Pye black box no sound - Page 4 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Nickthedentist · 26th Mar 2021, 4:54 pm

Blimey, no wonder the OP couldn't fix it! Well done!

Station X · 26th Mar 2021, 5:10 pm

These players with their dodgy valve holders are obviously not for the beginner. I wouldn't want to take one on either.

Edward Huggins · 26th Mar 2021, 5:47 pm

It's not often you find all the valves down like this is it - I wonder what kind of a life it has had? Congratulations to Sideband for hanging in there with this. Maybe we should not bang on about his success too much - lest he becomes the default BB fixer-upper and I would not wish that upon him!

Sideband · 26th Mar 2021, 7:51 pm

I don't think the intermittent valve contacts help especially the anode pins.... The original ECC83 does work of course and may even be OK when used with whatever cartridge is fitted to the deck. I was just going for maximum gain on the assumption that whatever cartridge is used, it will probably have a lower output than the original. A new ECC83 did make a noticeable improvement. I used a CD player as well as the Jason tuner and both gave good outputs.

The EL42's were a different matter.....!

As for the default fixer-upper.....hopefully when I do the write-up, everyone will be able to fix them!

Sideband · 26th Mar 2021, 11:01 pm

If anyone is interested, I found the original Success Story on the first one of these I repaired 10 years ago....how time flies!https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...ad.php?t=51097

Sideband · 3rd Apr 2021, 8:34 pm

As a further note, Gary PM'd me to say that he still couldn't obtain any output from his cartridge although he could now obtain a good hum from the amplifier socket with the pick-up cable disconnected. He checked further and found a short circuit on the screened lead from the pick-up. Once the short was cleared he then had a working Black Box and quote "It sounds amazing"!

A success I think?

leslie5555 · 3rd Apr 2021, 11:02 pm

Well done, when working correctly these do have an exceptional sound

26th Mar 2021, 4:54 pm	#61
Nickthedentist Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Oxford, UK. Posts: 17,843	Re: Pye black box no sound Blimey, no wonder the OP couldn't fix it! Well done!

26th Mar 2021, 5:10 pm	#62
Station X Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK. Posts: 21,287	Re: Pye black box no sound These players with their dodgy valve holders are obviously not for the beginner. I wouldn't want to take one on either. __________________ Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron.

26th Mar 2021, 5:47 pm	#63
Edward Huggins Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Southwold, Suffolk, UK. Posts: 8,327	Re: Pye black box no sound It's not often you find all the valves down like this is it - I wonder what kind of a life it has had? Congratulations to Sideband for hanging in there with this. Maybe we should not bang on about his success too much - lest he becomes the default BB fixer-upper and I would not wish that upon him! __________________ Edward.

26th Mar 2021, 7:51 pm	#64
Sideband Dekatron Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Croydon, Surrey, UK. Posts: 7,567	Re: Pye black box no sound I don't think the intermittent valve contacts help especially the anode pins.... The original ECC83 does work of course and may even be OK when used with whatever cartridge is fitted to the deck. I was just going for maximum gain on the assumption that whatever cartridge is used, it will probably have a lower output than the original. A new ECC83 did make a noticeable improvement. I used a CD player as well as the Jason tuner and both gave good outputs. The EL42's were a different matter.....! As for the default fixer-upper.....hopefully when I do the write-up, everyone will be able to fix them! __________________ There are lots of brilliant keyboard players and then there is Rick Wakeman.....

26th Mar 2021, 11:01 pm	#65
Sideband Dekatron Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Croydon, Surrey, UK. Posts: 7,567	Re: Pye black box no sound If anyone is interested, I found the original Success Story on the first one of these I repaired 10 years ago....how time flies!https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...ad.php?t=51097 __________________ There are lots of brilliant keyboard players and then there is Rick Wakeman.....

3rd Apr 2021, 8:34 pm	#66
Sideband Dekatron Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Croydon, Surrey, UK. Posts: 7,567	Re: Pye black box no sound As a further note, Gary PM'd me to say that he still couldn't obtain any output from his cartridge although he could now obtain a good hum from the amplifier socket with the pick-up cable disconnected. He checked further and found a short circuit on the screened lead from the pick-up. Once the short was cleared he then had a working Black Box and quote "It sounds amazing"! A success I think? __________________ There are lots of brilliant keyboard players and then there is Rick Wakeman.....

3rd Apr 2021, 11:02 pm	#67
leslie5555 Heptode Join Date: May 2015 Location: Reading, Berkshire, UK. Posts: 692	Re: Pye black box no sound Well done, when working correctly these do have an exceptional sound