Just inherited this lovely CRS-2204 from my (RIP) father in law: it was sitting in the kitchen room for the last 20/30 years collecting dust & co ( not excluding Bolognese flavours and vapours), almost un-used in his early days, so we can consider it as NOS. At first look it needs a deep cleaning outside/inside tour, after a quick test there some highlights: - Mechs and electronics somehow working; - Radio section and tuner working even stereo indicator, both left/right VUs dancing ( I like analog VU very much!) no audio from right speaker; - Cassette deck section and mech all keys acting ( a slightly impeded), tape playing nice, left channel ok, right channel , the VU is full scale while the speaker very loud hum. @Mister X drove me in gently hit the REC button to test for possibly oxidized contacts: TRUE! - Almost all pot gretching. So, I'm considering to start a full ext/int cleaning and de-oxideing job. I hope/think there aren't further major issues. I'm positively impressed by general qualities built in this 50 years old boombox: no broken plastics, chassis, electronics, and even the belts, despite ageing, are still working. Let's go! I'll report here my progresses.
Exploded view … When dismantling upper panel from the front, take care of this hidden screw, wich is operated from the back of the chassis,trough a hole upside the main board. View from back, follow the red dotted path The plastic panels are going to beauty saloon by a light wash with liquid wool soap.
Keys’ action was very tight, so decided to lubricate buttons and their leverages, carefully with silicon spray, where metals runs over metal or plastic Now the reaction is pretty ready and smooth.
I can see almost all connctions are wire-wrapped: very well! ( Hope i never have to service boards in this unit!) Even caps seems all ok (not tested yet)
Deoxidize pots and functions rails in the little hardware store where i operate as employee, we sell this re-branded professional grade product: i don’t know the manufacturer, not the formula, but it smells as the IPA do.
Ok, we need a new set of belts! Waiting for it. A lot of sticky grease (red arrows) fixed, and two unusual coils (green arrows): they looks like they was full of dust, but i’m not able to remove that: i’m prone to think it’s a sort of trick to get rid of resonance in coils: never saw that, but who can say.
Thanks, I’m happy it’s packed of good electronics, radio section never asked for service, the cassette who say? After deoxit and new belts on the go, i’ll test the specs of the tape unit, in the meanwhile only little cosmetics jobs.
, Reassembled, after new belts, one for capstan (square mm.71x1.2), the other for cam (square mm.49x1.2), the third for counter was in good shape, not changed, found very bad idler tyre: momentary replaced with an o-ring with same dimensions (measured original rubber 14x19x2 mm.), electronics untouched for the moment, only checked for motor speed and w&f. Above the results. Now cassette unit is working very well, belts and test tape from fixyouraudio: they arrived in just under two working days (from Saturday night to Tuesday mid day) , compliments to professionality of Marian @mihokm shop! There’s only a little uhm from speakers, i’m suspecting of a loop ground: unusually the mech chassis is grounded by 2 distinct cables, or maybe some failing capacitors. I’ll investigate it in a future (probably while i’ll go service the idler tyre), but for the day i’m very happy with it (and Genesis band too!)
