[Vintage-Audio] Re Gold Plated Audio Cables

Fri Nov 9 20:46:39 EST 2007

Good. Most of the surge protectors use a highly non-linear 
resistor across the line that actually breaks down when 
presented with a spike. Every time it breaks down it gets a 
little less prone to do it again. I guess the pain is real 
and it learns not to beat its head against the wall (or some 
metaphor).

Bob, WB6JPI

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Duane Fischer, W8DBF" <dfischer at usol.com>
To: "Vintage home and professional audio equipment from 1975 
back" <vintage-audio at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, November 09, 2007 3:56 PM
Subject: Re: [Vintage-Audio] Re Gold Plated Audio Cables

> Bob,
>
> Mine have a built-in red LED. When it is "on" the surge 
> unit has blown and needs to be replaced. It also does not 
> allow power to the device plugged into it. So even if you 
> fail to 'see' the LED, the inoperative device is an 
> immediate alert that something is not working.
>
>
> Duane Fischer, W8DBF/WPE8CXO
> dfischer at usol.com
> HHI: Halligan's Hallicrafters International
> http://www.w9wze.net
> HHRP: Historic Halligan Radio Project
> hhrp.w9wze.net
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "wolfbob" <wolfbob at csnsys.com>
> To: "Vintage home and professional audio equipment from 
> 1975 back" <vintage-audio at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2007 10:23 PM
> Subject: Re: [Vintage-Audio] Re Gold Plated Audio Cables
>
>
>> Be aware that these surge suppressors only last for a few 
>> real surges and then they don't any more. I don't know 
>> how to test them to see if they are still effective.
>>
>> WBob, WB6JPI
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Duane Fischer, W8DBF" <dfischer at usol.com>
>> To: "Vintage home and professional audio equipment from 
>> 1975 back" <vintage-audio at mailman.qth.net>
>> Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2007 2:52 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Vintage-Audio] Re Gold Plated Audio Cables
>>
>>
>>> Pete,
>>>
>>> I learned about the switching power supply issue four or 
>>> five years ago. I had to have some blown components in 
>>> my MGA Super VHS deck replaced after a failure. Since 
>>> the old blind dude rarely uses a remote, (I have an 
>>> entire section of my six foot wood LD/CD storage unit 
>>> full of about thirty of them!), I put a six outlet power 
>>> strip with a reset capable circuit breaker and surge 
>>> suppressor in line. So unless I am using the twin VHS 
>>> decks, Yamaha LD player, Pioneer LD/DVD player, they 
>>> remain powered totally down.
>>>
>>> Pete is absolutely right. Doing what I did will extend 
>>> the life of these expensive items for two to three times 
>>> their normal always on life. Which can save you a lot of 
>>> frustration, avoidable repair costs and expensive 
>>> replacement units!
>>>
>>> Since I do not trust these power strips surge 
>>> protection, I also have a surge protection unit plugged 
>>> into the wall outlet and the power strip plugged into 
>>> it. It may be overkill, but better safe than surge 
>>> sorry!
>>>
>>> This is a really peculiar situation Peter, especially 
>>> with the Sony CDRW deck. Too complicated to try and 
>>> explain by e-mail. One of these days I will give you a 
>>> landline and explain the entire scope of odd things that 
>>> happen with modern technology.
>>>
>>>
>>> Duane Fischer, W8DBF/WPE8CXO
>>> dfischer at usol.com
>>> HHI: Halligan's Hallicrafters International
>>> http://www.w9wze.net
>>> HHRP: Historic Halligan Radio Project
>>> hhrp.w9wze.net
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>> From: "Peter Markavage" <manualman at juno.com>
>>> To: <vintage-audio at mailman.qth.net>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 2007 8:39 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [Vintage-Audio] Re Gold Plated Audio Cables
>>>
>>>
>>>> Generally there should be no voltage potential 
>>>> difference between the
>>>> chassis of each unit even with consumer grade two wire 
>>>> AC lines. However,
>>>> with many of these units, as soon as you plug it into 
>>>> an AC outlet, the
>>>> AC transformer, any components on the AC side, and any 
>>>> components up to
>>>> the ON/OFF switch could be drawing current constantly. 
>>>> Almost any piece
>>>> of equipment that comes with a remote, a portion of the 
>>>> equipment is
>>>> always energized even if you have the ON/OFF switch to 
>>>> OFF. So, if it's
>>>> on for 24/7, for X number of years, the potential for 
>>>> component breakdown
>>>> or leakage in those parts of the circuitry that are 
>>>> constantly drawing
>>>> current is probably good. You first have to isolate 
>>>> which piece of
>>>> equipment, if it is the equipment, is generating the 
>>>> static or causing
>>>> the distortion. Once that can be determined, then a 
>>>> stage by stage
>>>> monitoring would be required to determine which stage 
>>>> might be causing
>>>> the issue. Since it's intermittent, this most likely 
>>>> would cause
>>>> additional frustration, since you can check the stage 
>>>> at one point and,
>>>> all is good, but at some later time, it might start to 
>>>> exhibit problems.
>>>> There's no easy answer here.
>>>>
>>>> Pete
>>>>
>>>> On Wed, 7 Nov 2007 18:01:22 -0500 "Duane Fischer, 
>>>> W8DBF"
>>>> <dfischer at usol.com> writes:
>>>>> Pete, I wonder if there is some potential between the 
>>>>> Sony ZA5 DAT
>>>>> deck and
>>>>> the Sony CDRW deck?
>>>>>
>>>>> One thing I have learned is that any cassette tape one 
>>>>> tries to
>>>>> record
>>>>> direct to a CDRW deck almost always fails. I spent 100 
>>>>> hours working
>>>>> with
>>>>> some historic cassette tapes from 1981-1983 and it was 
>>>>> a nightmare!
>>>>> There is
>>>>> something about those analog cassette tapes, old or 
>>>>> current, that
>>>>> the CDRW
>>>>> decks do not like. Hence, I am wondering if this 
>>>>> periodic static
>>>>> might also
>>>>> be caused by something in the DAT tape. Who knows.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Duane Fischer, W8DBF/WPE8CXO
>>>>> dfischer at usol.com
>>>>> HHI: Halligan's Hallicrafters International
>>>>> http://www.w9wze.net
>>>>> HHRP: Historic Halligan Radio Project
>>>>> hhrp.w9wze.net
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Home: 
>>>> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/vintage-audio
>>>> List Administrator: Duane Fischer, W8DBF
>>>> ** For Assistance: dfischer at usol.com **
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>> List Administrator: Duane Fischer, W8DBF
>>> ** For Assistance: dfischer at usol.com **
>>>
>>
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>
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