(no subject)

Analog electronics are beautiful. What do you buy anymore that has physical gears in it?

This is the tuning section of my Marantz 2270. The rows of discs are variable capacitors for tuning. Rotating discs alternate with stationary discs to provide variable capacitance.

I believe the set of three on the left are AM and the five on the right are FM.

(no subject)

This is the dial string that actuates the tuning capacitors and moves the pointing needle across the face of the dial. The large wheel in the lower right is the tuning wheel on the front panel of the stereo. I ended up having to take it off of a couple pulleys as I worked, but fortunately did not have to restring it entirely. I brushed my soldering iron against it once too; eep!

(no subject)

All the lamps are working on the 2270! I cleaned it too; so shiny! Next I'm going to troubleshoot my 300 disc CD changer while trying not to spill 150-ish CDs all over the floor.

I should get down on top of this thing with my super-wide lens and see if I can make it look weird. Making things look weird is one of my primary photographic motivations.

(no subject)

The CD changer was straight-forward, and was exactly what I expected. The table drive belts are stretched and pop right off of their pulleys after I remount them. I just ordered a set that should be here in a week. Until then, the unit and several piles of CDs will be sitting around my workshop.

(no subject)

Then I took apart the dead monitor I've had on my desk for a few months since it stopped working. The internet pointed me at the power supply board and I found obviously bad caps with bulging tops there. I have a replacement cap kit coming, and the monitor is sitting in pieces on my desk, in a hopefully easy-to-reassemble pile.

I've successfully worked on and diagnosed a stereo receiver, a UPS, a CD changer, and a monitor today and am waiting for parts to finish off three of them (the UPS just needed new batteries). None of it required high levels of skill and problem-solving; just patience and references. But I'm pretty content with that.