Author Archives: retrovoltage

1963 Fisher FM-100-B Stereo FM Tuner Overhaul

Something a bit unusual came through the shop recently, an old tube-type Fisher FM-100-B Stereo FM tuner. Anyone who knows classic tube audio knows Fisher, and the FM-100-B sure lives up to the name. It’s a 12-tube FM/MPX Only tuner with … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Electronics, Radios and Tubes, Stereo, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Revitalize HP and Tek digital scopes with a NewScope LCD kit

I’ve been trying to figure out if I want to bother repairing my old HP 1222A oscilloscope which I’ve been using as a waveform monitor attached to the scope ports of my Sencore PA81 Stereo Power Amplifier Analyzer. It’s been … Continue reading →

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Sony ST-J75 Recap and Alignment

The Sony ST-J75 is a pretty well regarded, great sounding stereo FM tuner from the early ’80s. It’s one of the first forrays into digital tuning, with a frequency read-out, programmable memory, and seek/scan functionality and variable muting driven by … Continue reading →

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The Hewlett-Packard 5451A Fourier Analyzer

1972: the year launching the Space Shuttle program, the completion of the monument at Stone Mountain, Watergate, the first female FBI agents to join the force….and the new HP 5451A Fourier Analyzer, bringing unparalleled performance to the worlds of acoustic … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics, Photos, Test Equipment, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Stereo Aficionados

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Old rocker complains about new technology

According to Rolling Stone, Neil Young is pulling his catalog from all streaming music services over complaints about the sound quality. I don’t see this impacting me personally since I don’t listen to him and indeed can’t even name a … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Commentary, Ideas, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

1950s Motorola Modded Standalone Tube Amplifier Measurements

I had an unusual project through the shop recently. It’s a Magnavox tube amp from the late 1950s. The owner brought it in reporting he’d purchased the amplifier, pulled from a damaged console stereo and modified to be a standalone … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, DIY, Electronics, Hi-Fi, Projects, Radios and Tubes, Vintage | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Eric Engineering Model 357 High-Fidelity FM Tuner

I recently got to work on something quite unusaul, the Eric Engineering model 357 hi-fidelity tuner. Built by obscure outfit Eric Engineering in Santa Monica, CA in 1961, there’s relatively little known about these units. It’s a fairly simple ratio-detector … Continue reading →

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1974 Sony STR-6200F Receiver Overhaul and Alignment

I recently got to work on a pretty big, fairly rare Sony receiver from 1973-74: the STR-6200F. It’s a powerful receiver featuring 60W per channel of power available, with quite a few inputs and outputs, and a strong FM tuner … Continue reading →

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The Speaker Spotter – Speakers of Craigslist: June 3rd, 2015

It’s back – the Speakers of Craigslist, a periodic round-up of what’s interesting on my local Craigslist these days. Sorry for the hiatus, putting these together is a bit of work! As always, I am not affiliated with any of … Continue reading →

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