What is your least favorite electronic repair?

[electra225]

I dislike changing power transformees. What job do you not enjoy when repairing electronics?

[William]

Radios!!!

Bill

[electra225]

I can see how you'd feel that way.......

[19&41]

Trying to a restore a Magnavox tube architecture FM radio to proper function. That pot o' gold remains with the little people.

[electra225]

That process is certainly a challenge that most times remains elusive.....

[Motorola minion]

I would have to say replacement of any coil or transformer in RF-IF stages where I need to then touch up the alignment and nothing goes the way the Sams photofact schematic procedure says it should. Most Zeniths do not usually present a problem but many do.

I always wondered how much Photofacts developed this information, which I assume is not from actual tear-downs and independent measurements, like a Haynes manual for cars (used to be) . The factory info was probably paraphrased into a standard procedure that seems pretty consistent otherwise.

Riders schematics was basically manufacturer-originated and some of those procedures are pretty "black magic" especially the GE radios from 30s-40s, where a "tuning wand" is required to verify alignment - and I see lots of GE. Again, Philco alignment procedure was about the easiest in this regard!

I have learned to tolerate replacing ALL off-tolerance resistors and wax-paper caps as necessary to even attempt optimizing performance of a given receiver.

I hate doing anything mechanical like a tape deck or CD, record players and disassembling not withstanding. Players are about half of what needs done on these, so I'm getting used to it. They dont ALL need the same disassembly procedures, so Im glad for that.

I could never do a transmission but many a carburetor has vexed me over the last 40 years

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

Soldering in replacement phono cartridge connectors'
fine tonearm wire used to try my patience.
I bought one of those "third hand"
devices, which has helped a lot.

Up to joining this forum, chasing down excessive "hum" in string
heater tube amps was a chore.

I'm gathering good troubleshooting advice from our
members, so I hope that "hum" becomes something
I do along with my favorite song !

I'm ready to get back to that 1959 Zenith 3 tube stereo
amp, and apply Greg's suggestions on the hum hunt.

[TC Chris]

Riders schematics was basically manufacturer-originated and some of those procedures are pretty "black magic" especially the GE radios from 30s-40s, where a "tuning wand" is required to verify alignment - and I see lots of GE. Again, Philco alignment procedure was about the easiest in this regard!

The tuning wand--isn't that the device with one brass end and one steel (iron?) end? You poke it in the IF transformer or RF coil and see which end affects it in what way? I've never actually done it, mind you, but I've read about it and it always seemed like a simple way to verify what needed to be done.

Chris Campbell

[19&41]

Most often I use tuning wands with ceramic blades and hex and square drive portions It's a habit I picked up aligning hundreds of crystal controlled pagers and 2 way radios.

[Motorola minion]

The tuning wand is what William described. Brass (assumed non-ferrous) at one end, iron at the other. Maybe a side-effect when GE designed with fewer parts, non-conventional methods got best results.

Surrounded by an old farmstead with tons of material spoils, that is easy to craft