Symptom is that the right channel comes in and out, including the sound and the meter. If it's playing back strong, and I stop the tape and then hit play again, it will start out dead and then snap crackle and pop it's way back to life, dead again, back to life, or anywhere weakly inbetween, etc. Once it's back to life and strong, though, it generally will stay strong until I stop playback and start it again.
I have gone through the usual suspects including:
-removed, disassembled, cleaned, and re-installed the sliding recording switch
-deoxited all switches and pots including all on-board bias pots
-cleaned & aligned the head
-removed and switched the L and R channel bias pots (after cleaning)
-checked the 4 transistors near the bias pots
So I'm at a loss. I have cleaned and wiggled, spun, or otherwise messed with everything that rotates or slides on the circuit board and none of them directly influence the playback signal strength. Maybe it's a dying transistor?
Would love any ideas. Thanks!
Just so everyone can see what I'm working with, here it is on my bench (next to my other dysfunctional headache these days, a Technics SA-8500X). Pics taken with my new Google Pixel 2 phone - pretty nice, eh!
You can zoom in on this one!
I have gone through the usual suspects including:
-removed, disassembled, cleaned, and re-installed the sliding recording switch
-deoxited all switches and pots including all on-board bias pots
-cleaned & aligned the head
-removed and switched the L and R channel bias pots (after cleaning)
-checked the 4 transistors near the bias pots
So I'm at a loss. I have cleaned and wiggled, spun, or otherwise messed with everything that rotates or slides on the circuit board and none of them directly influence the playback signal strength. Maybe it's a dying transistor?
Would love any ideas. Thanks!
Just so everyone can see what I'm working with, here it is on my bench (next to my other dysfunctional headache these days, a Technics SA-8500X). Pics taken with my new Google Pixel 2 phone - pretty nice, eh!
You can zoom in on this one!
