This is my Sony FH-909. I bought it around a year ago. Pretty much top of the FH range in it's time and hugely expensive for a late 80s hi-fi let alone boombox.It's not really a boombox as its mains only. It does have a handle however so it is technically a portable. You would be a brave person to lug this around too much though!

When I got it, there were various issues. The tape deck was shot, the previous owner had replaced the backlights with LEDs which looked terrible. They were an awful green hue! The tuner lights were shot.

For the last few months the deck has been repaired, the bulbs have been changed back to original spec. I found the correct CD player and managed to find a n.o.s boxed remote.  

Hope you like the pics, it lives at my mums house now and I hid the handle away for safe keeping...... I have no idea where the handle is now and spent most of Sunday looking for  it!!

Sony FHs are a pleasure to the eye and ear. Yours is wonderful, all the more so as it is the result of a careful rebuild process.

The only thing you need now is to handle it with care...  (bad joke I know but I couldn't resist). Seriously I hope you find the missing part soon 

It's soooooo frustrating losing the handle after the journey I've been through with this!

^^^^^^^^

I have also lost things in my own house.

its definitely a situation that makes you angry !!

I m still looking for a pair of jeans for 2 years now!

Anyway , you will find it eventually HR

this cant disappear from the face of Earth like that

unless they are thrown away.

Great FH-909 btw - Spectrum analyzer looks amazing-

and nice bringing it back to the land of living !

It's not lost, it's playing hide-and-seek with you  I know the feeling and I feel for you. I seriously believe in the revolt of the objects as I am always losing things in my own house, especially when I need them! 

Months and months to find the remote and correct CD player ..........then I go and lose the handle! #*%^#¥!!!!

Losing the handle is THE worst nightmare for every compo with detachable handle!  Good luck HR, fingers crossed! Find it! 

Well, you can have only one at a time on the FH, the cd or the handle.

One of the few boxes still on my wanted list. If you ever want to let it go...let me know maybe we could do a trade or a deal.

Congratulations on bringing it to original specs. Those green led were indeed a insult brought to the mighty 909.

I think you can handle the situation another bad joke but I mean it!

Recently fixed mine, I hope to report about it soon.

Nothing more to say now I'm hitting the topic like button.

That looks ruddy awesome Rudey, a real power house i bet. I have never had the pleasure of hearing these FH series boxes but I have been keeping my eyes open as I do really like the look, congrats on taking it back to original spec.

That looks the business for sure.   I'm sure it sounds as good as it looks.  Will have to grab a FH series boomer somewhere down the line.  The one's I've seen up always have mechanical/cosmetic issues.  Hope you find that handle.  I know that has to be just as frustrating as you explained.

Nicee...this is not a ghetto as such but i treat my boxed one as such, nothing bomes close....put some velcro straps around mine as the speakers are to heavy for the unit, well worth the trade for an m90 as she is boxed with papers and remote etc....i wont be taking the handle of mine as i don't use cd, hope you find yours soon Rory lad

well you know my thoughts on it........say no more

Reported as box porn!

I hear finding the CD player is rare. Where'd you find it Rudey? And the Remote? WOW!

Great machine!

Spectrum analyzer and tuner digit colours look different at 1st and 2d photos. 

Great machine i used to own the the FH-215R, love the FH series.

Just Magnificent. Every time one comes along (not often) it is just out of reach for me. Have the FH7 MK2, but still on the hunt. Will just have to stare and dream.

My sister and her young kids live in Denmark and whenever they come over bits and pieces go missing when they've finished tearing the place up. Thought I'd better check the 4 year olds toy chest and there it was!! 

Probably best to put the CD on the bottom and leave the handle clicked in eh!?

 even better -- take it home 

Glad you found it.   I know that was about to make you pull your hair out.

This topic inspired me and I remembered that I have seen an affordable CDP S27 locally (they are not that rare, at least I passed a couple of them in the last year) so I went ahead and bought it. Should fit nicely with my PS Q3. The next thing to buy would be a FH909.

The player works but the display on the S27 lights but could be brighter. Is there a led behind it that could be changed?

I didn't open the CD player as it was kind of working ok. I'm sure it takes the same bulbs as the other components.  

Hi all,

I'm a very small time collector with a few boxes and a couple of mini component systems. No real experience of taking them apart other than to change a belt here and there. 

I've just got hold of an FH-909r with some speakers and I'm really liking the look of it.

Unfortunately the radio unit works but has no diaplay lights. Also, the amp/equaliser part works except for the equaliser lights themselves (the volume indicator lights and button lights are fine). 

So it's really just the equaliser lights and radio display which need attention. 

Is there anything I could do myself or can someone recommend anyone experienced that could do these repairs for me? I'm near Watford in Hertfordshire. 

Thanks for any help that can be provided. 

Just get some new lamps....they are dead easy to install.....you just need a soldering iron....im not sure is they are 2 x 12volt but they might be in series...24 volt   ....not sure....maybe hisrudness can help you further

davebush posted:

Just get some new lamps....they are dead easy to install.....you just need a soldering iron....im not sure is they are 2 x 12volt but they might be in series...24 volt   ....not sure....maybe hisrudness can help you further

Thanks for the reply davebush. Is that for the radio or the equaliser as well? The equaliser has so many bars I thought it would need something more specialist. It's the getting to it on the inside (without damaging something else) which would cause me the real issues I think. 

I do have the soldering iron but my last attempt at using it wasn't pretty. I blame the solder... 

Yeah....lamps in both.

Thanks for the responses Dave. I received lamps this morning and all working nicely now. Looks and sounds great!  

In the unlikely event anyone has just the handle and brackets for sale I would definately be interested in buying them. 

Some more help needed if possible. I have now noticed the Stereo indicator light is not working either. Looking at the manual it says its a SEL1210W Diode but this part number does not appear to be available. Does anyone know if another Diode/led will work instead? There are no details of the capacirlty needed within the manual (unlikely the other bulbs which were pretty standard bulbs). 

Thanks

Try and find the characteristics of it  and get the nearest one

Providing they are the same colour then LEDs are all very similar. If you feed them less current they just light dimmer. It is very unusual for them to blow though. Are you sure you haven't got a loose wire or Mono selected or something. Do FM stations actually sound to be stereo even with the LED off ? 

I checked if mono might be turned on but there is no mono button. There is a Stereo/muting button but it just mutes the sounds.

The Fm stations did sound to be Stereo without the led and the working and board looks very clean otherwise. 

I have removed the led and it appears to be a standard looking clear led. The red commuting is on the front panel. I saw similar looking led in multipacks at Maplin when I went to order the display bulbs the other day so I will pick one up and just give it a go. I will upload a pic of the led I removed. 

Don't forget LEDs are polarised. I was going to say you can tell which lead is which by looking at the internal structure which you can see in your photo. However, as you have already taken it out I don't know which lead was on which pad. Look if the pads are marked and read up on LEDs.

There is a diagram half way down this

http://www.blocksignalling.co....e-common-anode-tlc2a

Longman posted:

Don't forget LEDs are polarised. I was going to say you can tell which lead is which by looking at the internal structure which you can see in your photo. However, as you have already taken it out I don't know which lead was on which pad. Look if the pads are marked and read up on LEDs.

There is a diagram half way down this

http://www.blocksignalling.co....e-common-anode-tlc2a

 

Thanks, I did notice that on the led but only after i removed it! Luckily there is a marking on the board to display the +/-. Thanks for the diagram.

Well thanks to Longmans comment on the unlikeliness of the LED failing it got me thinking I had probably done something wrong along the line so I soldered the existing Diode back in and started again. This time the FM light worked!

I think this maybe have been down to my not extended the antenna enough when I first tested. I can now see it's very sensitive and must be nearly fully extended to received the full signal (enough to turn the FM light on).

Another lesson learned and I now have what appears to be a fully working system. Just need a remote, handle and brackets now.