Alignment ?
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jhinkel
Super Member
aligning your tuner is actually only a problem for analog tuners, but the general idea is that when the pointer moves across the face of the dial, it indicates what station you are on, but when it gets to the end of the track it travels in, it won't stop. if you just keep spinning the tuning knob, you will put the pointer out of alignment, meaning it will read 100.0 when it's really tuned to 94.0 fm (for example...). I hope this helps 
!
EDIT: oh, and I forgot to add that aligning the tuner generally corrects this issue and makes it so that a reading of 100.0 fm will actually be 100.0 fm.
!EDIT: oh, and I forgot to add that aligning the tuner generally corrects this issue and makes it so that a reading of 100.0 fm will actually be 100.0 fm.
Depends on the tuner, but generally speaking in a full alignment you align the frequency settings (call it dial alignment if you will), optimize the front end, adjust the discriminator for max out/min distortion, make sure the local oscillator is set to 19kHz (stereo tuners), set separation, stereo & muting thresholds, and so on. IF alignment is a whole separate chapter.
And yes, getting that stuff right improves reception (esp. the front end optimization) and makes tuners sound better... as I am sure other resident tuner experts will testify.
John
And yes, getting that stuff right improves reception (esp. the front end optimization) and makes tuners sound better... as I am sure other resident tuner experts will testify.
John
Bob@FM
Well-Known Member
aligning your tuner is actually only a problem for analog tuners, but the general idea is that when the pointer moves across the face of the dial, it indicates what station you are on, but when it gets to the end of the track it travels in, it won't stop. if you just keep spinning the tuning knob, you will put the pointer out of alignment, meaning it will read 100.0 when it's really tuned to 94.0 fm (for example...). I hope this helps
Nope, wrong. At the end of the dial, the cord slips in the shaft if you force it. That does not hurt alignment.
Alignment basically adjusts many aspects of the tuner, including the RF front end, IF stages, detector, stereo circuits, metering, mute, and so on to work as intended by the engineers who designed the tuner. With a proper alignment, the tuner should meet or exceed published specs.
In many cases with tuners especially low or midline models, they were not perfectly aligned when new at the factory. They were close, but not given the best possible attention. To do so requires a lot of time, and time is money.
In the case of old tuners, parts may drift over time, or with tube tuners, tubes wear out. So realignment is needed in many instances. On of the best ways to know if a tuner needs alignment is to compare it to a known good tuner.
KentTeffeteller
Gimpus Stereophilus!
If done by someone like Terry DeWick, Audio Classics, RadioX tuners, or similar quality, your tuner will come back like new or even better. Needed every 20-30 years of use for your tuner to be it's very best.
BinaryMike
Pelagic EE
Tuners can get out of alignment from shipping vibration as much as anything else. Ideally, you want to find a competent local tech for tuner work, to avoid shipping after alignment. Factory techs are very good at what they do, but many vintage tuners were aligned using older test gear that couldn't extract the best performance to begin with. You can get maximum sensitivity with basic test gear, but minimizing distortion is another matter entirely.
jhinkel
Super Member
Thanks for the correct explanation
!
Bob@FM
Well-Known Member
Not in agreement here with that, at least for most modern tuners. Maybe a few older tube tuners with paper core transformers were *sometimes* subject to that shipping vibration effect. But many manufacturers, like Sherwood, sealed the alignment with a little wax on the ferrite slug, to prevent movement in shipping. Usua;;y not a problem for most tube tuners even, in my experience.
Later tuners had plastic or precision Japan made metal inductor cores, and no problems with shipping vibration. I've bought many tuners and had them shipped to me, over 100 in quantity, and many of a certain make and model come in with perfect alignment. Other models are always bad, but I don't blame it on shipping - they were bad from the factory. When I align them, and then for some other odd reason they come back, they are always still in perfect alignment.
So be careful of passing on old wives tales. I've heard this one before, and although it may sound good, makes no sense when you think about all the other tuned RF devices we buy and work with daily. Like cell phones, wireless routers, and so on. Adjustable cap and inductor values usually hold up fine with shipping.
Agreed... and, anything loose enough to shift from impact during shipping should be loose enough to be obvious when you're doing the alignment. At that point there are things you can do (like adding the wax etc.) to prevent it happening inadvertently.
John
John
trhee
ㅇtㅈyㅅr
If it hasn't had an alignment since new, I would safely assume it would benefit from an alignment.
I will second Kent's comments and the folks he lists to perform work on your tuners. Have sent tuners to all 3 he mentions and have been very pleased with work from all 3.
I will single out Terry DeWick for special mention in this regard. Very good work, very reasonable prices and just a pleasant person to talk to about tuners. He has restored/aligned a Mac MR74, Sherwood S3000V and just in December a Sony ST-J88B for me. On the Sony in addition to a full alignment, he did a major recap job on power supply and audio output sections replacing older electrolytics and several tantalum caps. He replaced several display bulbs that were not permitting the stereo function to work. I had him install 8 pin DIP sockets and replace the original audio section opamps with modern opamps I supplied. Including shipping back to me (Tennessee to PA), the total came to under $300. The tuner sounds great, the stereo separation for one thing is simply incredible.
Do not forget a recap. Old caps drift the most of all components and are not as good as quality new caps. Especially the coupling caps and power supply caps in older tuners.
Well................. your TX-7500 might sound even better with a recap and alignment.
KentTeffeteller
Gimpus Stereophilus!
All good reliable tuner technicians will replace any components needed and then align the IF, RF, and Multiplex sections. P.S. Digital tuners still often need attention too as components age. And remember many otherwise excellent tuners built to a price point, tend to have less than ideal alignment from the factory.
If you like what you are hearing, then fine. It is your ears and your money. However, it is unlikely that it sounds 'like new' after all these years.
