Category Archives: Electronics

Marantz 2270 Stereophonic Receiver Overhaul and Adjustment

Posted on May 26, 2015 by retrovoltage

I recently got to work on another iconic piece of hi-fi history, the Marantz 2270 stereo receiver. I’ve had this model through my shop before, as well as a couple of other 22xx receivers and they’re well built and generally … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Electronics, Hi-Fi, Projects, Stereo, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Need 45V batteries for your old radio?

Posted on May 21, 2015 by retrovoltage

Rayovac has been making batteries for over 100 years, and their batteries were commonly found in use with many types of battery-operated tube radios. Most commonly, radios would operate on 45V batteries with a tap half-way (for 0-22.5-45V). Two in … Continue reading →

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Yamaha B-2X Check-Up and Adjustment

Posted on May 13, 2015 by retrovoltage

I recently had this Yamaha B-2X through the shop. It’s a massive beast of a power amplifier from the late ’80s, delivering up  to 170W per channel with 0.002% THD. Being somewhat more recent, this one just needed a quick … Continue reading →

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Extracting Screenshots from the HP 3585A Spectrum Analyzer

Posted on April 22, 2015 by retrovoltage

I’ve posted a few times about my HP 3585A spectrum analyzers over the past several months, and after chipping away at the problem I’ve finally solved the screenshots issue! It boiled down to a bad GPIB cable for my National … Continue reading →

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Telefunken Bajazzo Sport 201 Transistor Radio

Posted on March 30, 2015 by retrovoltage

I don’t typically service portable transistor radios, but I make an occasional exception for something especially unique or interesting. The Telefunken Bajazzo Sport 201 is no exception – it’s a high end piece of German engineering, a great performer with … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics, Projects, Radio, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Sony TA-5650 Full Re-Cap and Adjustment

Posted on March 4, 2015 by retrovoltage

I recently got to work on another of the Sony VFET line of integrated amplifiers, the Sony TA-5650. I’ve had one through the shop previously, and this one came in for the same service. It came in running fine – … Continue reading →

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Fun with the HP 3585A Spectrum Analyzer

Posted on March 2, 2015 by retrovoltage

I spent some time playing around with one of my HP 3585A spectrum analyzers over the weekend to get a feel for its capabilities. While it’s only good from 20 Hz – 40 MHz, it’s a very capable tool within … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics, Gadgets, Test Equipment | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Bose® 901 Series VI Active Equalizer #199732 Repaired

Posted on February 20, 2015 by retrovoltage

A first for my shop, I recently worked on a Bose® 901 Series VI Active Equalizer! These are considerably newer than the Series I-IV that typically come through the shop, although they’re still getting to be 25+ years old at … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Bose, Electronics, Projects, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Vintage Engineering is Beautiful [’70s TV]

Posted on January 30, 2015 by retrovoltage

’70s Industrial Modern Television in Custom Enclosure

Posted in Collections, Electronics | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Screenshots from HP 3585A Spectrum Analyzer via GPIB?

Posted on January 24, 2015 by retrovoltage

I’m wondering if anyone reading this might have some experience and could chime in. I’m trying to make my HP 3585A spectrum analyzer talk to my Windows XP laptop over GPIB (488.1) with a National Instruments PCMCIA-GPIB card. I’ve been … Continue reading →

Posted in Computers, DIY, Electronics, Test Equipment | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments