Nice little Martel FAX-200C receiver... early Rotel!

pabs911

Well-Known Member
I just got this off CL a few days ago, but wasn't able to fire it up until today. Tubes look to be original from around 1961 or so. It was sounding pretty damn good, but I noticed that one of the right power tubes was red-plating a bit, so I shut it down. I'll have my tech take a look at it in a couple days. It uses 6BM8 power tubes. It reminds me of early Sansui styling. As you can see, it has no corrosion whatsoever... near mint condition throughout. All lights are working too. I love little amps like this...

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Sweet. Those pcbs mean that it looks much less scary from below than with earlier point to point wiring. I personally rate those 6BM8 tubes.

My guess is your tech will need to replace all or most of those grey caps.
 
If you somehow get a schematic for that, I'd like to have a copy. I have one that a cap puked in.:thumbsdn: The only schematic I could find, was for the 6BQ5 model. I think Tom B. found that one.
 
If you somehow get a schematic for that, I'd like to have a copy. I have one that a cap puked in.:thumbsdn: The only schematic I could find, was for the 6BQ5 model. I think Tom B. found that one.

I'll keep an eye out. I know my tech will want one, but luckily the amp is running pretty well, so perhaps he won't need it.
 
Nice find :thmbsp:
I bought one of the FAX-150s listed in BT recently.
Very surprised at how nice it sounds :)

The schematic for it was included with OM but the print is tiny!

Roger
 
I'll keep an eye out. I know my tech will want one, but luckily the amp is running pretty well, so perhaps he won't need it.

Cool, I'll do some more looking too. The 6BM8 has an almost "cultish" following in Asia, and I like the tube too. I have a little Knight with a quad of Japanese made Awai 6BM8s and it has a killer tone. I'm running Japanese made Matsushita 12AX7s in it for the preamp part. The phono section is only so, so, but I bet it could be made better with just a little work. Never had my Rotel running long enough to test the phono, that cap puked pretty quick after I got it powered up.
 
Have you replaced those grey caps yet? That really should prevent the redplating in the 6BM8.

Yes... Probably that the 6BM8's aren't enough matched (mixed quad) or that the resistors replaced have the wrong values (there is no schematic and several resistors were simply burned, particularly the two tied to the cathodes of the outputs).

Patrice
 
Anyone having the schematic? I'm sure some resistors I put in my Monacor are not the correct values (they were completely destroyed when I bought the receiver).

Thanks.

Patrice
 
Really nice looking Rec! If those are PIO caps like in the Sansui 1000A they are best all replaced including PS caps as you risk the Iron as you probably know.

Randy
 
I haven't found one yet either. Awai is a nice Japanese 6BM8 and affordable when they come up.

They had the AWA-Thorn at Tubestore last year but not anymore...

Looking at the pics closely, I see where I made mistakes: 330 ohms instead of 3.3K!!! I coud also identify a dead resistor that I thought being 100 ohms (in fact, it is a 3.3K too).
 
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Anyone having the schematic? I'm sure some resistors I put in my Monacor are not the correct values (they were completely destroyed when I bought the receiver).

Thanks.

Patrice

Maybe you can ask pabs911 (OP) for some nice high-res pictures of his amp when it returns from the tech? You might be lucky and find this is the same amp rebadged. At least you could get some closer resistor values.

Can you compare channels? If one side is not redplating, that may have the correct resistors already?

You could also compare your receiver with this schematic for a Trio (Kenwood) W-38 receiver which also uses 6BM8 output tubes: http://www.kevinchant.com/trio.html
 
Maybe you can ask pabs911 (OP) for some nice high-res pictures of his amp when it returns from the tech? You might be lucky and find this is the same amp rebadged. At least you could get some closer resistor values.

Can you compare channels? If one side is not redplating, that may have the correct resistors already?

You could also compare your receiver with this schematic for a Trio (Kenwood) W-38 receiver which also uses 6BM8 output tubes: http://www.kevinchant.com/trio.html

pabs911 will send me hi-res pics as soon as the amp return back...

Resistors were changed in each channel and I think I already knows where is my mistake: when I bough this receiver, it was humming and after a while and then, two resistors died. I guessed they were 330 ohms but just by looking at the lo-res pics, I can see that it wasn't the case (looks 3.3k instead, tied to two 470k near the 6BM8's). The FM section also died last year and a resistor was destroyed too. It looks also it is a 3.3k so when I'll have access to the receiver (now sitting in my cottage in the country), I'll try first to replace those three resistors.
 
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I remember these. It seems a company was making them for a number of companies bringing them into the US including Philmore, EV/Game and Olson. Pleasant sounding and nicely laid out for repairs. The sound bettered many of the massmarket US competitors and though not realized at the time was the beginning of the Japanese takeover of the US adio market. QC seemed variable but over time seemed to improve. We sold the Philmore labeled version.
 
Martel + Roland = Rotel

Here's a single ended EL-84 Martel FAX150. I believe many of these were sold by Montgomery Ward in the 1960's. I'd love to find a case for it.

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I remember these. It seems a company was making them for a number of companies bringing them into the US including Philmore, EV/Game and Olson. Pleasant sounding and nicely laid out for repairs. The sound bettered many of the massmarket US competitors and though not realized at the time was the beginning of the Japanese takeover of the US adio market. QC seemed variable but over time seemed to improve. We sold the Philmore labeled version.

Mine had a lot of butchery done under the hood: lifted traces, added wires, etc... It was a pain to work on in fact.

Here's a single ended EL-84 Martel FAX150. I believe many of these were sold by Montgomery Ward in the 1960's. I'd love to find a case for it.

picture.php

Metal case it is.

BTW, you're better to remove the big grey can (unless you've put single electrolytics under to replace already...). Same goes for every caps inside...
 
pabs911, just realized you have it sitting on what looks lke a sandstone Mexican chessboard. I have 1 sitting on the coffee table with matching pieces.
 
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