Akai AT-V04: FM display troubles

titanstats

Go Habs Go!
Picked up this nice little Akai tuner for a fiver the other day. It's really a quality piece -- the build on it is very nice, and the details good as well. Apparently this unit was a favorite with DXers for several reasons, and had a somewhat unique design. In any event, I like it, it pulls stations beautifully, and sounds great.

Now the downside. The digital readout on the Fm scale stays parked at 89.30 MHz. It scans, can be manually tuned with the dial, and is able to save and recall staions, but the display never changes. It does not have this problem on the AM section, where the display works perfectly.

As I said before, I read an article on this unit, and it's an odd design: "The AT-V04 features a fluorescent digital readout with display increments of 0.05 MHz. While the unit is billed as a ‘digital synthesizer’ tuner by Akai, it is obviously not of the PLL variety. the AT-V04 is basically a dual-mode tuner, capable of PLL-type scan, search and preset station capabilities, but converting at the touch of a tuning knob (literally--the tuning knob is touch sensitive) to fully analog operation."

Any help, suggestions about this problem would be appreciated -- it looks like this tuner is worth saving.
 
Good deal you got there titanstats. Have one of these myself and it is cool little tuner but a Yammy T-1 has its place now. My suggestion for a start is the SP8629 prescaler IC or the power supply to this IC. J.
 
Thanks for the tip, James. A bit of research suggests to me that you are probably correct on this. The trick here is sourcing a SP8629 IC -- obsolete small-order items are apparently a bugger to track down. :( I'll keep hunting, but so far it's the Far East only, and massively inflated shipping charges...
 
Hello....have exactly the same problem.
IF you are still here after all these years...can you tell me if it was the IC?

Martin
 
It works!!!
I just changed the IC and voilà...

IMG_3668.JPG
 
It works!!!
I just changed the IC and voilà...

IMG_3668.JPG

Where did you find the IC? I'm having a very similar problem with mine, so I'd love to try this. (The frequency display starts off showing the correct readout, but as the unit plays on, it changes and never is correct until the unit is shut off and it "cools down." )
 
Good to know. I eventually just found another one with a working display, and used the cosmetics of the broken one. Good tuners, worth the save.
 
Just a little bump to ask if anyone knows where to source the IC? I haven't had any luck finding even a NOS one.
 
With that kind of surplus semi vendor, there almost always is... they are largely uninterested in onesy-twoesy orders from individuals or repair shops. The link I pulled is the kind of place that will sell one piece though I am sure the unit price is much higher.

John
 
UPDATE: Miraculously, and without apparent reason, the IC is now available on ebay from at least two sellers, for practically peanuts. I bought two samples from one vendor and installed one of the chips over the holidays. (I hedged my bets and installed a socket just in case...I hate soldering IC's as a rule.)

It works!! Display frequency is stable and correct in both AM and FM. Burnt it in for about 24 hours and all is well. I'm happy. :)
 
Glad to see a good outcome. Always leery of ebay chips being counterfeit. I've had pretty good luck, but there are plenty of stories of bad parts out there
 
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