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Stumped by a stereo, saved by a solder joint
This vintage stereo had me stumped with its intermittent sound. I tried everything from cleaning to part swaps. Finally, I checked the solder joints on the volume pot. Found a cold one and fixed it. Now it works great, and I'm really pleased.
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jordan_lee7mo ago
Yeah but @tessa_scott, that easy fix can just be luck lol. Sometimes you chase a simple solder joint only to find the whole board is shot.
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adams.river7mo ago
Read a forum post once where a guy fixed a whole amp by just reseating a ribbon cable. Those simple wins are the best.
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tessa_scott7mo ago
Classic when the fix is something that simple after all that hassle. Had a similar thing with an old cassette deck last year, kept getting this weird hiss only on playback. Spent ages cleaning heads and checking belts, turned out the RCA output jack had a tiny crack in the solder. Wiggled the cable and the sound cut in and out. One reflow later and it was perfect. Felt kinda silly but also weirdly satisfying.
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ninataylor7mo ago
Ugh, that wiggly cable diagnosis is the worst but best feeling. My dad's old receiver had scratchy volume for years, and I finally opened it up to find the carbon track inside the pot was just full of dust. A spray of contact cleaner and working it back and forth fixed it completely. You go from feeling like a fool to a genius in two seconds flat. What's the oldest piece of gear you've brought back from the dead like that?
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