Troubleshooting Player Problems

No pilot light, no tape motion, and no amplifier hiss

• Defective power supply cords
• Poor power connections
• Defective ac-dc selector switch
• defective auto-boat jack
• Defective cartridge switch

No operation with dc power source

• Defective ac-dc selector
• Open auto-boat jack
• Broken or open dc power cord
• Defective batteries
• Improper seating of batteries
• Reverse-voltage diode
• Diode shorted or open

Pilot light on - no tape motion

• Broken, loose or worn drive belt
• Loose motor pulley
• Frozen or burned out motor
• Frozen capstan-flywheel assembly
• Open wiring to motor circuits

Wow or flutter

• Poor lubrication
• Defective or oily capstan
• Loose or worn drive belt
• Oil on drive belt
• Belt riding high on motor pulley
• Defective motor

Crosstalk

• Height adjustment off
• Jammed tape head assembly

Excessive noise

• Worn or dry motor bearing
• Siezed or frozen capstan
• Defective motor
• Erratic or worn volume control

Will not change channels

• Shorted or open solenoid circuits
• Shorted diode across solenoid
• Open selector switch
• Defective track-shift mechanism

Channel indicator defects

• Open channel lamp circuit
• Defective channel lamp switch
• Burned out lamps
• broken indicator lamps
• Slipping shaft to lamp switch
• Dirty lamp switch contacts
• Broken or defective rubber channel belt

No sound

• Defective transistors
• Defective tape head
• Leaking or open coupling capacitor
• Shorted bypass capacitors
• Open B+ circuit to amplifier
• Defective power cord

Weak or low sound

• Defective or dirty tape head
• Defective transitors
• Open bypass or coupling capacitors
• Shorted bypass or coupling capacitors
• Tape head out of adjustment

Distorted Sound

• Leaky or shorted transistor
• Leaky coupling capacitors
• Burned or changed resistance of bias and emitter resistors
• Heatsink shorted to power transistors
• Very dirty tape head
• Open or erratic bias controls

Amplifier has high-pitched tone

• Improper head azimuth adjustment
• Defective tape head
• Open capacitors in preamp
• Open or poor lead connections

Low treble

• Oxide deposit on head
• Worn head surface
• Head out of alignment

Abnormal oscillations

• Poor head leads
• Filter and decoupling filters
• Resistance change or burned decoupling filters
• Open or poor volume control connections

Troubleshooting Cartridge Problems
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