Grenadeslio
Lunatic Member
My bad, chalk it up to mad cow desease.
Grenadeslio
Lunatic Member
Schveet, post pics when set up.
Still trying to figure out how to incorporate one of my KX1010 decks somewhere in one of my systems.
I have too much Kenwood gear. Is that an oxymoron or what lol?
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Here is the final product. I'll put in it's new home later tonight. I plan to rearrange the stack, just not sure how yet. I didnt do a full recap. Just the power supply and a few key caps on the main board. I did replace the 4 films that are troublemakers but I think I tossed them already so they are not in the family portrait 
jcox
Member
I have two of these decks (1030). One of them has a dead channel - no output. It drops out somewhere on the board. Best I can tell, signal generation at the head is good. I've read that dirty switches can cause a weaker channel so I de-oxit cleaned the Dolby, monitor and output switches. No good. Any other thoughts or tips? Both meter needles bounce when power kicks on, for what thats worth. I've done my best to read the schematic and trace the circuit, and tested voltages at key points thru the circuit (comparing to the good channel) and I cant find anywhere it drops out. But I'm a novice. Thanks for any help!
Occam's razor.. the simplest answer is normally the right one I'd start with the basics.. check the output connections. Make sure the RCAs are good.. tap off the board to verify.. check the volume out pots and make they are clean and working as expected. Check the wiring from the pots to the board.. There are some ferrite inductors (?) on the board that I found out if they break a lead etc, they take out the entire channel. Black upright widgets.,. I'll see if I can post a picture. I had one with a broken trace which how I know this. VUs said I had output but silence on a channel. Headphone jack. Make it's not killing your output.. put a set in and see if you have sound in both channels.
I'd start with the basics.. check the output connections. Make sure the RCAs are good.. tap off the board to verify.. check the volume out pots and make they are clean and working as expected. Check the wiring from the pots to the board.. There are some ferrite inductors (?) on the board that I found out if they break a lead etc, they take out the entire channel. Black upright widgets.,. I'll see if I can post a picture. I had one with a broken trace which how I know this. VUs said I had output but silence on a channel. Headphone jack. Make it's not killing your output.. put a set in and see if you have sound in both channels.
jcox
Member
Great stuff, thanks Mike. I dont know what the ferrite inductors look like so a pic would be great if you're able to easily. The meter is flat on the dead channel, so I dont think signal is getting to the RCA jacks; problem has to be before the meter. I tried reading the schematic, seems like meters are relatively early in the circuit. I should test the head again (I just tapped it on both sides with a small nail to watch meters bounce). And both meters bounce slightly when I power it up, so I know the channel is getting power, and least from the power stage (?) to the meter. I will look at the output pot connection to the board, thats a definite possibility. Thanks!
Try this as part of the discovery.. this unit has three heads.. one for playback, record and erase. Try to make a recording and then play it back on a different system to verify you have sound in both channels. If you dont, then you look for whats common between the playback and recording on that channel. The theory is a bad head for play would not have anything to do with recording. If there is not any sound on that same channel on the record, then something is common between them for the channel because the channel drops before it gets to the record head
93SCMax
Active Member
Good input concerning troubleshooting Mike.
Just wanted to share that, after reading about your success, I got up the courage and changed out caps C28 and C90 (1st time resoldering on a circuit board). Static is gone and I'm up and jamming again in the garage. I know I still should do C27 and C89, plus the caps you've done, but I'm taking baby steps and making sure I don't screw things up worse than they are. I may need your assistance identifying the other caps and their values before I attempt to follow in your footsteps.
One other question, if I might ask. I posted a thread in the Tape forum concerning a Teac CX-400 3 head cassette deck I'm having a problem with. This was my garage deck before the Kenwood arrived. I've received zero input/feedback from the forum. I have one channel (left) out in the play mode, but when I go to the record mode, it's the right channel that doesn't work (left works fine). I know they are separate heads, but I'm struggling with what to clean, adjust, check, etc. Any hints from you (you appear very knowledgeable)?
Thanks, and once again...enjoy your new Kenny.
Just wanted to share that, after reading about your success, I got up the courage and changed out caps C28 and C90 (1st time resoldering on a circuit board). Static is gone and I'm up and jamming again in the garage. I know I still should do C27 and C89, plus the caps you've done, but I'm taking baby steps and making sure I don't screw things up worse than they are. I may need your assistance identifying the other caps and their values before I attempt to follow in your footsteps.
One other question, if I might ask. I posted a thread in the Tape forum concerning a Teac CX-400 3 head cassette deck I'm having a problem with. This was my garage deck before the Kenwood arrived. I've received zero input/feedback from the forum. I have one channel (left) out in the play mode, but when I go to the record mode, it's the right channel that doesn't work (left works fine). I know they are separate heads, but I'm struggling with what to clean, adjust, check, etc. Any hints from you (you appear very knowledgeable)?
Thanks, and once again...enjoy your new Kenny.
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Let me take a look at the schematic.. I'll poke around for a service guide too.. knowledge is a dangerous thing
. I spend most of my time on Marantz gear and pre-50s radios. Tape decks are new to me but a fun extension of my audio gear. Its like working on a swiss watch with some of them. I just finished up a Fisher Studio DD-300 which is a direct drive 3 head unit. The Kenwood is nice but this is noticeably nicer audio wise. The kenwood is easier to work on though.
The auction site has an original paper one for 15 or best offer.. I bet you can get it for 10 bucks.. use this string
Teac CX-400 Cassette Service Manual *Original*
Teac CX-400 Cassette Service Manual *Original*
Wait till I put up pics of my Fisher Studio DD-300 ( 3 heads).. I'm putting the finishing touches on it. The kenwood is nice but the Fisher is better.. you can hear the difference from direct drive and three heads. I got the Kenwood to finish off my K-Stack.. the Fisher is married to one of my Marantz units.. probably the 2285B
93SCMax
Active Member
Thanks for the hint. They wouldn't go that low, but I was able to pick-up a used original. Should see it with-in a week.
curtpenn
Member
I've had one of these since new, but had the exact same problem with one dead channel. Mothballed it probably 25+ years ago. Have wondered lately about getting it out and getting it fixed. Good luck!
93SCMax
Active Member
No luck troubleshooting my dead channel on the Teac CX-400, but I did finally replace caps C27 and C89 on the Kenwood KX-1030 and now both channels are clean as a whistle (static eliminated). I'd recommend you pull your deck out of mothball and get her fixed. The KX-1030 is a nice old school silver faced deck.
