Rowe RB-8 Bubbler (or Antique Apparatus RB-8CD) new project

[claudioggs]

Hi all,

I bought a disassembled Rowe Bubbler made by antique Apparatus.
As expected it's not working, so I will make different posts for each part questions.

Amplifier:

This Juke had remote control and remote speakers. I found the cables cut.
Speakers was connected to the same amplifier channel (check pic #1), probably one channel was bad.
Black to E3 left, purple to E1 right and pink to E4 right.
I reconnected the volumen & cancel controls; and the speakers following the instruction in this post
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=97887.0
Black to E1 left, purple to E6 left and pink to E6 right. (pic #2)
I connected a MP3 player.
Both channels work, but right one sound very scratchy.

I taked off the amplifier.
All fuses in amplifier drive boards are OK (a mix of them, 8A 250V, 6A slow, 8A 250V, 8A 32V, something was wrong here)
The pre-amplifier board had suffered intensive heat in Q23 area (near P5), probably comming from R180 or a bad soldering skill technician (or both)

I saw the mono/stereo small switch in mono, I changed to stereo.
I reconnected the amplifier and, MAGIC, now it sound OK.
May be was the mono/stereo switch or a bad connection, who knows...

But a strange thing happend with the volume control, the sound start at the potentiometer middle way.
I missured (connected) 11 K, the part number write on the pot is 3-06285-01 (the right one), same as my Rowe R91 volume pot.

Why this happend??

Thanks
Claudio

[ami-man]

Hello Claudio,

I had to look at one of these a while ago, the problem turned out to be a burnt out connection on the power supply molex plug and socket.

You may find it prudent to check out all of the molex connection from the power supply upwards for dry joints to the pins and check each of the molex connections, I usually take each one out it turn by pushing in the pawl on the connection and withdrawing the connector, slightly unfold it, thus putting more tension back onto the connection when put back into the molex plug.
You may find some tarnished, try to clean or replace.

Regards
Alan

Alan Hood
ami-man
UK

[claudioggs]

Thank you again Alan,

What Molex pin ejector must I buy?
I checked in ebay and there are many different ejector models.
Could you please point me to Molex pin size and Molex connectors model used by Rowe.
Thanks
Claudio

[ami-man]

Hi Claudio,

I have a couple for the earlier type of pins but I tend to use a small screwdiver to press against the pawl that lock the connections in place. The molex connections in the looms usually are ok if cleaned and extra tension put onto the connection by slightly unfolding the connection.

Regards
Alan

Alan Hood
ami-man
UK