I just saw this post now, and I hate to see my friends blowing good fuses for no reason! I have a homemade solution, which is indispensable on my workbench. Basically, it's an in-line AC power-cable extension, but with a 100W lamp in series with the live AC line. Cut into the Live AC conductor (not the Neutral), and connect the lamp to the 2 exposed

Done! It was the JFET - Gate and Drain shorted. I had 14.5V on all 3 terminals G,D,S. I put in a new 2N5245, and now (when the PSU has stabilized at 26.0V) there's G (AFC ON) = -4.18V (SM shows -5.3V), AFC OFF = +14.3V, and D=S= +14.4VDC (SM shows +10V). I've checked all the components and other voltages down the line in the AFC and detector

Check out eD audio http://www.edesignaudio.com/ Their sub amps are made by Keiga, with B&O ICE technology. I have the model LT1300 in my sub, but you'd probably want a smaller model for yours. Stay away from those with Switching Power supplies - pure headaches. You want a nice fat toroid transformer with big fat power capacitors. Also, don't

Whoops... not quite done yet. I engaged the AFC after putting in the ZTK22, and AFC-on pulls the station way off center. Very distorted. I think that the JFET is no good, as there is 14.5V on both Source and Drain terminals, whether AFC is on or off (instead of 10V). I'll desolder it in the next couple of days, and try without the JFET at all, as

BINGO!!!!! I went to my pile of old junk - I found a Philips carcass, and there was a ZTK22!!!! I installed it, and it is reading 21.3V, but the problem is solved. All stations start up perfectly stabilized instantly, when the BM3400 is switched on. I noticed something else very interesting: Before, with the regular Zener 22V, if I adjusted the 26V

I was very afraid that you were going to say that - they are almost impossible to find! At least now I know what ZTK means. Is it worthwhile to use them instead of a regular zener?

Hi Martin, 1. Do you remember that you introduced me to Wima about 4 years ago? Since then, every cap which is 4.7uF and below, I replace Wima MKS or MKP automatically. Wima has a large warehouse in Israel, and they sell at prices well below the rest of the world, so it is a very easy choice. So, I already put these MKS2's at the beginning of the

If I remember correctly, it was a tantalum, with high ESR. I put in a regular Panasonic EB 1uF 50V electrolytic - any other recommendations - perhaps a low-ESR, or perhaps increase the uF being an electrolytic instead of a tantalum? I just noticed that if I engage the AFC immediately after switch-on, the frequency stabilizes immediately and perfectly

OK, much better. I don't have the original components - this was rescued from the skip about 7 years ago, with water damage and corrosion almost everywhere on all the component leads. It was a massive job to cleanup! Anyway, the FM section got all new components, passives and semis. I cleaned out the coils as much as possible, and there was no apparent

Martin and Martin - Thanks for your replies ;-) I looked at the power supply, and changed C25 and C26 at the bridge - voltage is up to 31.8V from 29V (still not 35V, but I think that's our poor quality AC, even though I'm running it through a power conditioner). Time to frequency stability is much improved - now about 30 seconds. At R42, the