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Post by gsarider on Dec 22, 2012 13:44:28 GMT
I have my eye on a vintage Technics stereo receiver at the moment and looking to buy it. I've felt over the past few years that as tech has evolved, amps have not progressed and in some cases gone backwards in terms of quality. I recall the headphone output on an old Technics that I has was pretty good, so hoping this will too... This is the unit I'm looking at www.vintage-audio.com.ua/en/cat/367/1968.html?begin=11
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pagan
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Post by pagan on Dec 22, 2012 14:08:16 GMT
Depends on the make and model. Some were very well designed and built, but anything from any time will have a cost limit of manufacture. It also depends on the price that's being asked for the unit.
Also If the equipment is getting close to 20 years old. Electrolytic caps will be drying out and the switch contacts don't last forever.
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Post by gsarider on Dec 22, 2012 16:00:53 GMT
Yep, it was serviced last year.
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pagan
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Post by pagan on Dec 22, 2012 23:09:48 GMT
And what do you think thy did in the "service" ?
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Post by gsarider on Dec 23, 2012 0:00:30 GMT
From what I've been told caps were checked, switches cleaned, etc. From your tone, what do you think the issue is with it being serviced?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2012 1:36:44 GMT
I think that what Allan is suggesting, is that if the receiver is something like 20 years old, then at least the main electrolytic capacitors should bave been replaced, not just given a quick in circuit evaluation, like was probably done.If the receiver hasn't been in use for some time, it is more prone to unexpected failure. Alex
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2012 9:40:59 GMT
I had one of those a long time back. I seem to remember they were extremely good but I did have mine onto a big Yagi beam with a rotator. Cut distortion from multi-path etc. It wasn't at all bad from what I remember and noise wasn't too high on the radio.
I eventually changed it for a Sony which was lovely.
Because of its age, it may be a good idea to just replace the caps since it's likely that they've dried up and if the switches are noise free then they're probably ok.
There's something about old gear that is very attractive and special. I had an antique radio receiver in the 80's which I loved. It picked up 'am' and 'ssb' so I listened to stations all over the world easily on a long wire type aerial. I also made an aerial tuner to electrically alter the length of the long wire so I could actually transmit using it. It sometimes worked better than a big Yagi beam. (Depending on conditions)
The weirdest conversation I had on that wire on a Yaesu transmitter, was with some guys near the North Pole. We chatted away on 28 MGhz (which is unusual but sunspot activity was really high) and then he told me exactly where he was. Somewhere in the sea on a piece of floating ice, waiting for a boat to pick them up!!
Those were the days. I loved it. I also collected radios like the one you have.
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Post by gsarider on Dec 23, 2012 9:50:09 GMT
I guess it's quite a bit of nostalgia on my part and if powers my headphones in a decent enough fashion, it kills two birds with one stone. My house is filled with AirPlay speakers, mainly three B&W Zeppelins and a couple of others, but the yearning for a nicely made old school amp is strong...
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2012 10:39:06 GMT
With, or without a ham license ?
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mrarroyo
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Post by mrarroyo on Dec 23, 2012 10:50:35 GMT
Currently own a Marantz 2238B circa 1978 and a Marantz 2230B circa 1973. Both sound superb and get regular use. Easy even for me to work on, go for it!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2012 11:12:48 GMT
With, or without a ham license ? I had a license, Alex!! I have licenses for all kinds of things. Just not the license to kill!!!! The Americans were a killer at certain times on the (illegal) frequencies over here of 26 and on up to the 28 meg hz. The sunspot activity could be so high that it was impossible to avoid them because there were so many, all knocking out locals!! My house used to look like a porcupine with the aerials......
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2012 11:30:55 GMT
Hi Ian I bet you had trouble getting below an SWR of 1.5 with the ATU and long wire on 28. I only played with 27MHZ SSB and 476 UHF.I was living in a unit so I didn't bother going for a ham licence, although I could have easily passed the theory, and I could do >5WPM for morse code from my Post Office days before passing an exam for entry to the technical side. I still remember a 27MHZ contact while on a punt crossong a river north of Sydney. It was a 3way with a guy in Western Australia and a Yank.I well remember those high sunspot activity years. I won a Sydney to Launceston, Tasmania 27MHZ club competition on SSB, from inside a home unit ! It had a good outlook towards the South. Kind Regards Alex P.S. So to QSO, you had to QSY to clear the QRM at your QTH ? ;D
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2012 12:05:49 GMT
Definitely have a soft spot for the Marantz, Sansui and Rotel old receivers. Very robust, in looks as well and then you turn them on, they're soooo preeeeeetty! I've often been tempted to get one
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2012 13:40:19 GMT
I used an upright half wave antenna on the house, Alex and for ssb, a big Yagi on a rotator. I also had a mini beam for 934mg hz. It was all mounted on a very long pole so it was high up and attached to that pole was the long wire which formed a 'T' aerial for the lower frequencies where I electrically tuned it for varying bands. (Both receive and transmit) It worked better at some frequencies than others.
I also had a bloody great rod into the ground for lightening strikes!!
I loved SSB.
In the UK, there was an influx of American radios at the illegal 26 mhz band going up to 28. Very good. I remember a lovely radio that I had called a Cobra (and a Colt) Great sensitivity and worked well in a car.
Much the same as the internet really, but actually talking!!
I also had a computer to decode those tones - I forget what they were called. You hear a warbling sound on the radio which is basically two tones and I was able to decode it with an old 'Einstein' computer!! Later, I used a Commodore computer to do it. They also decoded morse for me as well and sent it!!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 25, 2012 21:15:12 GMT
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pagan
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Post by pagan on Dec 26, 2012 0:13:20 GMT
How much of this is because the later amps are for driving multiple speakers and the earlier ones are just stereo?
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Post by gsarider on Dec 26, 2012 11:36:40 GMT
This was why I thought it would be nice to have an old school amp, even if it requires some tlc.
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pagan
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Post by pagan on Dec 27, 2012 6:57:02 GMT
This was why I thought it would be nice to have an old school amp, even if it requires some tlc. I also gave up with the multi channel amps years ago. Usually good for Home Theatre usage but limited for stereo. Some may prefer it's use for multi channel SACD/DVD-A but not for me. If you're only going for stereo don't compare multi channel amps to them, it's not really fair. The old receivers may be good but do you really need the radio side? Is there any particular reason you don't go for separates? ie pre and power.
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