Can someone help me with my SC-3110

[AgentWinchester]

I recently became the proud owner of a Sansui SC-3110 tape deck. I found it in the trash after a local computer repair shop moved. Just a little dusty, but sound great. I'm fine with it using headphones, but to hear anything from the rear outputs, i have to rig up a speaker i ripped out of an old GE radio and hold it up to my ear. Does this this thing need an amplifier, or do i need to take a look inside?

WHy i sound so stupid is, i have never dealt with this sort of equiptment, and it worked fine when i ran it through my Aiwa NSX-Aj10 stereo, using it as an amp. my question: do i need an amp, or is there a built in amp that's not working?

 

[AgentWinchester]

oh crap

i plugged it into my Aiwa again to listen to it, and surprise surprise, my bowie tape keeps getting really, yano like if the bass was turned up all the way, and one of the channels cuts out everyonce and a while. i also smelled something like when an electronic device fries, kinda like old solder before i hooked it up, might have been something else. i'm gonna let it sit for a while.

 

[outlawmws]

Yes, it needs an amp. It's intended for use in a separates system. I have one of those I bought new with my TU and AU 717. All it has is a miniscule pre-amp to fire the main amp. Don’t use the phono input, that one won’t like a pre-amp.

Can't say what the smell was.

BTW that was a great tape unit in its day. Mine needs a new head (We wore it out, has a deep groove worn in it...), and bell(s), but that’s it as far as I know

 

[AgentWinchester]

Thanks. Solved the smell and channel problems, was my computer and an old pair of headphones that were giving me trouble.

Now i gotta get either an amp or a headphone coupler to run it off my computer speakers. Do you have any reccomendations on models or where to get dirt cheap amps? If i don't pawn it before i get some income, i'd love to keep this thing looking and working great.

Thanks for your help!

EDIT: You mentioned it has a small amp? Is this the board in the left rear, connected to the transformer, lots of capacitors? me and a family member were trying to figure that board out, it appears the capacitors are leaking, either that or something was spilled around them.

 

[outlawmws]

It will have a preamp, but I can't say if what your looking at is it or not. I have never had the covers off of mine. Leaking caps are not good. Try to ID Value and voltages fro replacement. You have to match values, but the voltages can go up if that’s what's available.

You also want to clean that leakage off the circuit cards as it can eat the traces. If trace damage has occurred try to keep track of what connects to what. You can solder jumpers to replace eaten traces. If you need a schematic I may have one. I think all my Sansui stuff came with schematics.