[R-390] Any help for a beginner?

[blw]

Good advice, Bill. And, good questions Ronnie.

I would suggest taking out the AF deck first. It is easy to get to and just
about everything is sitting there in the open for you. I need to do the same
thing you are considering, plus rebuild another AF deck that is the cause of
blowing the fuse about half the time I turn it on.

The board of resistors will be easy to replace for starters. I plan to
replace everything rather than testing endlessly as something is wrong
somewhere. I'll enjoy the project if I take my time with it. I plan to recap
it too, of course. In the end I should have a good AF module and be ready to
do my other one in the working Motorola PH-56. I'll only replace the
resistors in the module that is shorting somewhere.

After doing these two decks I'll be ready to start on something else...again
doing it slowly and trying to make it enjoyable. I think one deck at a time
is a good way to approach the whole job. Look at the Y2K manual and get an
idea of the equipment you need. The video also gives you advice. You can't
have everything on day one unless you are real lucky.

Another good way to start to know your way around the radio is to clean all
of the connectors, tube pins, and crystal pins. I did that a few years ago
and it is an interesting way to start poking around inside. Everything got a
bit of DeOxit after cleaning. It was like getting a new radio when I
finished.


Barry


> Well, I hope someone else will give you their order for doing things.
> I am not all that procedure-oriented. I'd try the set, find problems
> and fix what's broke. I would not attempt to refinish the front panel,
> because I could not make it look as good as it is now. Clean it, sure.
> 
> But you didn't mention practicing your mechanical skills. You can do a
> pretty good job of degreasing and re-lubing without major dis-assembly.
> OTOH, you can screw up the set forever if you forget any detail.
> 
> If I had several R-390A sets and wanted to do a teardown and rebuild
> just because it felt good, I'd pick the worst set and make it my practice
> set. Begin by removing the Audio, PS, and IF modules, then remove the
> front panel. But first, get a pencil and pad and an ice cube tray or an
> egg carton. As you remove things, write down what you did. Put any loose
> hardware into compartments for each step. This will make it possible to
> replace everything just the way the manufacturer intended it to be built.
> 
> You can't tear a set down, clean and replace everything, and still
> remember how you took it apart - especially if you are also working to
> someone else's schedule. I have ice cube trays and muffin tins full of
> parts from equipment I have opened just to look at it. By the time I got
> around to putting the thing back together, I had the parts but I couldn't
> remember what they were for.
> 
>> "I want to do it right the first time."
> 
> That is a noble goal, but quite impossible for a complete tear-down of
> something as complex as an R-390A. Sort of like sitting down at a piano
> for the first time and playing an unfamiliar piece of music perfectly.
> Plan on making mistakes, and plan on practicing. Plan on your practice
> set never becoming fully operational to factory specs. But the second
> set has a better chance.
> 
> Regards,
> Bill Hawkins