Wooden side panels on Sony VTR series receivers

steveUK

steveUK

Active Member
Looks like I've got myself a Sony STR-V5 receiver. Not the biggest, most powerful unit in the range, the V6 and V7 being bigger, but at 85 thumps/ch, it's still a decent output. Looking at photos of the VTR series receivers, you see ones with metal blocks at the front corners, and others with wooden corner blocks and also, wooden side cheeks. Was it just the luck of the draw if you got wood? Was it an optional extra? Were they just plastic veneer? Anyone made wooden side panels to fit on to their STR receiver? How difficult is it? Any info on this appreciated. Thanks.
 
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I've now bought this set that was described as "not working". As the previous owner advised, the mains switch was not clicking on properly, not latching. I took the front panel off and there's a small black plastic 'frame' that snugly surrounds the mains switch button. This had come adrift (glue failed) and hanging at a jaunty angle, it was blocking the switch from operating fully. Fixing the frame back in place corrected the problem; one working set! Not completely though..

1) ALL lamps not working. I have fired off an email to dwojo for a quote. However, as some of the lamps are in series, it's just possible that up to two of them may be working. Also, as FM stereo is not working, that lamp too may be good. But as it is at the moment, not a lamp in the house..
2) FM does not work in stereo, just mono. Stereo works for aux.
3) Left power meter is not working. Could be the meter itself - will check by swapping connections with right hand one. Otherwise it could be the signal to it not getting through.
 
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Left hand power meter not moving; now cured. It was the level adjustment pot for the power meter that was dirty. A spray with Servisol contact cleaner 10 and a few side to side turns of the pot fixed it.
 
I'm now trying to find the cause of not being able to receive FM in stereo. It's loud and clear in mono. Certain voltages around chips are wrong, but so are some of the voltages at points around the chips, so it's not easy to tell which is effect and which is cause. Anyway, at points where the voltage switches from one to another depending on whether it is in stereo or mono, those voltages are always in 'mono mode'. Hence no stereo, but finding the actual root cause is not easy.
 
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steveUK said:
but finding the actual root cause is not easy.
Click to expand...

No it is not easy, l have had about 4 receivers with FM issues and it did take a while to diagnose the problems. When you say loud and clear on FM mono does it have really good signal strength on the meter? The mono voltages you are finding may be correct if it is not reaching the stereo threshold.

I don't know if these threads will be of any help as you have probably already tried cleaning the tuning capacitor, stereo separation pot etc.
http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/sony-str-v5-purchase.379040/
http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/sony-str-v5-came-in-today.52644/
http://audiokarma.org/forums/index....-about-a-sony-str-v5-might-be-generic.230188/
http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/sony-str-v5-and-v6-stereo-or-mono.179295/
 
Thanks for those links, lots of info. I've been doing some pot twiddling and more cleaning today, but no sign of FM stereo yet. I'm plodding on though..
 
Nice find, the V is actually very close to the V6/V7 in weight so the actual difference in output is probably not as much as you would think from the specs.

I had a V, very nice receiver but also Mono only on FM. After I got rid of it I read that it was quite common and the fix might be an easy one and it involves a slight teak of one of the adjustment pots on the board, not the front panel. Can't remember which onw right now. Good luck getting it back and running in stereo, excellent 5 gang tuner.
 
I'm now part way through fitting the new lamps. The meter ones have gone in fine, I re-used the blue filter from the existing lamps by slitting them lengthways and fitting them over the new lamps. Re the signal strength lamp, again it was not really a problem, just that it being slightly smaller than the original I held it in place in its rubber holder with a dab of contact glue. The main dial lamps.. the new ones drop straight, in but obviously are not blue coloured like the originals. Having used the stuff before, I have ordered and will use Pebeo Vitrail transparent glass paint to obtain (as near as is possible) the correct colour, in this case, Cobalt Blue. Yes, blue filter + 'yellow' lamp = greeny blue display.

Otherwise, still no progress on the FM stereo problem. I have tried all the possible pots on the tuner board that could be culprits, but with no joy. Cleaned them too. I'm not panicking (yet!) re this issue as overall I am making good progress with the set, and it's no problem if it's the last thing I have to sort out.
 
I applied freezer spray to the HA1196 stereo demodulator chip. After a while the set started making noises (along with the broadcast) like the groaning noises that a huge ship makes in very rough seas; kinda metallic straining noises. But, guess what? the stereo lamp lit! Also, as the effect of the freezer spray wore off, the tone of the sound changed, as it did when I pressed on it. Then as the temperature of the chip normalised, the stereo lamp went out again. So I'm pretty sure all's not well with that chip. Another one is being ordered and will be fitted in due course.
 
steveUK said:
I applied freezer spray to the HA1196 stereo demodulator chip. After a while the set started making noises (along with the broadcast) like the groaning noises that a huge ship makes in very rough seas; kinda metallic straining noises. But, guess what? the stereo lamp lit! Also, as the effect of the freezer spray wore off, the tone of the sound changed, as it did when I pressed on it. Then as the temperature of the chip normalised, the stereo lamp went out again. So I'm pretty sure all's not well with that chip. Another one is being ordered and will be fitted in due course
Click to expand...

Nice one, sure sounds like you have found the culprit :thumbsup:.
 
Ok, back to the lamps until the chip arrives.

Very strange. The meter lamps have blue filters (blue plastic tubes) and they give off a distinctly green display. I get that, bright orange/yellow lamp + blue filter = green, fine. The faulty dial lamps that I removed also had blue filters on them. As the new dial bulbs were plain, I painted them with transparent glass paint pretty much the same colour blue as the meter ones. The result? blue dial display. Well, maybe cyan. So I started looking at photos of V5, V6, and V7 receivers on the internet - here's a link to one of them: http://audioidiots.com/afbeelding.groot.php?itemID=4915 . To me, even the catalogue shots seem to show a 'green' dial colour that is slightly more 'bluey' than the meter lamps that are green. I can mess about with the glass paint; try an emerald green (which I have) or I will probably, for now, apply some of that over the blue paint as it is now. I can always get it off with a solvent and start again if need be.

So, what's your view? it's my view that originally (when new) the dial illumination - although green - has a blue tinge to it, while the meter lamps are defo green. And what about my results so far? - see photo. The dial's too blue isn't it? not that it's a big deal - am I being too pernickety!

20170707_135246.jpg
 
I made a mix of 2/3 green and 1/3 blue glass paint and I reckon it's now bob on. For those interested, the glass paint is Pebeo Vitrail and is available in various colours. I used Cobalt Blue and Emerald Green.

20170709_162043_zps2qwmpz7k.jpg

20170709_162015_zpshzqcwra1.jpg


I've also cured the lack of stereo FM issue. It was a faulty D205, a signal diode connected to pin 16 of the stereo demodulator chip, the VCO (19KHz) pin.

So, I'm pretty much there now with this receiver. Re-assemble, final clean up and it's there. I will say though, having restored quite a few different high power receivers in the past two years, this Sony is a sleeper, Its five gang tuner pulls signals in loud and clear and the overall sound is very pleasing. I would imagine its V6 and V7 siblings employ very similar circuitry apart from the power stages and power supply.
 
steveUK said:
I've also cured the lack of stereo FM issue. It was a faulty D205, a signal diode connected to pin 16 of the stereo demodulator chip, the VCO (19KHz) pin.
Click to expand...

Nice find on the diode, bet you are happy to have a fully operational unit now. You have done a great job on the lamp colours, that dial now looks terrific :thumbsup:.

I think Sonys are sleepers in general, sshh, we won't tell anyone. I haven't had any of these larger units but l have had numerous of their early smaller amps/receivers and they all sounded great with VERY good tuners.
 
steveUK said:
I made a mix of 2/3 green and 1/3 blue glass paint and I reckon it's now bob on. For those interested, the glass paint is Pebeo Vitrail and is available in various colours. I used Cobalt Blue and Emerald Green.

20170709_162043_zps2qwmpz7k.jpg

20170709_162015_zpshzqcwra1.jpg


I've also cured the lack of stereo FM issue. It was a faulty D205, a signal diode connected to pin 16 of the stereo demodulator chip, the VCO (19KHz) pin.

So, I'm pretty much there now with this receiver. Re-assemble, final clean up and it's there. I will say though, having restored quite a few different high power receivers in the past two years, this Sony is a sleeper, Its five gang tuner pulls signals in loud and clear and the overall sound is very pleasing. I would imagine its V6 and V7 siblings employ very similar circuitry apart from the power stages and power supply.
Click to expand...


Very similar, tuner wise I think the V6/V7 threw in Wide/Narrow IF modes and an extra RF gain stage but were based on the same 5 gang tuning head and most of the same circuits.
 
Thanks guys! Yep very pleased with this set now!

BTW, my original post was to get more info about wooden side panels as sometimes seen on V5, V6 and V7 sets. Were they an optional extra? If anyone has some, please could they provide me with size details? I'm assuming the two front 'uprights' are the same size as the metal ones I have fitted now? In which case it's just the main side panels details that I need - L x W x thickness.

It also appears to me that the side panels fitted to V5 models were laminated pseudo wood, and the the ones on the V6 & 7 were real wood - is this the case? (pun not intended).

BTW, I've noticed that the V6 & 7 have indicator lamps on the front panel to identify the chosen input selection, but the V5 does not.
 
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