Sony STR-GX10ES in Japanese mode

[andy]

I'm not sure if this is vintage enough for this forum, but I'm hoping someone here will be able to answer my question.

I have a Sony STR-GX10ES receiver works great apart from that the tuner seems to be in the wrong mode. It tunes from 79-90 MHz on FM and 522-1611
kHz on AM in 9kHz steps. I think this is the Japanese FM band.
There's no obvious switch for changing tuning modes and I'm sure this
receiver was made for the US market (120V with the manual in English).
It doesn't respond to the key combination that's supposed to switch
between 9kHz and 10kHz AM spacing. Is there a key combination for
changing it back to US tuning mode? I remember seeing such
combinations in the service manuals to other Sony receivers, but I
don't have the service manual to this one.

 

[Tony75]

You may find a switch for these inside the unit.
Alternatively I have come across a Sony tuner where a diode had to be mounted in a different position on the board to get the different kHz step. This was marked as such, so if it's like this it should be easy to find.
These items may or may not help for your model though.
Cheers
Tony

 

[asynchronousman]

You may find a switch for these inside the unit.
Alternatively I have come across a Sony tuner where a diode had to be mounted in a different position on the board to get the different kHz step. This was marked as such, so if it's like this it should be easy to find.
These items may or may not help for your model though.
Cheers
Tony

Try turning it off then on while holding the POWER and BAND SELECTOR switches down simultaneously (if this is like one of those 80's STR-AV--- models from the late 1980s with the numbered keypad for direct entry). That's what did it on my 1989 STR-AV290(?) but I no longer have it. Some combination of that worked.

By the way GOOD LUCK with SONY (or the joke they call Sony) when you want archival information to technical data...

 

[andy]

Thanks for the suggestions, but I'm still not having any luck.

I'm assuming someone accidentally switched it by pressing the right key combination. I suppose it's also possible that an option diode has failed, or that it was modified because they moved to Japan for a while.

I might have to order a service manual for this one. It's a nice receiver from the late 80's. It must be one of Sony's last high end stereo reveivers (no surround sound).

 

[dr*audio]

Think you may need the service manual for this one, but try a memory reset:
Locate the microprocessor, usually on the control panel pc board. There should be a large value capacitor or a battery on this board. sometimes it's on the main board. If it's a cap (4.7 Farad or something huge like that) with the power cord unplugged, short the cap for 1 minute, then plug the cord in and try it. If it's a battery (silver disc type) remove it by desoldering it, then reinstall it.
If this doesn't work, get the manual. You need to locate the reset line to the microprocessor. With the unit powered up, short the reset line to ground for 5 seconds, then check the tuning again. If this doesn't work it has to be a hard wired option. When you order the manual, make sure to ask for any technical bulletins on that model. They are available, you just have to know to ask for them. Get it from Sony DAPC
http://servicesales.sel.sony.com/web/index.jsp
You may want to call them to ask about the bulletins.