THE_STIG's PC collection

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THE_STIG
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Re: THE_STIG's pc and electronics collection

Post by THE_STIG »

Think I should change the name of this thread slightly. So it can accommodate the other things I have added to my collection of electronics

recently got myself an old kenwood tuner and amp

amp: Kenwood ka - 70(from around 1982 apparently), cant find out much about it as it appears it was sold only as part of a rack set, sounds awesome though. So clear and clean and without stupid synthetic sounding bass

tuner: Kenwood kt - 413(form 1979) was part of a different rack set that would have included a ka - 300amp originally

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And I have found a matching cassette deck for the tuner(kx - 400), now I must just go get it
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Re: THE_STIG's PC collection

Post by KALSTER »

That is very cool indeed!
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Re: THE_STIG's PC collection

Post by CapNemo »

Stigs junkyard?

Some interesting things you have there Stig
"I hear voices in my head but they are my own this time"
"Except for a battle lost, there is nothing so terrible as a battle won."
"Sanity is for the weak!!"
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Re: THE_STIG's PC collection

Post by THE_STIG »

:lol: you are not the first one to call it that.


this is the cassette deck, will take a pic of the actual one when I fetch it
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Re: THE_STIG's PC and vintage electronics collection

Post by THE_STIG »

I fetched the cassette deck and upon plugging it in and trying to play a tape I realised that something was rather busted, no ff, rew, play....nothing. But then I sort of expected this.

electrically everything is perfect
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This was the problem, the drive belt seems to have transformed itself into some sticky goo :(
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So then I started dismantling everything so I could do some restoration work

First I removed the whole transport unit and removed the drive motor so I could clean the goo off the flywheel. Also I cleaned all the rubbers, capstan and pinch roller with isopropyl alcohol. So now fast forward and rewind should work properly.
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Then I removed the face so I could get the light oxidisation off and the many fingerprints/dust
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Looks factory fresh now :)
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All I need now is a new drive belt which seems a bit more difficult to find than I thought :x
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Re: THE_STIG's PC collection

Post by KALSTER »

That looks great. I have an old black National tape deck over here, along with an old graphic equalizer. Not in such good condition though.

Edit: Here is the one I have: http://www.vintagecassette.com/panasonic/rs-607
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Re: THE_STIG's PC collection

Post by THE_STIG »

Nice. But does yours at least work

Still wondering were to find a new drive belt.
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Re: THE_STIG's PC collection

Post by KALSTER »

The tape deck does. Used it for some voice recording at one stage. The equalizer has two channels that are broken.

What about a drive belt for the bristle of an upright vacuum cleaner?
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Re: THE_STIG's PC collection

Post by ADT »

nice stig, padawan has become a master
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Re: THE_STIG's PC collection

Post by THE_STIG »

mmm. That might work as long as it is not too thick.......but I dont have one of those either. I know there are elastic bands that are almost exactly the same diameter and width maybe one of those would work in the mean time
ADT wrote:nice stig, padawan has become a master
:lol: a master of what?
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Re: THE_STIG's PC collection

Post by CapNemo »

The junk pile :dontknow:
"I hear voices in my head but they are my own this time"
"Except for a battle lost, there is nothing so terrible as a battle won."
"Sanity is for the weak!!"
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Re: THE_STIG's PC collection

Post by THE_STIG »

True, junk piles contain many treasures......
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Re: THE_STIG's PC collection

Post by THE_STIG »

Found an elastic band that fits perfectly, busy trying it out now. Works brilliantly and surprisingly clear too

Currently plying 'The Knack - My Sharona'
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Re: THE_STIG's PC and retro electronics collection

Post by THE_STIG »

Finished my light restoration of the unit. Still never got a proper belt but found some elastic bands that fit so perfectly that its almost as if they were made for the job. Will still continue to try find the proper belt, could order a complete belt kit for $19 but the shipping is seriously expensive :shock:

Improvised belt:

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The tape deck in action:

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Sounds utterly brilliant, after giving the heads a proper clean. Now I see why there is a demand for this retro stuff overseas. Still does not beat the deck I used to have in the car, that thing made some tapes sound just like it was playing a CD
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Re: THE_STIG's PC collection

Post by KALSTER »

Do you use those expensive chrome tapes? I still have an unopened Sony pack of tapes somewhere around here. :)
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Re: THE_STIG's PC collection

Post by emmanuel »

THE_STIG wrote:
PhR34KKK wrote:Awesome cable management there. Nice and clean look. I really like.
Even for old machines like those. Not a speck of dust.
I like my PC's to be spotless, and I cant stand messy cables.
KALSTER wrote:Those the oldest ones you have Stig?
No, those are some of the newer ones I have, I still have to post some more. I have P3's, P2's, a K6-2, Duron.......
wish had collection like yours
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Re: THE_STIG's PC collection

Post by THE_STIG »

KALSTER wrote:Do you use those expensive chrome tapes? I still have an unopened Sony pack of tapes somewhere around here. :)
I do have one or two. Most are just the normal stuff though and about as old as the tape deck itself :lol:

Now I must just try recording something with it to see if all that works properly

emmanuel wrote:wish had collection like yours
Its not really much. I would like to have some old IBM's and such
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Re: THE_STIG's PC collection

Post by THE_STIG »

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/5261963 ... eback.html

Seems it is not only me who has found cassette tapes to more interesting than an ipod
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Re: THE_STIG's PC collection

Post by hamin_aus »

It's not making a comeback, it's just seeing a rise in active collectors and enthusiasts like yourself...

Much like the enthusiasts and REAL DJ's who have kept vinyl going all these years

My opinion has always been that our ears hear in analogue and no matter how fancy you make digital sound, our ears convert it back to analogue so whats the point. But it's SO MUCH EASIER to own and manage digital music that any richness you may forfeit is worth it.

98% of people agree because we are lazy basterds so cassettes are and forever will be relegated to the realm of novelty items and collector and enthusiasts specialties
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Re: THE_STIG's PC collection

Post by THE_STIG »

:lol: True that. I just like being different and annoying at the same time and because it takes more effort to create tapes and maintain them, that makes it more interesting.

Also there is no Justin biber and such on cassette, and those who like those probably wont even know what a cassette tape is.

Would not mind going down the vinyl route but I have no idea where I would find a new stylus for turntable which has been collecting dust for over 10 years
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Re: THE_STIG's PC collection

Post by THE_STIG »

Was giving the amp a more thorough clean when I came across a some dodge looking diodes:

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One of those "well there's your problem" moments. It was not just cracked but completely split in half

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Nice shiny new ones fitted. The rest of the dodgy looking stuff is just glue that has turned black from all the heat around the diodes(why they need to glue the base of the capacitors to the PCB I dont know)
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all is well again appart from the stupid source selector lamps which have all decided to die
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Re: THE_STIG's PC collection

Post by THE_STIG »

KALSTER wrote:Do you use those expensive chrome tapes? I still have an unopened Sony pack of tapes somewhere around here. :)
:shock: Theses chrome tapes are awesome. The is no background hiss at all, sounds just like a CD

Seems I only have two, a BASF chromedioxid II and another BASF chrome extra 120
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Re: THE_STIG's PC collection

Post by THE_STIG »

Was doing some more cleaning. Removing that nasty looking glue from the pcb in the amp and the tuner, apparently when it gets to that black crispy state it can become slightly conductive :shock:

Replaced two of the capacitors in the tuner too whilst I was removing them to properly get rid of the glue. And busy tracking down some indicator bulbs for the source selector on the amp. And another one for the tuners dial pointer

Back to the cassette deck, been trying many tapes and so far I have found the plain old tdk D90's to be the best sounding. The chrome tapes dont seem to match them :scratch: Maybe its just that they have lasted a bit better :dontknow:
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Re: THE_STIG's PC collection

Post by naughty »

our ears convert it back to analogue so whats the point.
well its not our ears that do the conversion - if we had to listen to the actual digital output it would sound like pink noise (or even white noise) so there is an electronic Digital to analog converter in the loop on all digital playback equipment :wink: and this can sometimes have an electronic filter that can retrieve that analog type of richness so digital audio can sound as good as analog is capable of sounding but luddites claim that this isnt so
Also there is no Justin biber and such on cassette
thank god for that and long may that continue :P
Would not mind going down the vinyl route but I have no idea where I would find a new stylus for turntable which has been collecting dust for over 10 years
you can find many current stylus and cartridge combinations but for example an Ortofon Red would set you back around R1k (possibly more depending where you get it from) .... Here in Durban i can get most of the more popular brands of stylus from Kathrees in Beatrice Street - and i indeed got a Pioneer stylus from them at around R170

the problem with vinyl is not where to find the equipment but its where to find enough of the type of music that you like - i have two turntables but only around 30 records so while i could easily afford a much better turntable i dont have enough records to justify that expense

BTW nice amp and tape deck :wink: and good work in restoring those
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Re: THE_STIG's PC collection

Post by hamin_aus »

naughty wrote:Beatrice Street
Ghettoville!!!
Is there nowhere else you can go in Durbs?
Beatrice street is a giant bus rank...
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