Have Realistic TR-3000 with non-working Rewind & Fast-Forward modes...
Hello Lee and other AK'ers. This is my first post to this forum. Congrats Lee on your successful troubleshooting of the X-3.
I have a small reel-to-reel collection, and two of the machines are the Realistic TR-3000 and the TEAC X-3MKII. From my reading, the TR-3000 and the X-3 are the same machine... the X-3MKII apparently has some different circuitry on the Record/Play amp PCB. On my TR-3000, I am able to play & record, and in fact, did an alignment on the machine, minus a few things like flutter and distortion measurements, for which I don't have the test instrumentation. Just my trusty MRL calibration tapes and an HP 400E AC Voltmeter (well, I have a DMM too, and various audio gear and software, which also comes in handy).
However, on this machine, the rewind and fast-forward functions are inop. When I press either of those buttons, the reel brakes are released (as they should be), but there is no motion of either of the reel turntables. I can turn them freely by hand- it's like there is no current going to either reel motor. Play/Record mode works fine- there is the proper amount of hold-back tension and takeup tension on the reels, so I figured that the motors are fine- maybe it's a failed switch (as in Lee's machine) or perhaps a fried electronic component on the control board. Btw I took out each of the fuses, and they all look fine. I just haven't checked them electrically.
I haven't done any voltage measurements on the PCBs yet, but after reading this thread, I have some hope that perhaps I can find the problem. I have the X-3 service manual (which I used for the play/record alignment) so I will do some testing per the manual and see where it leads me.
Lee, I was curious to see the photos that you posted of your repairs, but I can't access them via this thread. Are they still available somewhere else?
Thanks!
--Doug
Hello Lee and other AK'ers. This is my first post to this forum. Congrats Lee on your successful troubleshooting of the X-3.
I have a small reel-to-reel collection, and two of the machines are the Realistic TR-3000 and the TEAC X-3MKII. From my reading, the TR-3000 and the X-3 are the same machine... the X-3MKII apparently has some different circuitry on the Record/Play amp PCB. On my TR-3000, I am able to play & record, and in fact, did an alignment on the machine, minus a few things like flutter and distortion measurements, for which I don't have the test instrumentation. Just my trusty MRL calibration tapes and an HP 400E AC Voltmeter (well, I have a DMM too, and various audio gear and software, which also comes in handy).
However, on this machine, the rewind and fast-forward functions are inop. When I press either of those buttons, the reel brakes are released (as they should be), but there is no motion of either of the reel turntables. I can turn them freely by hand- it's like there is no current going to either reel motor. Play/Record mode works fine- there is the proper amount of hold-back tension and takeup tension on the reels, so I figured that the motors are fine- maybe it's a failed switch (as in Lee's machine) or perhaps a fried electronic component on the control board. Btw I took out each of the fuses, and they all look fine. I just haven't checked them electrically.
I haven't done any voltage measurements on the PCBs yet, but after reading this thread, I have some hope that perhaps I can find the problem. I have the X-3 service manual (which I used for the play/record alignment) so I will do some testing per the manual and see where it leads me.
Lee, I was curious to see the photos that you posted of your repairs, but I can't access them via this thread. Are they still available somewhere else?
Thanks!
--Doug
FIXED IT!
....
Here is the board with the switch removed, I also circled the new motor run capacitors I put in.
After carefully taking the switch apart, I found the problem. The little white plastic piece (circled in the picture below) had broken.