A few issues with R-900

Aspen

Active Member
Okay so now I have been listening to my resurrected R-900 for a few days and have found a few things that could use some improvement. I am looking for a few suggestions...

Issue 1)
I can hear the radio a very low volume when the input is on Aux, Tape 1 or Tape2. It is not very loud but is audible and gets more audible as the volume is turned all the way up. Tape 1 has the most interference. The phone input has no radio noise, but hums instead. I have done an internal cleaning and sprayed and worked the all the controls including the input selector with Deoxit and lubed them afterward. I cleaned up the dust off the boards gently. What should I do next? Try cleaning again? Any area to concentrate on?

Issue 2)
Preset station buttons have a hard time retaining memory even when not unplugged some #1 holds, but the others are iffy. Thoughts? would changing the original battery out help?

Issue 3)
Weak FM reception on some stations. I would like to get fm 98.1, but it barely locks on and still has quite a bit of hiss type noise. A few other local stations can be crystal clear example 95.9 and 93.5. I am using a 6 foot ribbon cable type T-antenna mounted inside on the wall. I tried rotating it around but there is no change. The transmitter tower is about 4 miles away on the tallest building in the city and I live at the top of a hill, so I should be getting an excellent signal.
My brand new RX-A730 brings in this station perfectly using only the cheesy dipole wire that came with the unit and is hap-hazardly pulled through the cabinet and stuck to the back of a speaker.
I am thinking a longer ribbon cable antenna mounted outside may do the trick, but finding ribbon cable is difficult. I guess it is not the 1960s anymore.

Should I do some more cleaning? Do I need a super involved tuner re-alignment? Would weak caps be the cause of all my issues?

On the plus side I have teamed up this unit with my circa 1990 Tannoy C-8s with newly refurbished surrounds. First time speaker repair for me. Stone Roses - Fools Gold rocks, I can feel the drums in my chest at less than 3 on the volume.
 
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To answer issue 3) weak reception. Turns out the station that I get clearly has 179,000 watts and the one I sort of get has only 12,600 watts. I found a store that sells HDTV antennas in town, so I will try them out for a better outdoor antenna set up.
Still I think the tuner could be much better, problably could use some adjusting.
 
OK issue 3 is close to solved. I raised the antenna a foot higher and while I was doing that the right side dropped down, but the signal strength went up! So now I have a T-antenna with a droopy right half and a full strenth signal. Next up I will make an optimal folded dipole and get it up as high as possible, maybe even go into the attic and all should be good.
Maybe there is some multipath or room interference that is giving me the weaker than expected signal.
Onto some more cleaning and DeOxit.

I feel like I am talking to myself...
 
Issue 2)
Preset station buttons have a hard time retaining memory even when not unplugged some #1 holds, but the others are iffy. Thoughts? would changing the original battery out

Yes. The battery is shot.
 
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