. Unfortunately, the docs I have don't indicate whether the voltages shown are with the load of the motor running or without it. I did think about replacing the five or so electrolytics in the circuit as they might be likely causes of issues considering their age. I also tried disconnecting the brake to see if that part of the circuit was the cause, but no joy there.
I'm wondering if anyone here has encountered a similar issue with the motor struggling after warmup on one of these or one of the many variations of this deck sold as both Sharp and Optonica. I bought some freeze spray and my next idea was to try spraying components when the problem shows up. I would have no problem sending it off to be repaired, but am concerned about the microprocessor or LCD getting damaged in shipping.
If anyone has encountered a similar issue with one of these decks, I'm curious what you did to resolve it.
Thanks!
At any rate, this deck has an issue when it powers on where it starts playing slower after it warms up for a few minutes. I don't have the test equipment I used to have back in my component-level troubleshooting days, but I did note the voltage appears to drop about half a volt at the motor as it warms up. I looked at the schematic and see the motor circuit taps off the secondary on the main transformer separately from the main power supply. I actually had a new spare capstan motor I swapped in thinking perhaps the circuitry inside the motor itself was causing issues, but that didn't make a difference. Unfortunately, the docs I have don't indicate whether the voltages shown are with the load of the motor running or without it. I did think about replacing the five or so electrolytics in the circuit as they might be likely causes of issues considering their age. I also tried disconnecting the brake to see if that part of the circuit was the cause, but no joy there.
I'm wondering if anyone here has encountered a similar issue with the motor struggling after warmup on one of these or one of the many variations of this deck sold as both Sharp and Optonica. I bought some freeze spray and my next idea was to try spraying components when the problem shows up. I would have no problem sending it off to be repaired, but am concerned about the microprocessor or LCD getting damaged in shipping.
If anyone has encountered a similar issue with one of these decks, I'm curious what you did to resolve it.
Thanks!
