Wow, do those SX-3800 and 3900's get hot!

[zebulon1]

This is the first of the NSA's I've worked and man do they get hot. The scat copy I have, has a hand written note, stating that the set should be horizontal when setting the amps Idles and Offsets. I double checked the idles several time just to make sure.
I haven't moved into the house this summer mainly due to wearing out my welcome last year. Some of you may remember I move out of the hot shop here in Las Vegas into the front room for the summer. It's 104 degrees in the shop and the heatsink is untouchable. Lots of heat going on!
The 3800 and 3900 I've been working on are wonderful sounding receivers. Restoring the tone boards really woke them up. Glad I have a chance to mess them.

 

[aldena007]

Zebulon1 did you just recap the tone board on your 3800 or was there other upgrades/repairs to that pcb when you restored the 3800. I take it that your reference to "tone boards" is the Tone Control Ass'y GWG-141?

 

[Imanoldee]

Zebulon1.

Have you seen this post I made a while back?
It is titled.
Any one have a Pioneer SX-3900 opened up?
I don't know how to link it correctly.
In it I ask that R20 in the Power supply section (AWR210) be double checked.
It may be running hot and out of its rating.
I should be a 1/2 watter, but may be a 1/4 watt resistor.

Just an FYI.

 

[tsd71]

No room to breathe in there.

 

[zebulon1]

I restored the Tone Control Ass'y GWG-141. I wanted to clean and lube the controls, that makes it a good reason to restore the board. It's only an hours of work total. Worth every minute.
The PS voltages were spot on and the board looked good. I replaced the silicon and E caps then called it good.

 

[Ricktptman]

They run hotter than a two dollar pistol on a Saturday Night no matter where they're sitting. It's a drawback of the design.
I have a near mint (one little ugly spot on the top of the left side of the FP) 3900. VERY easy on the eyes.
For a time, back in the day, I swore there was a stand alone tuner with that Fluoroscan configuration. But I apparently dreamed it.
Wishful thinking. I had to be thinking of the 9800, but there's no digital readout.

I always hoped they'd do an SX-2080 at the turn of the Century. Too bad......but I know it's not practical anymore. Another great that never came to be.

If Technics can do it with TT's and Marantz could do it with their "Art Deco" looking amps and preamps, I held out hope. But not to be.....apparently....

 

[xlbee]

For a time, back in the day, I swore there was a stand alone tuner with that Fluoroscan configuration. But I apparently dreamed it.
Wishful thinking. I had to be thinking of the 9800, but there's no digital readout.

Not to derail the thread but there are the TX-D1000, TX-710L and TX-720. All have digital fluoroscan displays.

 

[Ricktptman]

Yes, I remember those. The TX-D1000 was marketed here under the Phase Linear nameplate, if I remember correctly. I want to say that those tuners were marketed as options under the umbrella of Pioneer's "Syscom" components. A little like the RH-65 was, but I couldn't swear to it. The animal I "thought" I remembered had the 3900 Metering/FP design (with digital display out to the hundredth/Mhz decimal) and had IF bandwidth adjustment. I think I remembered bits and pieces of the 9800, the F-28, and the 3900 all slammed together in one chassis. Just my imagination apparently. I may have been thinking about the F-90 too. I've got one of all of those except for the three you mention. So much Classic gear, so little time.....lol....