soulscratch
New Member
Hey guys!
I've had multiple people tell me to head your way for help and advice, so here I am!
Yesterday, I stumbled across a local ad for an SX-980 for $100 in working condition. I thought it was too good to be true but I think the guy just didn't know what he was selling. Externally, it's in fantastic condition. Very minor wear. Internally, however, is a bit different. After I got it home, it became clear that the previous owner was a smoker (we met at a parking lot so I didn't notice it then, not that it would have changed my mind). It's pretty grimy in there and I'd like to figure out if I can fix that. I also noticed that the 2200 μF cap on the power supply board (correct me if I'm wrong) is starting to bulge and I figured it's best to be safe and fix that before I power this thing on. I'm a pretty DIY person and I'd like to try to take a crack at this, but electronics are my least knowledgeable subject and due to the value of the unit and scarcity of some of the parts, that has me worried. I do have a nice Hakko soldering station and multimeter so I think I have what I need to get started - I'm just worried about my skill level and lack of knowledge, but I'm willing to learn.
With that said, I have a few questions:
1) Removing the board and replacing that capacitor should be pretty straight forward, correct? I can test the other caps while I'm in there. Is there a specific cap I should look for to replace this one with? As long as it's not too expensive, I'm willing to spend the money on it.
2) The internals are pretty filthy and I'd like to clean it up. I know a lot of the old arcade cabinet guys go through and wash up the circuit boards. What are my options here? Also, should disassembling and reassembling be pretty straight forward?
3) Two of the indicator lights are out (Aux and AM from what I'm told). I noticed some LED replacement kits on eBay. Worth it?
4) Is there anything else I should be doing while I'm in here? Upgrades, repairs, replacements, or testing?
I apologize for the long post. I'm hoping to have some knowledge dumped on me, so let me have it! Also, I'm going to have some seriously noobish questions, so just be prepared.
And a few pics to make this post worthy of your time:
Here she is in all her vintage glory:
Power supply board with the bad cap:
A lot of grime:
Thanks in advance for any help and input!
I've had multiple people tell me to head your way for help and advice, so here I am!
Yesterday, I stumbled across a local ad for an SX-980 for $100 in working condition. I thought it was too good to be true but I think the guy just didn't know what he was selling. Externally, it's in fantastic condition. Very minor wear. Internally, however, is a bit different. After I got it home, it became clear that the previous owner was a smoker (we met at a parking lot so I didn't notice it then, not that it would have changed my mind). It's pretty grimy in there and I'd like to figure out if I can fix that. I also noticed that the 2200 μF cap on the power supply board (correct me if I'm wrong) is starting to bulge and I figured it's best to be safe and fix that before I power this thing on. I'm a pretty DIY person and I'd like to try to take a crack at this, but electronics are my least knowledgeable subject and due to the value of the unit and scarcity of some of the parts, that has me worried. I do have a nice Hakko soldering station and multimeter so I think I have what I need to get started - I'm just worried about my skill level and lack of knowledge, but I'm willing to learn.
With that said, I have a few questions:
1) Removing the board and replacing that capacitor should be pretty straight forward, correct? I can test the other caps while I'm in there. Is there a specific cap I should look for to replace this one with? As long as it's not too expensive, I'm willing to spend the money on it.
2) The internals are pretty filthy and I'd like to clean it up. I know a lot of the old arcade cabinet guys go through and wash up the circuit boards. What are my options here? Also, should disassembling and reassembling be pretty straight forward?
3) Two of the indicator lights are out (Aux and AM from what I'm told). I noticed some LED replacement kits on eBay. Worth it?
4) Is there anything else I should be doing while I'm in here? Upgrades, repairs, replacements, or testing?
I apologize for the long post. I'm hoping to have some knowledge dumped on me, so let me have it! Also, I'm going to have some seriously noobish questions, so just be prepared.
And a few pics to make this post worthy of your time:
Here she is in all her vintage glory:
Power supply board with the bad cap:
A lot of grime:
Thanks in advance for any help and input!