Marantz 2500 restore

I spoke to Matt and we are taking a baby step forward.
The rough numbers are reasonable, so far.
The devil is always in the details.

The proof is always at go time to see if the trigger gets pulled.
 
Blaine,
In talking with a another fellow who has two dead 2500's he has contact info for an outfit who also custom makes toroidal transformers.
He is also interested in getting his done.
I don't think it's the same company that you have contacted.
PM me please so as to not muddy the waters here.

Bob
 
I wonder how many dead 2500 & 2600's there are out there waiting for a transplant? :idea: Stay tuned folks, this is getting very interesting. :lurk:
 
Spoke to Matt today about moving forward on transformer design(s).
Going for repop 2500 and 2600 trannies,

His design engineer has been "in the wind" so he said he'd ping him about moving forward.
 
I just spoke with Matt the nice thing about the $200 design is that you will own the design and from there on out you could have it made anywhere if you chose not to have them make it. They give a price break for quantities and for just the one from when I spoke to him about it seems very reasonable for a rough estimate of what it might cost to have the one made.

This is starting to look interesting. Yaay.
 
Could not stay on top of the transformer redesign and manufacture.
Unit shipped to Chicago to a shop that supposedly has a transformer.

On to other projects.
 
Epilog.

Sort of a warning to folks.

Here is what I was told and had to work with.

Unit is bought/sold with a story. "Found in storage, played a little, made a pop, no smoke, now doesn't work".

Unit is packed and shipped by FedEx to someone who has experience bring the dead back to life (not Jesus).

Unit arrives and gets unpacked (read HEAVY LIFTING) and it is a mess.

Tech sorts out the parts, inventories what is missing and tries to understand what happened. Tuning dial is all picked aparts and hanging loose with tuning sting everywhere, parts bent and missing.

Tech gets mess to bench and starts removing covers and CAREFULLY works the Dial andf string around to sort out the mess. Hangs it back together as mach as possible to keep it out of the way and to keep the indicator and string from getting damaged. It will need to be sorted out later and will need to be moved LATER when getting to the scope and tuner for restoring.

Tech checks soft start resistor because that is a known problem area and resistor is dead. Tech works all the wiring and mount out to repair the resistor. Gets that sorted out, replaced and tries test fire. NOTHING! Check main fuse, its missing. Replace with correct fuse. BRIGHT BULB.

Why is fuse missing? Why is face all tore apart? What the hell where they doing or thinking?

Tech was told, "IT PLAYED A LITTLE, POPPED, NO SMOKE..." SO, tech decides to check the amp next. BECAUSE working on the transformer, filter caps, power supply is a LOT of tearing it apart. BUT the unit is to be restored, so ALL of this parts will need tio be gone over anyway.

Tech remove the amp, tears it all apart, tests ALL the transisters with a curve tracer andf finds ALL the transisters to seem OK. ALSO ALL the diodes. While its all apart, tech recaps the whole amp and puts it all back together and back into the unit. They mount from the bottom and its a pain in the butt to take them out and put them back because you need to hang it off the bench and "crawl under" like working on a car.

Tech then turn to the power supply. 4 main bolts to get to, a few large wires to unsolder, a lot of other wires to remove and keep striaight (needs to be done anyway for the rebuild).
Lifting the whole transformer, filter cap sub chassis out is a major pain!

Sub chassis on the bench, unconnected to anything. STILL bright bulb. Tech hopes tio HELL its a bridge rectifier or shorted filter cap. Tech unsolderes a mess of large wires. on the filter caps Still bright bulb. Test is working with live electricity and loose wires everywhere. Tech then unhooks all the bridge rectifier wires and BRIGHT BULB!!!

TRANSFORMER IS SHORTED!

Tell owner. Owner talks about returning it. Owner asks about cost to fix. Research begins. Tech knows where a good transformer is but may not be available. Tech makes calls. Tech searches the internet. Tech finds info about a company that can design and perhaps build one. Tech can't get a clear commitment from owner to proceed. Tech has a life and job and so taking time to get info costs.

Tech needs to use his bench while this sorts out. Tech puts everything back together so it can be moved and stored.

Tech gets outside interest in getting transformer designed. Cost sharing from interested third party folks. Tech has trouble getting company on the phone and getting the ball moving. Tech has a life and a job and tells owner it will probably take a while. Tech has NO idea how long design and manufacture takes OR what final cost will be.

Owner locates a company that promises to repair it in a couple weeks and orders unit packed up and shipped.

Tech carefully gets the unit all pieced together (some more work on the dial because parts showed up late), gets the face mounted enough and puts unit back in the FedEx box and padding and hauls the beast to town and ships it after being paid a very reasonable amout for the work performed and parts.

NOW THE FUN PART.

Unit gets to shop and all sorts of BS flow and owner loses the rest of their mind and cries about the packing and lousy dial work (not finished) and wants his money back.

Tech cannot make owner understand situation.

Tech predicts shop will find all sorts of issues (there are a lot), make all sorts of claims and rape owner for a rebuild.

Time and effort and parts by tech, quite a bit.
Numberr of "Please", "Thank you" given by owner, none.
Insults made by owner, a few.


Anyone that has worked on one of these can tell you the effort made.
Anyone that has my work in hand can tell you my skill.

I understand the owners pain but really don't appreciate him speading it around.
 
Looking back at some things I saw during the whole nightmare I am pretty sure the "story" was a lie.

Why the face was all tore apart is a mystery. There is no reason for that at all, not even a messed up lamp rework.

I noticed one wire disconnected from the amp when I went to remove it. No reason for that and if it was that way, it would not have "played briefly", it was a rail line.

The main fuse was missing. Not that that couldn't happen but most idiots replace it and blow it again (and again, etc..)

I have a feeling that the unit was a wreck when it was stored. Too many parts taken off and missing to be a recent tear apart.

Owner got screwed and its going to cost him. The pity is, trying to help him drags you into his personal hell.

THERE, Now I've wasted MORE time on this money pit.

Time is MONEY!
 
Everybody stay tuned. I will chip in with my side very soon. Once I have the entire picture.
I am the owner of that unit.
 
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