Pioneer SX-880 Cutting out

Yes it does mean the meter tests capacitance. I forgot to mention that the meter should have a diode test feature, usually represented on the dial as a diode symbol. The regular ohm function does not push enough voltage through the diode to cause it to conduct. The diode test readout is in millivolts, representing the forward voltage drop of the diode.

This thread talks about transistor testing.
 
I just got a sx-880 from retro stereo at the audio get together. It has the same problem. I guess I will have to crack it open and check the solder joints.

Dolan
 
No need to apologize for anything Mr. MarkAllen, I'm truly appreciative for the advice. I'll swing by Sears later and grab a DMM. Hopefully when soccer season ends I'll open up the cases on 4 different SX's I have in the basement and go over them all thoroughly, I can't believe the difference from faderlube alone :D . Thanks again.....Mark.
 
I just received my SX-890 today and, from reading the earlier part of this thread, mentioned that the 880/890 had some issues with it shutting off at the 8 or 9 o'clock position on volume. Well, I did notice when I unpacked it that something sounded loose internally. Popped the top then the bottom off and found the Regulator was loose! So, tightened it down, put it back together and it's been playing like a champ the last half hour or so. It's pretty dirty inside and out and I'll get to that eventually (read this weekend)...along with adjusting the DC, etc. I like the black dial...kind of a nice difference over the others. Not better, just different.

I'll get picks as soon as it's cleaned up too! But for about $35 shipped, it sounds pretty darn good. It gives me 5 receivers to rotate while I recap the 1980. Just thought I'd give an update. This weekend, I'm picking up a pair of JBL L96's on recommendation of a friend in Tulsa. $150 and they are immaculate...and local! Wish they were the L112's but these are going to be good.
 
Well, I grabbed the $9 Sears DMM this afternoon and was happy as a clam. I was going to come home and have a prettier wife, a fuller head of hair, a slimmer waistline, happier children, more fulfilling career, and....and.....and....I read about Diodes, Capacitors, Klingons and Wham!!!!! I gotta go back to Sears and return this thing, now I gotta have the HAL 9000 of DMM's!!!!! Sorry, I was just entertaining and educating one of the kids about Sarcasm (seriously, one of his vocabulary words), anyway, should I return the $9 unit and upgrade towards another for $10 to $20 more which I wouldn't mind or should I concentrate on the task at hand and utilize my new tool :banana: ?
 
As a learned person here remarked, on this subject , but not this instance, "you get what you pay for". I was a little concerned about the meter,and it is a lot less painful to upgrade now, while you can do an exchange.
 
markthefixer said:
As a learned person here remarked, on this subject , but not this instance, "you get what you pay for". I was a little concerned about the meter,and it is a lot less painful to upgrade now, while you can do an exchange.

Yep, pretty much what I had figured. We'll get to Sears in the next day or so and proceed, thanks again guys, the help this site and it's members offer is great!
 
Well I finally got a chance to get back to Sears to return / upgrade the DMM and wanted to let anybody who wants or needs one to check out their sale. The selection was great where I went and the guy who worked the department was actually very helpful. Being that I'm still new at this I can't say how good or bad the deals were but I can say that many of their DMM's were discounted 40% and more. The unit I got was on sale for $30 (regularly $50) and pretty much covers what was suggested in above posts, thanks again for the help.....Mark.
 
my 880 won't put out sound anymore from my record player, so I'm going to see if it's a broken solder point like in the picture. EXTREMELY new to these kind of problems though, if anyone had any other input for what might be causing it alternatively I'd really appreciate it
 
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my 880 won't put out sound anymore from my record player, so I'm going to see if it's a broken solder point like in the picture. EXTREMELY new to these kind of problems though, if anyone had any other input for what might be causing it alternatively I'd really appreciate it

Start a new thread... you are ENCOURAGED to. :D

In the new thread, post the results of testing to see if the AM and FM make sound.

There should be a click several seconds after it's turned on, after which sound is heard, do you hear this click?

Are ALL the lights working on it... etc...

remember- answers in NEW thread....
 
Yes I have a Pioneer SX-880 and it also has the same issue, I tested for the DC Voltage and also re Soldered all the transistors put a at the very least a 4x bigger transistor heat-sink on both of the hot transistors the bigger on the hotter one of course, and the result is that the thresh hold is a bit higher but it still kicks off, and it kicks off at a lower level with the Bass maxed, or if both the left and right speakers are on. I'm going to replace the trouble transistor, and see if their is a good 12V current I can hook up a PC case fan too, thanks for the pointer's ^.=.^
My Left channel DC Voltage 0.03 and my Right side is 0.03 DCV on both A and B channels it also dose not kick with no input audio
 
use the balance control to see if it kicks on one side or the other, also check if it kicks without any speakers connected.
 
It kicks the same on ether left or right and A or B, and it kicks with out speakers. It kicks at lower volume with speakers rather than with out , and even lower with high bass songs and the bass maxed. Their are also scorch marks on the board under the trouble transistor it kicks off around 10 watts with high bass and 30 watts with it low, as far as the watt gauges on the front show
 
I know this thread's a bit old, but I have to wonder if going into protection at higher volumes is endemic to the SX880, as the one I have (bought new while in high school in '80) did the same thing new, esp. with bassy music, and still does after a full recap/overhaul a couple of years ago.
-Mark
 
On the recap/overhaul, were the transistors that are paired with the 0.22uf caps replaced? They can leak and cause false over current triggers. Q33, Q34, 2sa904a, to ksa992, then Q36 2sc1914 gets swapped to ksc1845. The sx-880 is more sensitive to this as their output goes to another amplifier, who's leakage goes into a very sensitive input - squaring the possibilities.
 
Hi Mark- I've recapped three receivers now- the SX-880, an SX-1050 and SX-1080. On the big 'uns I did replace some of the problem transistors per your
recommendations, but not on the 880 as it was my first one and I was still early in the learning curve. It sounds like it would be prudent to go back and do the transistor swap.
It always seemed to be the B-52's "Party Out of Bounds" that would shut it down in 1980. Don't ask how or why I remember that.
Appreciate the response. AMAZING what you can learn here thanks to AK's kind and knowledgeable folks.
-Mark
 
... it wouldn't be very long and your SX-880 would not click on at all when you throw the power switch.

The design is such that a particular transistor (there are three, actually, but a specific one is usually the culprit) in the power supply circuit gets VERY hot; over time, the solder joint cracks and you can have intermittent contact problems. Eventually, you'd turn the receiver on and the relay won't kick in. The dial lamps will light up, but that's it.

You need to re-solder the problem transistor. ...



This seems to have fixed my problem with the SX-880. Thank you for your post and attaching the picture!
 
Sorry to bump and old thread but just wanted to say THANK YOU to the community for this solution. I had the same problem and fixed it very easily. I'm am not a pro by any means. I took some photos to share.

Basically, the piece in question (shown In an earlier post) was clearly deficient. Heat has warped the plastic board and the solder joint was clearly broken. All I did was re-soldered. I will go back and add the heat sink as some point.
 

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I guess I have been extremely lucky. I purchased a beautiful one owner SX-880 at a garage sale for $10. It's never gone into protection mode once. I don't crank it that loud but loud enough. The owner told me that shortly after he purchased it new he received a service bulletin from Pioneer and had an "IC chip that caused overheating" replaced. I wonder if this is what y'all are talking about? I love this receiver, sounds great with my Wharfedale Denton 80ths.
 
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