AG Pool Audio System.

[Phillbo]

Carl, I have an old Harman Kardon receiver that I use for the exterior speakers, It runs real hot and on occasion will drop one of the channels. I'm not much for tinkering with electronics (in truth, i should prolly kill the main breaker before changing a light bulb for my safety) but would like to try to diagnose before buying a cheapo to replace it . Any advice where to start ? I thought maybe opening it up and blowing it out real good to start.. An easy fix would be great but if not, i'll just trash it..


and try this sail boat on for size

http://www.pdracer.com/plans/harley-8.pdf

[CarlD]

Carl, I have an old Harman Kardon receiver that I use for the exterior speakers, It runs real hot and on occasion will drop one of the channels. I'm not much for tinkering with electronics (in truth, i should prolly kill the main breaker before changing a light bulb for my safety) but would like to try to diagnose before buying a cheapo to replace it . Any advice where to start ? I thought maybe opening it up and blowing it out real good to start.. An easy fix would be great but if not, i'll just trash it..

What I think is going on is that H-K's safety circuits are kicking in to prevent more damage. Better to shut down and cool down than burn out. For the last 25-30 years, most amplifier units (and microwave ovens) have had such circuitry. But something is out of spec on the channel that's going down (I assume it's always the same channel). It could be as small as a single resistor or capacitor that's blown. If you really love it and want to play with it, and have the test equipment, you could have a lot of fun. OTOH, you can buy a really nice two-channel receiver these days for under $100--today, Circuit City has a 100wpch Sherwood receiver for $75....You can't repair the H/K for that. They have an Onkyo surround sound for about $190.

Easy checks: Try the dusting out first. If it's full of dust, heat can build up. Be sure to check the power supply circuit--it should be near or connected to the power suppply transformer and be a smallish circuit board (if it's separate). Those components tend to throw heat.

Also you might check the power transistors and their heat sinks--they get VERY hot, too and if the sinks are dirty, they can't dissappate heat well. If the heat-conducting goop between the transistors and the sinks is shot or too thick, they'll overheat, too.

You could try a fan, like a PC fan, that's quiet to suck heat out of the unit, too. Might have to be inventive!

and try this sail boat on for size

http://www.pdracer.com/plans/harley-8.pdf

VERY cool! Norm, from This Old House and New Yankee Workshop built a small day-sailor as well, called a Clancy. I have the plans and video, but never built it. It's a little more complicated, but it's a similar idea.

http://www.newyankee.com/getproduct3.cgi?708

[Phillbo]

Thanks for the advice.. It's always the same channel. I'll get a can of air and see how much dust has accumilated and if anything obvious jumps out at me. If it keeps doing it, I'll just replace it with a cheapo unit.

[CarlD]

The amazing thing is that even cheapo units like that Sherwood and an Onkyo I got my mom perform as well if not better than units from the 70's, 80's and 90's. Ordinary stereo at high quality got very, very cheap.

[sailork]

Yup, you guys are taking me for a walk down memory lane. Audio was a hobby of mine when I was a kid. I've got more than one pair of homemade speakers per room in my house. My living room is graced by my father's old pair of AR3/A's driven by a Hafler DH-200.

The main reason I recommended the Yamahas is that with the larger box and woofer you get good efficiency and a high maximum SPL per dollar. Yamaha didn't have to make as many comprimises on the sound to shrink the speakers because they didn't shrink them as much. And at $99 to $150/pair you don't really have to break the bank. Like I said though without the equilizer tweak you WON'T like the sound. I suspect the smaller Yamahas are not as good as the bign's. I completely agree with Carl on the Bose speakers. Sound quality per $$ isn't there.

Now when do we start talking about yacht racing?

[Phillbo]

Now when do we start talking about yacht racing?

this ought to get your blood moving


http://www.dailymotion.com/video/138844

[CarlD]

Now when do we $tart talking about yacht racing?

A$ $oon a$ we can get lot$ of gue$$ what $ta$hed in our per$onal bank account$!

Becau$e what do you think we'll $pend lot$ and lot$ of?

Haffler: That's a grand old name! I've virtually every kind of amp, pre-amp and tuner Dynaco ever made. Even have some UN-built kits!

[waterbear]

We might need to start an audio section! I have been an audio hobbist since the 60's when I was in Jr. High and got my first component system! Built more speaker systems than I care to think about and still remember the day I bought my Dual 1219 turntable/Shure V15 type II cartridge when I was in High School! Worked my way through college by first working in and then becoming the Audio Dept. manager for an Audio/musical instrument store! (That was back in the days of quadraphonic sound! I actually spoke with Joe Grado from Grado labs on the phone many times about his phono cartridges and CD4 demodulator setup. He sent me one of his signature series cartridges as a gift!)

I took the easy way out for my pool sound for now....Have an Advent wireless outdoor speaker...mono only but very good sound for the money (was around $100, sorry to say Thompson sold Advent to audiovox and they no longer offer the unit). Have the transmitter hooked up to my computer right now and listen to MP3s and internet radio by the pool but I used to have it hooked into my home theatre system. Had to run upstairs to the living room to change music which is why I switched it over to the computer. My office is right next to the pool and has sliding glass doors so it's easy to adjust things if I want to. Plan to install outdoor speakers some time in the future but this works fine for now.