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Lafayette LR-9090 series / Setton RS 660 series Repairs & upgrades

K7, can you elaborate on what you mean by a "power on relay".

You are in luck! The LR-120db has redundant switch sections and hopefully the second set have never been used. I highly recommend you use a power on relay to save the second section. If I get a TRIAC mod done I will post it.

I've looked at the switch but hesitate to do anything. It is very touchy, it can take several Off/on's before it actually works. I now leave it "on" and use the switch controled extension cord to turn it on and off.
Deoxit D5 and Faderlube did not fix it.
 
Since we're talking Setton, there's a nice RS440 on ebay right now. Ending in a few hours. The owner was super gracious and scanned me the manual which should be posted in the database soon.

My veneer job is coming along nicely, I'll post pics asap.
 
That was nice of the guy to scan the manual for you.

I came across a VINTAGE VIKING SC 5814 on ebay...it sure has a lot of similarities to the Lafayette/Setton receivers. The case, the layout of the controls, even the script used on the faceplate all made me think it could be made by the same OEM.
 
Power relay for a LR120DB

Hey goodolpg, did you get the Viking SC 5814? If so how about some pix of the guts top & bottom.

I needed to take the 120DB out of service and check the output and review what I did for adding the relay. My output offset is a little high Right 48mv and left 40mv. I will probably replace Q 501 & 502 on both PAs to see what happens as long as I have it out of the wrapper.

I tried to describe a power on relay mod in my post 11 & 12 geared to the 9090 series, I did mentioned a different relay for the 120DB. The relay I mentioned was just 1 that would work Omron LY2 – AC. I have a large junk box to shop from so when I describe something I try to add a part number that is available. What you already have or can get that will fit the space is all that matters.

You do need a good soldering iron, not a big soldering gun. Something to desolder with, pump, bulb, sucker, desolder wick, desolder station. Most of what I need to repair on the old stereos I get was caused by someone with too big an iron and no desolder anything.

Power switches are a weak point in many vintage devices. The transformer is an inductor so it does not like to have current start or stop flowing. Thus arcing. It depends where on the AC sine wave the make or brake occurs as to how much arc you get. The caps located around the power and switch are for arc suppression and the silicon cover is a scatter shield.

The relay mod got started on my second 9090 that had a bad power switch. 9090 switches comes apart easily, not so with the 120DB switch. Anyway I opened the bad one from a dead 9090 and the NO contacts were burned up. The NC for the 9090 protective relay dump looked new and was the same at the NO. Thus the relay so I could get 2 sets of contacts using the one set of switch contacts I had left.

An added advantage the power switch controlling a small relay instead of a transformer is small switching requirements. I have added relays to everything I use except my SX-1050 and it is scheduled for a heart transplant soon.

I am thinking on using a TRIAC instead of a relay for even less switch load. How to address dumping the protective relays has not jelled yet as I need NO or NC options on various amps. It is going to take some run time afterwards to make sure it works OK.

OK to the LR120DB. I am quite sure your contacts for the transformer are burned so none of the snake oils can help. Looking at my picture (post 19) the AC leads are on the bottom set of power switch contacts and I am guessing yours are still on the top set. The smaller wires on the front contacts are the protective relay dump and are behind something in the picture. The visible set of switch contacts are now used to control a relay. The original AC power wire remains on the switch and a new wire to the relay coil was added. The wire from the switch to the fuse under the chassis was pulled back and used on the new relay.

With the relay installed, if something bad happens in the amp all that burns up is a cheap relay. The first relay I tried 4PDT did not have enough contact for the size of the LR120 transformer. One of the 3 sets I had in parallel welded. One NO contact of the DPDT relay has enough contact rating for the transformer and the other NO needed for the 120DB protective relay are just loafing along tying Q 604 emitter to ground.

Mylar over relay.JPG
The Mylar under the relay is for insulation

Back side of relay.JPG

The relay pulled out The black wire on one side of a NO (4&6 on this relay base) is a transformer primary to the fuse you can see in the next picture and the brown to the same point is the switched power socket on the rear panel. The red wire on the other side of the NO is line power (same point at the original power wire on the panel switch), The yellow wire is from the front panel power switch to the relay coil. The white wire is the other side of the coil to power neutral. The blue MOV is across the relay coil.

relay installed.JPG

Relay as installed (jammed between wire bundle and chassis) Mylar pulled out.
The bottom NO contact (3 & 5 on the relay base) has a small white shielded wire to points 27 & 28 (on the front edge about center) on the PA board. I removed the original wires from 27 & 28 to the front panel power switch and tucked them in a wire bundle and left the other end soldered to the switch. Looking just above the caution tag is another MOV connected between the transformer primary leads

Did this make sense? I can draw a sketch like I did for the 9090 if it would help.
 
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K7, I appreciate your input.
Sadly, it is far beyond my abilities to try your fix. I'm afraid I would really mess it up. I'll just continue use as is, and take to a tech should failure occur.
Hopefully other Lafayette users will find this thread helpful, there is a lot of information in your posts.
I came across the Viking while browsing receivers on ebay. I didn't buy it. The similarities made me think it was manufactured by the Setton/Lafayette OEM, however, other Viking receivers I saw on ebay do not share the same features, just the SC 5814 does.
If I post a link to the Viking auction this thread will be moved to dollars and sense and this thread will be best served staying where it is.
 
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Goodolpg you found another lost family member. Only difference I see in the VIKING SC 5814 and a LR5555 (without the A) is the power switch is a separate PB not on the back on the speaker switch. Cosmetically closer than the SR440.
JT-3 nice score on the SR440 owner manual.
BTW the SR440 SM and schematic floating around the web was plenty close to repair my LR5555A
 
The "family" resemblance is quite evident with the Viking.
The separate off/on button was the only difference I saw too.
The seller of the Viking is in Canada, I wonder if Viking was either a store brand or a brand that was primarily sold in Canada.
 
Don't know for sure if it applies in this case. But, Viking was a brand sold at Eaton's department stores in Canada. Just like Sears Kenmore, appliances etc. Eatons closed sometime in around 1999. Saw the listing and wondered if it came from Eaton's myself.
 
grageman, Thanks for the info. That is what make this a great place to hang out. With this many participants the information bubbles to the surface.
Usens south of the border don't know a lot about what happens up there in the frigid north. Even if we lived a few miles south of the border at one time - no not "Down Mexico Way" but that song sure played in my mind.
 
Viking SC5814

IMG00875-20130106-1604.jpg

IMG00876-20130106-1604.jpg
Hi K7sparky, if you are still interested. I got that Viking receiver. For some reason I just had to, and no one else bid. I'm happy with it it sounds pretty good. I only had a pair of realistic MC 1500 to try it on and was still happy. Today I picked up some KEF 101 bookshelf speakers and it sounds great. I think the 14 in the name might mean 40 watts per channel. I found some google scans of Eatons ads showing the 5812 was 20 watts and the 5813 was 30 watts. I'm new at this so don't what everything inside is. But those two cylinders near what I'm thinking is the transformer say 50W on them. I put a tape in the photo so you could get an idea of the size its fairly heavy. Approx dimensions 19 3/4" x 11 1/2"x 6". It's pretty dusty, so i'll try give a spray. There is no crackle or static.
 
Glad the Viking went to an AK member.
You may be right about the "coding" used by Viking. If that model is like the LR-5555 and 9090 it most likely is underated a bit and puts out more than 40 actual wpc.
Magazine lab tests from back in the days showed the 5555 and 9090 (both were rated at wpc MINIMUM) both were underrated.
Interestingly enough, the 120DB was rated at 120 wpc...no MINIMUM in the rating. So it's rating might be closer to it's actual output. Less headroom so to speak.

Thanks to K7sparky for going out of his way to help me troubleshoot my LR 120DB!
 
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Garageman, glad you got it and it seems like a good deal to me. And thanks for the input about model numbers

Black cylinders next to the power transformer are the main filter caps.

Parts coding look like following the LR series 2020 = 20WPC (5612), 3030 = 30WPC (5613) the next one in the series was the 5555 = 55WPC so I think that's 5814 you have. If there was a 5815 I would guess it is a 9090

I need to learn to take more pictures when I have my amps opened up, but what i saw in your pix and the listing look like the 5555. The shot of the heat sink with power modules and a bit of amp board look correct as does the bit of the FM section of the tuner.

The SM for the Setton RS-440 is floating around for free. It is not 100% perfect, but plenty close enough. Bells & Whistles are different and no Clipping, OT, Protection circuits on the PA board.

Goodolpg - Was fun, glad I could help.
 
Thanks guys! Good to know the Viking isn't the orphan it appeared to be. Apologize if I butted into your thread.

Ps. If I actually knew what I was doing in there, I wouldn't have taken any photos.

off to read the Deoxit tutorial
 
Not to worry garageman, you added to the thread!
More resource material about Lafayette receivers and their close relatives.

Side note: thread derail....K7sparky, I went to local tech, deemed them competent, dropped off my Lafayette receiver for service.
 
Garageman you said no scratchy controls. Save the deoxit for something that needs it. Don't take an aspirin if you don't have a head ache.

Use a vac and a brush to clean up what you can. Baby wipes work wonders also. If it sounds good just worry about the cosmetics.

Pix are always a good thing and nice to know about another family member. If you find any more of that breed in the cold frozen north shoot some pix and share.

Goodolpg how about a report when you get it back.
 
Thanks K7sparky, good advice. I had a hard time finding Deoxit here. I took some Radio Shack,(The Source, in Canada) dust remover spray and gave it a shot with that. That wasn't the best idea either. Since a lot of it it just hit me in the face and fell back in. Doh!
Baby wipes and a vac I can do. Externally just needs some new vinyl, and tape residue removed. Seems weird to vinyl over plywood.
Can hardly wait for the tundra to thaw so I can check some yard sales. I've got pretty lucky in the last couple weeks with local on-line classifieds. If I find any thing cool I'll posts pics. take care.
 
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