fisher newbie

[ceylon]

im new to fisher. just picked up a 400 for restoration. im at hayseed hamfest ready to buy a recap kit.

i have questions, and my first i,

how do i determine which 400 version i have?

thanks in advance

ceylon

 

[kappclark]

Congrats of the 400 .. when I got mine, I was convinced somehow it was going to sound awful because so old, missing parts etc .. I have been humbled ..

This thread may help (there are MANY excellent threads here on this wonderful receiver)

Fisher 400 Date by serial #

I thought I saw a thread one time stating the date of manufacture by the serial number. Does anyone know where I can find this? I just purchased one with serial number 34129S. I would also like to have the manual. I have a manual fisher 400 from 10001 to 19999 serial #. I am not sure how...

audiokarma.org

 

[nerdorama]

Serial number is one tell but the output transformer p/n is important. If the transformer numbers end in "X" then it's a later version.

I think the number of IF transformers in the tuner is another indicator.

I rebuilt my 400 earlier this year with all of Dave Gillespie's improvements, i.e., volume buffer board, EFB, already had an individual bias board, power and bias supplies, phase inverter improvement, tone bypass and rewiring the space expander jacks to become pre out/amp in connections. It was a lot of work but worth the effort.

Have fun,
John

 

[ceylon]

Serial number is one tell but the output transformer p/n is important. If the transformer numbers end in "X" then it's a later version.

gotcha. ah gotcha. thanks buddy.

 

[nerdorama]

Just added some edits to my post above.

 

[nerdorama]

I also will mention that I bought several of the PC boards that I used from @RS Steve and they worked great. @ncwalz has also developed some PC boards for use in the Fishers based on Dave G's work. Steve's boards are populated and ready to installed, the others are bare boards but the Gerber files are available to download and have made by the board fab of your choice. I have some coming now.

Happy to share anything from my 400 project experience. I've also used several of the boards in a 500c that I did for a friend.

 

[ceylon]

Serial number is one tell but the output transformer p/n is important. If the transformer numbers end in "X" then it's a later version.

I think the number of IF transformers in the tuner is another indicator.

I rebuilt my 400 earlier this year with all of Dave Gillespie's improvements, i.e., volume buffer board, EFB, already had an individual bias board, power and bias supplies, phase inverter improvement, tone bypass and rewiring the space expander jacks to become pre out/amp in connections. It was a lot of work but worth the effort.

Have fun,
John

very helpful, john. thanks.

my long-term plan is going the full monty, tho i dont know what that means. i really want to be able to bias each tube., but i figured id start with hayseed hamfest, but i hit my first snag: not knowing exactly which version of the fisher 400 i have, which version of the recap kits do i buy? and if i understand correctly there is more than one version of the recap kit even for the same version of the 400.

 

[nerdorama]

Hayseed really has only one 400 kit but that kit has options for the bias supply filter caps, either a single two section can or two discrete radial caps.

 

[ceylon]

Hayseed really has only one 400 kit but that kit has options for the bias supply filter caps, either a single two section can or two discrete radial caps.

yes, theyre 2 separate products, and i dont know which one to buy.

i would like to keep the tone controls as well. having the option of bypassing the tone controls without removal would be cool.

i am coming from a cold start on this.

 

[nerdorama]

yes, theyre 2 separate products, and i dont know which one to buy.

Depends on how you want to rebuild the power and bias supplies. I used two rather large snap-in caps for the voltage doubler of the HV supply and mounted one where one of the original cans was located and the other in the clip underneath that originally held the bias cap. Used two small radial caps mounted over near the new bias rectifier. It's a little tight but works fine. I also added an inrush limiter

The original was the large double cap in clip near the bias rectifier.

 

[larryderouin]

What John said. If this is your 1st rodeo, go with the Single cap.. Once you get comfortable with tube electronics you can go either way.

 

[nerdorama]

BTW, which version outputs do you have? Early or later "X" versions?

 

[ceylon]

What John said. If this is your 1st rodeo, go with the Single cap.. Once you get comfortable with tube electronics you can go either way.

its my first receiver, but ive rebuilt 2 power amps, wired up 3 amp kits and am at the tail end of a scratch build.

BTW, which version outputs do you have? Early or later "X" versions?

dont know, but im sure eager to find out; ATM theres 1100 miles between my fisher and i

 

[nerdorama]

ATM theres 1100 miles between my fisher and i

got it. Let us know when it's home.

 

[ceylon]

got it. Let us know when it's home.

roger that, buddy

 

[joebass3]

If you go with the single bias cap (single 2 section can), make sure you tell Hayseed to insulate the can. They should know this already but the can I received was not insulated. Being a newbie, I installed it as is and obviously smoke ensued.

 

[ceylon]

If you go with the single bias cap (single 2 section can), make sure you tell Hayseed to insulate the can. They should know this already but the can I received was not insulated. Being a newbie, I installed it as is and obviously smoke ensued.

oh man. thanks.

 

[larryderouin]

And ask them for a new insulator for the doubler cap. They'll supply it. More often than not, they are brittle and will break when you remove the old one.

 

[ceylon]

BTW, which version outputs do you have? Early or later "X" versions?

early

 

[larryderouin]

The 400 in the original pot is an Early version, just looking at the # of tuner tubes. The transformer in previous post confirms Early.