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I'm wondering if anyone can recommend a good tuner tech near NY or NJ. I have a beautiful Heathkit tube tuner that looks to be very complicated to set-up. I have the service manual but it is well outside of my abilities and it appears that it will require the attention of someone who has significant experience in this area.. Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated, and if there is a "guru" elsewhere in the US that contact would be useful as well. thanks and have a great RSD weekend if you are so inclined!
Follow Ups:
I'm going to level with you..Very few tube tuners outside of the Scott 4310 or the Marantz 8B,or the Mac MR71,are worth taking to a shop because the hourly rate is going to far exceed the value of the tuner in most cases. Like 6BQ5 said,the Heathkit tuners were assembled by amateur kit builders with great success so if you can read your kit manual and are able to solder,all you have to do is change the obvious faulty components which would be things like bumblebee capacitors and out of tolerance resistors that you cam check with your ohmmeter.Once you do that,we can help you with the rest.
What model tuner do you have and what kind of problem are you having with it? These are what Heathkit tuners have been selling for on average.
Heathkit tube amps and tube preamps fetch big bucks tuners just don't have the broad appeal as a rule.
A friend you get for nothing,an enemy has to be bought
Edits: 04/17/16
Hi Mike (or others), Would you add Scott 310E to that list of tube tuners worth tuning up?
It Depends on:i)IF the *station's are worth it, AND....
ii) IF and only IF you drive them real hard with a multi-path free signal. IE in most cases this needs a directional antenna aimed at the station -
iii) when any tube tuner is worth it. Because valve sound is worth it.
And there's more. We live in a world almost saturated with RF and EMI, especially our homes. Valve front ends do not get overloaded by such out of band signals.
*I do know that good sounding - not futzed with - FM is very rare in Nth America - I've visited, twice.
It is here too, but all cities have ABC Classic FM and at least one community or Music Broadcasting Society station.
Warmest
Tim Bailey
Skeptical Measurer & Audio Scrounger
Edits: 04/17/16
http://www.fmtunerinfo.com/which has some options in the top LH Corner which will take you to the Yahoo site, and you might need to join.
Is it a stereo tuner? If it's not I'd counsel adding a solid state FM-MPX module kit.
Valve FM front ends tend to need a LOT more signal to go quiet and fully limit, and then sound as musical and clear as they can. They are also even less able to deal with multi-path (reflections from hills, towers, tower blocks etc) on the signal. No tuner made can reject multi-path.
So, over and above the servicing and alignment yours might need, you will also need to find where the transmitters - of the stations you really want*- are on the map in relation to where your house is and the topography between there and here. And draw on a map the compass bearings to each desired transmitter. ? FM just is directional, there it is.
You will also need to get a directional antenna - one with gain - IE one with a boom and at least 3 elements, and perhaps a rotator.
If you find that they are all within a small arc of compass bearings you may not need the rotator. Perhaps just two antennas aimed \/ apart a bit.
I would also suggest that you go to the Asylum's FAQ's here on this site and find and read the article about Rhombic wire antennas and perhaps get back to me.
Finally, it really does depend on how much you love Free Music (FM) and how many stations are close by * which also actually love music, still. There aren't many left in Nth America!
And, how much time and effort, and some money you are willing to invest in that.
Warmest
Tim Bailey
Skeptical Measurer & Audio Scrounger
Edits: 04/14/16
The Heathkit tuners were designed to be fairly simple - and to be successfully built by a DIYer with little experience-
Some of the tuners are quite good- with a decent antenna (Timbo-)
There are also lots of resources on the web depending upon which model -
When was it last operating well?
It may just need new tubes - though it is very likely that it will need some new caps...
If there is still a McIntosh service center in NYC- they may be able to help- they need to be capable of servicing the older McIntosh tuners -
Happy Listening
I too was going to ask how or if it works now and if it was mono or stereo.
ET
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