TX-710, the other early Pioneer digital tuner

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foetusized

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I got my TX-710 in the post this past week. I purchased it via eBay for $20 plus $12 shipping, to add to my collection of SA/TX-x10 amps and tuners, sold by Pioneer as part of several packaged systems in the early 1980s. As far as I can tell, the TX-710 and the better-known TX-D1000 are the only Pioneer silver-face digital tuners. The photos below show both the TX-710 and the TX-610 it will be replacing (for now) in my bedroom system. If I ever get the new belts on my CT-F615, it will replace the TX-610 in the stack, probably below the SA-510 amp.

The odd thing about the TX-710 is that there is no way to manually tune in a specific frequency that I have been able to find. The two large buttons on the left scan up and down to the next station, but I can't find a way to get it to stop between stations. The display shows 0.05 MHz increments on FM, and 1 KHz increments on AM, and will often flicker up-and-down while locked on a station. The button on the far left is for FM local, and the other small buttons are for preset stations (seven FM, seven AM). The two switches on the right are for AM/FM and for FM mono/stereo. The third switch on the TX-610, not found on the TX-710, is for a tone generator to set recording levels. Both tuners are on the same station, but the dipole antenna is on the TX-710, so it is coming in stronger on its LED strength meter.

The big difference can be seen on the back. The TX-610 has a fiberboard back panel, with no external AM antenna; I have a cheap AM external loop I've been using with mine. The TX-710 has an external AM antenna and a voltage selector on a metal back panel. Unfortunately, both have hardwired RCA cables on the back. Both also have the same metal case on the tops and sides, and fiberboard bottom panels.
 
I think the frequency flickering on these early digital tuners is for the reason that they are in principal analog tuners with a digital frequency display and a frequency locking which regulates the selected frequency. If it swifts a bit you will see it in the display.
 
I just bought a TX-710 Tuner.
Do you use the 75 ohm or 300 ohm for your antenna ?
 
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