Nakamichi SR-3A tuner issues

[Tony Dellett]

Hi! I'm pretty new here joining because I purchased a SR-3A on eBay for a song. It works great except for the FM tuner.

The tuner won't tune any stations and the 7 segment displays look like they have some segments that are brighter than others.

I opened it up and I don't see any cruddy solder joints or bulgy capacitors and in general, the phono section works rather nice.

Does anyone here have any experience with restoring a Nak tuner?

Thanks in advance!

 

[rcs16]

To bad the FM does not work. Did the seller not say that it had a dead FM section? It depends on the terms of the sale. If you bought it, as is, then you are unfortunate.
I have never serviced this particular unit, but many tuners have similar design and construction. It is a synthesized tuner (PLL vco). They are usually harder to fix than your average analog tuner, since there is a bunch of control electronics involved. You usually require knowledge and test equipment in order to fix a tuner unless it is something simple. Problem is the cost to fix it by a good tech would defeat the cost that you payed for it. Common problem with older, low power receivers. Use a separate FM tuner if you like the amp section.

 

[Punker X]

When you say it doesn't tune in the station. Does it try tuning up and down the scale, anything else going on? Signal strength changes, stereo light on and off? Many if the discriminator zero is not adjusted correctly tuners with auto tune will continually search for a station. Has to be zero for it stop and lock onto the station. Probably nothing can do about the display.

 

[Tony Dellett]

The seller did tell me about the broken tuner which is why I was able to nab it for $50.

As for the symptoms, it does go up and down the scale, it just never locks in to a station.