Argyll Minor reel to reel help needed. - Page 5 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

sobell1980 · 14th Aug 2016, 6:49 pm

Yes it lit up beautifully in record mode. First attempt it didn't but then I found a duff waxy hidden under the tag trip that the DM70 was mounted above. Changed this cap and it all worked. Last waxy hiding on the set. A quick mains cord change in the week to something nice and period and it can all go back together.

sobell1980 · 4th Sep 2016, 7:09 pm

I thought I'd better let you all know who were involved that the set is complete. All running as should be.

I never told you what I found when the heaters to the valves at 6.3 volts just stopped working, then they would work, then they wouldn't. Drove me crazy. Moving tge chassis around you could see the 6.3 volts come and go.

Some of you may remember I nearly put it down to the heater winding on the main TX . What was shown on the diagram if you care to take a look are a pair of yellow wires for the valve heaters marked 6.3 volts coming from the mains transformer. What the diagram doesn't show you is that this pair of wires was actually a twisted pair of laminated wires in a single piece of insulation going to a single tag at a large electrolytic can. One of the twisted pairs had cracked / broken away from the electrolytic can and was making and breaking circuit depending on when the wire was slightly moved. Then there was a pair of wires from the can to the circuit board. So I'd omitted this single wire thinking it was a single wire not realising it had the heater winding as a twisted laminated pair in it going to the electrolytic can. Neither did the diagram show the heater windings going to this can either. So I was testing it at the circuit board and finally realised it was a twisted pair going from the TX to the large can then as two separate wires from the can to the PCB. finally I managed to trace it back to this can and spot tge ends of two laminated wires coming out of one piece of insulation, one of which had come away from the can. Just shows to not take diagrams as gospel. I was assuming that I was looking for two separate wires.

The set works well now. I've tidied and taped up the wiring and fitted a new period looking braided cable and plug fitted with a 1 amp fuse. Works faultlessly and I also serviced all the mechanical parts and treated the pots to a dose of servisol, this made them feel lovely and free again. Thanks for the help and advice. Just wanted to put a closing post to this thread about what the main fault was amongst the other repairs mentioned in previous posts. My best pal is thrilled with the repair and us looking forwards to purchasing some tapes to play on it. Many thanks.
Dave.

Nuvistor · 4th Sep 2016, 7:42 pm

Excellent work. Diagrams change over the run and don't get updated and mistakes get made as well.
Glad you sorted it out.
Frank

14th Aug 2016, 6:49 pm	#81
sobell1980 Octode Join Date: May 2011 Location: Bromyard, Herefordshire, UK. Posts: 1,241	Re: Argyll Minor reel to reel help needed. Yes it lit up beautifully in record mode. First attempt it didn't but then I found a duff waxy hidden under the tag trip that the DM70 was mounted above. Changed this cap and it all worked. Last waxy hiding on the set. A quick mains cord change in the week to something nice and period and it can all go back together.

4th Sep 2016, 7:09 pm	#82
sobell1980 Octode Join Date: May 2011 Location: Bromyard, Herefordshire, UK. Posts: 1,241	Re: Argyll Minor reel to reel help needed. I thought I'd better let you all know who were involved that the set is complete. All running as should be. I never told you what I found when the heaters to the valves at 6.3 volts just stopped working, then they would work, then they wouldn't. Drove me crazy. Moving tge chassis around you could see the 6.3 volts come and go. Some of you may remember I nearly put it down to the heater winding on the main TX . What was shown on the diagram if you care to take a look are a pair of yellow wires for the valve heaters marked 6.3 volts coming from the mains transformer. What the diagram doesn't show you is that this pair of wires was actually a twisted pair of laminated wires in a single piece of insulation going to a single tag at a large electrolytic can. One of the twisted pairs had cracked / broken away from the electrolytic can and was making and breaking circuit depending on when the wire was slightly moved. Then there was a pair of wires from the can to the circuit board. So I'd omitted this single wire thinking it was a single wire not realising it had the heater winding as a twisted laminated pair in it going to the electrolytic can. Neither did the diagram show the heater windings going to this can either. So I was testing it at the circuit board and finally realised it was a twisted pair going from the TX to the large can then as two separate wires from the can to the PCB. finally I managed to trace it back to this can and spot tge ends of two laminated wires coming out of one piece of insulation, one of which had come away from the can. Just shows to not take diagrams as gospel. I was assuming that I was looking for two separate wires. The set works well now. I've tidied and taped up the wiring and fitted a new period looking braided cable and plug fitted with a 1 amp fuse. Works faultlessly and I also serviced all the mechanical parts and treated the pots to a dose of servisol, this made them feel lovely and free again. Thanks for the help and advice. Just wanted to put a closing post to this thread about what the main fault was amongst the other repairs mentioned in previous posts. My best pal is thrilled with the repair and us looking forwards to purchasing some tapes to play on it. Many thanks. Dave.

4th Sep 2016, 7:42 pm	#83
Nuvistor Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Wigan, Greater Manchester, UK. Posts: 9,433	Re: Argyll Minor reel to reel help needed. Excellent work. Diagrams change over the run and don't get updated and mistakes get made as well. Glad you sorted it out. Frank