I wonder how many of you, were watching it like I was, thanking our chosen deity or lucky charm that it wasn’t one of our projects up for dissection 🤣
It was, of course, a well-balanced critique, and very interesting to peer over Paul’s shoulder as he walked through the work. It has made me think carefully about what I need to consider for my first AA5 restoration, a Pilot Little Maestro that I bought last year and have not yet had time to fully evaluate.
There was in that lots of evidence of a prior “overhaul”, the rectifier tube was missing, replaced with a diode, a practice that I think was probably quite “normal” in the late 70s early 80s, where the focus was more on getting them back in working order than keeping them original. Regardles of the reasons that evidence means that I have to be extra careful with any assumptions I make and cross reference the schematics very carefully with the reality.
After many years watching Paul might be a little OCD one may say, but only means he is trying to do it all the right way.
I am sure there is one who would even say to Paul there would be a better way.
Over my many years, I have seen hack jobs and I am sure I am guilty of a few.
I would have to say people like Paul, I just knew only half of what they know.
I really enjoy just watching him, even cutting the grass.
Now thinking, I maybe just a little OCD…. 😎
Larry
Larry – N7LUF
I myself opened a signal tracer not remembering that I had rebuilt it years back when I was just starting and thought, ” man, who did this?!” And then remembered it was me! It worked perfectly fine but I wouldn’t say it was the best work!
We all have to start somewhere.
@dubcraftee84 Funny you mentions this, as I have looked at some kits I put together and just shaked my head.
Larry – N7LUF
It probably wouldn’t apply to what Paul was going through, but when I was in the Navy we often had to make do with what we had to get the equipment working and would plan to circle back when we were back in port…. and often lost track of what we had done to make stuff work…. Came to a head when we entered the shipyard and a couple of weeks in the electronics show (where our equipment was being overhauled) asked for a tech from our show to explain what they were finding in the equipment. Believe the term is “jerry rigged” (not the youtuber) 🙂
I can relate to the past work issue. I own a Marantz 2325 receiver from new. It is a very high hour unit now. It has a problem with the right channel power amplifier board. There is a known fault with those, that Marantz had issued a tech bulletin to address, and that is what went wrong. Back in 2005, when this happened, I couldn’t get correct spec parts, so I had to make do. Combination of resistors to get needed value, things like that. It mostly worked. It just made a rushing sound when it first powered up. I now know that there is a certain transistor pair that causes this. It hasn’t had power applied since 2007. When I finally open it up to address this, I shudder to think of just what I will find. I know from memory that I did not do my best soldering work on it. I have much better equipment and skill for that now. It will be a few months before I get to it, but I’m sure I will be posting about it.