Your "earliest electronics repair", and how old?

[Lavane]

I had a basic electronics class in the 8th grade. Then another in high school.
While in high school, someone donated three non working pinball machines.
It took me and and two others a few months to make one good working machine by cannibalizing parts from the others. It was fun. We kept it coin op too and hid the key to the coin box. If anyone from the other classes wanted to play it they had to put a quarter in it. We acually made decent lunch money off that thing. The teacher was pretty cool letting us get away with it for half the year since we spent so much time getting the thing to work properly.

 

[Catmanboo]

I'm listening to it right now, 1938 zenith floor radio , paid $2.50 at a yard sale when I was maybe 16 or so. Rewired the rectifier socket to use a 5y3 where a 5v4 used to be. It was missing, & I had the 5y3, an RCA tube manual & soldering iron. Replaced the filter caps (multi-section top-mount cans) with new 8 uF 450v units under chassis, replaced most of the funky wax-paper caps with junk-box disc caps, left old cans on top for posterity. Had high-school buddy refinish cabinet. I added external input jack in back for fm radio use. It's finally getting ready for overhaul again, but it still gets plenty loud!

 

[egellings]

A little old 4 tube series string TRF table radio. The power cord, a cloth covered one, got warm in use, and that was because a thick asbestos string in the cord had resistance wire wrapped around it to drop the difference between the line voltage and the sum of the heater voltages of the tubes. I did asbestos I could to replace that cord resistor with a power resistor!

 

[Artie]

My memory barely goes back that far, but I believe it would have been in the 9 - 10 YO range, when I rebuilt the headlight on my bicycle so I could run my early morning paper route. I did, however, mechanical repairs years before that. Like field stripping my Tonka truck or bicycle. And putting them back together.

 

[dly66]

Had a RS 150 in 1 electronics project kit as a kid. Remember stringing enamel wire out of the bedroom into the front yard trees to help pick up the classic clear channel stations. In the teens learned soldering doing crossovers for some DIY speaker projects and creating other assemblies. Back then having those parts bins at RS was great for quick little projects and repair jobs.

Got much more practiced at soldering when my parents decided to save money and buy the Heathkit HS-161 portable kit, needed the PC as was required for engineering students at VT. Hate to say how many hours I spent soldering that summer between high school and college, inserting chips, and wiring that sucker together. Basically a 40 lb luggable version of an IBM XT with a 5 in amber screen. Couldn't get the video card adjustments right, the tech at the local Heathkit store set it for me. We had one in Greensboro at the time, dad knew the owner.

After the tech adjusted the video card properly it booted up and worked. With mom's abusive temper hate to think how things would have been if it did not.

Back in the days when you inserted dram memory chips dad would bring some of his motherboards home and have me put them in for him. I was far less likely to bend a leg and break one off requiring buying another chip.

 

[gadget73]

I remember getting my mom to pick up some RF output finals for a CB when I was probably 13 or 14. Got the address to the parts supplier and the part numbers. Even gave her the money for them. Radio was a Courier Caravelle 40D, a real oddball with plug in modules for each section. I'm sure there were other things, just that one happens to be a clear memory.

years later I fixed some Realistic for a friend and it was identical inside. Only two radios I ran across constructed like that.

 

[Lavane]

I remember getting my mom to pick up some RF output finals for a CB when I was probably 13 or 14. Got the address to the parts supplier and the part numbers. Even gave her the money for them. Radio was a Courier Caravelle 40D, a real oddball with plug in modules for each section. I'm sure there were other things, just that one happens to be a clear memory.

years later I fixed some Realistic for a friend and it was identical inside. Only two radios I ran across constructed like that.

The old 23 channel CB's before PLL circuitry were fun. I made a little money in high school installing crystals for frequencies above and below the legal 11 meter band. That and wiring VFO's for CB's. I had people show up to tune mobile antennas too. I could tell a few got a bit apprehensive when I started trimming a stinger or chopping cable to get that 1:1 to 1:2 ratio.

 

[Pio1980]

Roughly the same age range, given a 1931 Philco 90 console, 2nd of the 3 versions, with a broken 24A globe IF amp tube. Got a replacement from the town old timey radio shop and it played fine.

 

[Stack]

I started by taking things to bits. I've been doing that as far back as my memory goes, starting when I was 3-4 years old.

At around 5, I made my first mechanical repair. My aunt was rooting through junk to sell at a yard sale and gave me a broken alarm clock. I "fixed" it by realizing that one of the gears had moved out of place and popped it back in. I then decided to completely disassemble the clock and broke it forever.

The first time I helped with an electronics repair was around 5-6. My grandpa had to rewire an old metal General Electric desk fan, and had me help him. I mostly just handed him tape and plugged in the fan when he asked.

My first failed attempt at repairing a device was probably around 9-10, when I found my mom's old record changer turntable which no longer worked and tried to fix it. It was an old idler drive, the rubber wheel was shot, and it was way out of my depth. But I tried for weeks after school. My grandparents gave me a few other broken electronics to work on around that time, and I can't remember if I ever successfully repaired anything they gave me.

The first bona fide successful repair I can remember was a bit later, when I was 12-13. Our Nintendo Gamecube stopped reading discs. I followed online steps to recalibrate the lens. It worked for another year or two.

 

[avionic]

The old 23 channel CB's before PLL circuitry were fun. I made a little money in high school installing crystals for frequencies above and below the legal 11 meter band. That and wiring VFO's for CB's. I had people show up to tune mobile antennas too. I could tell a few got a bit apprehensive when I started trimming a stinger or chopping cable to get that 1:1 to 1:2 ratio.

Neighbors got a little PO´d when I was loading up the beam with linear amplifiers.. Had to ops check..with Alaska .. 10-4 Rubber duck..

Installed my share of semi tractor stingers. Learned about " positive ground " on some semi's.

 

[Lavane]

Neighbors got a little PO´d when I was loading up the beam with linear amplifiers.. Had to ops check..with Alaska ..

Same hear. I had a Moon Raker on a 100' crank up tower. It sat at around 25' during the day, and 100' at night. I did add an adjustable filter to the coax at one point. It helped a lot. I had a Phantom tube Linear.

 

[peterp1]

When I was in 8th grade, I bought a Dynaco amp and a Harmon Kardon tuner for something like $10 at a garage sale. The amp didn't work at all. I had no idea what I was doing, but I took it apart and saw a burned resister. My dad had a resister box, so I started with the highest resistance and clicked it down until it sounded the best, then bought that resister and soldered it in. I have no idea if the one I used was correct or anywhere close to correct, but the amp worked well.

 

[nbarber]

As a side question to this, do you guys remember your first time getting shocked? Either AC or DC..

Vividly! I was 3 or 4 and listening to Sesame Street records on a small record player (must have been 1971 0r 72), The record player was plugged into a white, three outlet extension cord which was in turn plugged into the wall.
It was time to put everything away but I could only get the record player plug out out the extension cord a small ways so I tried to pull it out with my teeth. I bit down on the plug which had come out just far enough that my teeth touched the contacts. I remember seeing rings of light shoot past my head as I felt like I was being shot straight up in the air. Apparently I passed out and slumped forward far enough to pull the extension cord from the wall. I remember waking up to my mom and dad freaking out and shaking uncontrollably for a few minutes. To this day I am hesitant to work hot.

 

[avionic]

At 12 or 13 I was building Heathkits O'scope, transistor checker, vacuum tube voltmeter and a GR-78 Shortwave receiver.

 

[twiiii]

I bought and built my only Knight kit integrated 40 watt amp when I was late 13 or early 14. After about 9 months an output tube failed and the amp need significant repairs worth so I worked a deal and traded it in on a Scott 222 integrated and then up graded to 299Ds.


Then I went to A Mcintosh Amp clinic for the first time as my Scotts were sounding a little harsh. Even with all new tubes and 25 watt output the units didn't meet specs above 8 khz or below 50 Hz. So I bought a Mcintosh MA230 and haven't had to repair a Mac amp since.

You really don't need to read the rest unless you want to.



I have had quite a few Mac amps. One is currently 50 years old. The Crowns I had needed repairs every 8 to ten years, so I went back to Mac amps once they started building the direct coupled 7200 and 7100. Of all the Mac pre-amps I have had only the C-34 needed a tape monitor switch rebuilt. Of all the tuners the MR 80 went in for a full tune up after 30 years as did the MR-78. The MPI-4 needed a new tube after 40 years. Thats about the extent of repairs. The MR-80 and 78 are still going strong as is the C-34, MPI-4, MC 2505, two MC 207's, two MC 830's a MX 151, MR 7084, MP 100, MQ 107 XRT 28's.

The Thorens TD 125 has never been touched, neither has the Rabco tone arm that are over 50 years old. Yes, they need to cleaned and lubed and a new belt and new cartridges every 7 years or so, but no major repairs there either. The Bozak 313's needed re-soldering on the crossovers recently. The 4005 Symphonies are as new, but the Concert Grands have been up dated and one midrange failed in the first few months in 70 and was replaced under warranty. The retired Nakamichis didn't need repairs and neither did the Sony and JVC VCR's.

The Professional Ampexs always needed maintenance and new tubes and one feed back capacitor but considering the machines were all made in the early 60's and the SS models in middle 70's, It was never a reel bother. Just something you did maintaining R2R recorders for playback or to make live master tapes for LP's and later cassettes. I have never had to repair my Crown EQ2s. just cleaning, both pushing 50 years or my Urei crossovers or EQs, but the controls need cleaning. The SAE EQ has had many replacements of signal capacitors and of course the controls need servicing . Its been my most problem prone piece. The DBX stuff has had no issues, except for the model 400 and it was tossed after 10 years and its functions replaced by the C-34V. Only the Mcintosh MCD 7005 needed a factory recommended upgrade to the disc handler after a year under warranty. I always bought my Macs in the summer to get the 5 year extended warranties. . The other Mac players have been trouble free as have the DVD players. Pioneer CD and Sony CD recorders never failed, neither did the DVD recorders or the Laser disc players and the combi laser and dvd players

Over the years I would say the phono cartridges were always needing up grading. Some times yearly sometimes more often. Stanton 681 and 881 series were the easiest. Ortofon MC had to be totally replaced, So will be the current Dynavectors. The new Mark Levinson version of the VPI Prime is just one year old with the latest 20 X2 Dynavector and after I adjusted the speed, which you can't do with out buying the extra speed control from VPI it has been working perfectly. I also don't have to move belts to change speeds just push a button. Like the Thorens keeping it clean is the main concern.

I imagine today everyone is on the DAC merry go round trying to keep up with technology like we did back in the 60 and 70's with phono cartridges. I get on and off that carousel now and then myself. There must have been 8 or nine major break throughs in surround sound ending with Atmos. I skipped Quad and I'll skip Atmos. If you are going to have ceiling speakers, why not floor speakers? I have had three processors to date so that means I have skipped 6 or so. I don't do 4K either. I'll wait until my Elite plasma fails and buy an OLED. Oh OH, 8K is here, but I don't do games.

 

[Legrace]

Mid 50’s, never too late to start. Restored a TT that was totally non working, built tube amp kits, fixed the dryer, one thing leads to the next. If it broke down before I just replaced it. But most things I have discovered are usually only suffering from minor issues that are easily repairable. 30 bucks I spent on a DVM and similar for a soldering iron has paid itself many times over.

 

[gadget73]

The old 23 channel CB's before PLL circuitry were fun. I made a little money in high school installing crystals for frequencies above and below the legal 11 meter band. That and wiring VFO's for CB's. I had people show up to tune mobile antennas too. I could tell a few got a bit apprehensive when I started trimming a stinger or chopping cable to get that 1:1 to 1:2 ratio.

I've never had one with a crystal switcher but I do have one with a VFO. SBE Console II.

My Browning is kinda-sorta PLL controlled. I had an old Royce that lost the audio chip, but the transmitter worked fine. I found that if I bypassed the final, the driver had just about the right output to feed the crystal oscillator in the Browning. Pulled one of the dead crystals out and now I get 40 channels of stable frequency-synthesized transmit. There are a few hacks to the Royce carcass to deal with keying and such but the Browning is unmolested. I can simply unplug a cable from the channel selector and its like it was built in 1968. No crystal synthesizer, 23 crystals at 27.xxx.

 

[CoogarXR]

I loved fixing stuff when I was a kid. I don't remember when I started. I know I was into fixing stuff before I started kindergarten though, because on the first day of kindergarten the teacher let us play with these little light-up educational toys, but there weren't enough of them for all of us. I saw some more on the shelf, so I asked her about them. She said those don't work. I asked to see them, and she humored me. I could see that they just took a small screw-base bulb like an E10. I had tons of those at home. The next day I brought a screwdriver and a bag of light bulbs and fixed them all. The teacher would grab me in the hall for years after that and ask "remember that time you fixed all those electronic toys?". She called my parents and everything. LOL

I also fixed watches for people when I was very young. I had a tote-bag full of watches and parts. My parents friends and neighbors would bring me watches to put batteries in and bands on. They would give me old watches for my parts pile. I did some complicated stuff, screen swaps, etc. I was always into something. My dad worked at Radio Shack when I was young, so I hung out there a lot too. My grandpa was a TV repairman too, so I guess it's in my blood.

 

[Doug G.]

Some have mentioned the curiosity about anything electrical/mechanical and I have been that way, too, from the time I became sentient.

My dad connected a Webster Chicago 78 rpm record changer to an old '30s style radio console when I was 3 for me to play records. I HAD to know how that changer worked and eventually figured it out. I even partly disassembled it and I managed to get it back together. The one thing I kind of messed up was, there was a fairly hefty spring which kept tension on the record pusher so when you turned it around from 10" to 12" records and vice versa, it would pop back into place. I loosened the collar holding that spring in place and I didn't have the strength, at that age, to compress the spring back into its correct position to be secured by the collar. I got it good enough to work but it was never like it was supposed to be ever again.

I don't know how many times I had my little VM model 210 record player apart just out of the desire to take it apart and put it back together again. That's where I first learned the first thing about tubes: they had ID numbers. That record player had a 35L6GT in it and its filament was wired in series with the motor - 35 volt filament + 85 volt motor = 120 volts!

As far as shocks, for some reason I always had/have a respect for electricity and never got shocked until I was 20 something. I took a picture tube out of a TV, discharging it first. I then went to pick it up and my arm brushed against the high voltage connector. That's when I learned a picture tube can recharge after being discharged! Luckily, I didn't drop it.

My worst shock, however, was years later at work where we had microphone amplifiers for B&K condenser microphones. The originals were tube but a very sharp guy in the company designed a solid state amplifier and there was a TO3 transistor mounted on a heat sink on the outside of the internal chassis. There was 400 volts on the transistor exterior and I accidentally touched it while routinely checking it out.

You know you are really getting shocked when you can hear the current run through you. The current capacity, however, wasn't enough to kill or even really hurt me. I was shaking for a while but I recovered and nobody else ever knew.

OK, this has been long enough.

Doug

 

[Bradbrews]

I always took things apart too. So much so that we had a rule at home saying that I was not allowed to take anything apart that was not broken. I solved that by riding my bike around on trash day and bringing home treasures to take apart!