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Fisher X-202 Rebuild

2

2dbit

Active Member
Thought I'd start a thread following the rebuild of my X-202 (30000-39999 variety). Of course there will be plenty of pictures as things progress. I'm open to all suggestions, feel free to comment!


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All original tubes, unit has seen no service in its life. Fisher did a great job when they built these units.


Pretty spectacular tube separation!
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While I wait for parts, I worked on aesthetics. There's a lot of work that needs to be done, but this is not a race, so I don't mind taking some time to just work on beauty and protection.

Before and after of the faceplate. The difference in the picture isn't substantial, but in person I looks a lot better, and with a nice coat of wax, it should protect against any further oxidation.

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Here's a few before/after pictures of the chassis, came out really well. Though, I feel like I might do a little more when time permits.

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Going for the ride. It looks like a nice specimen. too bad about the tube (no glass). Was this one in the family or did you pick it up recently? The usual sages should chime in soon. Good luck and enjoy the journey (rebuild) . I always do.
 
It's a family piece. It actually belongs to my father, he purchased it new ~1960. All things considered, it's in wonderful shape. There is only a single broken knob, but that may be salvageable.
 
Bravo for your patience and goodwill to bring a very nice piece of engineering
back to life....

Patience I do not have !
 
You now have my attention 2dbit.

dcgillespie has had quite a bit to say on this exact unit recently in this thread: http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=551073. Larry Derouin has also done some work for Naptown Rob on one of these. Searching the forum might give you some insights.

We're a very collaborative group and the general knowledge base is better for that.
Welcome. We hope to do more than ride on your coattails in this adventure.
 
:drool:

Love the look of the brass with the multi colored jewels - wow! Amazing how clean it actually was under the years of dust! Some beefy transformers, whats the approx wpc on this?
 
This unit shares the same core elements and circuit design of the SA-100 basic power amplifier, which was rated at a total of 50 watts -- in music power watts that is. In stock form, each channel is easily capable of 20 watts RMS, while with both channels driven, this more like 17 to 18 watts. With the hefty output transformers though, it will deliver this power quite easily from about 25 Hz to 20 kHz, which is the spec where the rubber really meets the road!

Dave
 
The X202 is a great amp and yours looks exceptionally nice. It's well worth the time and effort. Restuffing the caps is not all that difficult. If I can do it, anyone can. Cosmetically, don't go overboard polishing the faceplate. It seems as though the discoloration on the brass starts under the lacquer and spreads. There's really no way to totally remove the tarnish without further damaging the original finish.

All the Best with it! You'll get lots of help!
 
Thanks for all the props. The chassis had a lot of dust on it, but what really cleaned it up was a combination of Met-All Aluminum polish on the components that were brought to a mirror finish, and Klasse All-In-One automotive cleaner wax for all other areas. The Klasse wax is actually quite effective in polishing the surface as well. It's not abrasive, but does remove surface oxidation. It was powerful enough to bring out the shine, but gentle enough not to harm the decals. Plus, I know once I'm done I have a surface that not only looks good, but is also protected against further oxidation. I think I may go over it a bit more, and finish with a coat of Collinite 845. It's a petroleum based wax that has no cleaning properties, but is essentially bullet proof.

The biggest impact had to be the before/after with the OPT shields. I'm on the wall about the tube shields, I could just do the Klasse and have them shine in a matte finish, or go for the mirror polish. I realize in the end all of this will be hidden from view once installed, but I'm a little OCD...I'll know it looks good.
 
Parts arrived! I ordered replacements for all the Electrolytic and Mylar caps, as well as all resistors. I wasn't sure if I'd go ahead and replace all the resistors, but at $0.06 each, it's not a big deal if I decide not to.

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