Tascam atr 60/8

What I was attempting to refer to was the voltage entry points on the printed circuit board that belongs to the arming buttons and their associated LED indicators. Not the power supply itself.

Seeing as the actual record function is working, it would seem like tracking down the basics such as power to those LED's would be the first thing to track down and eliminate or indite as a suspect.

Cheers! :)
 
OK,thanks Ghost!

The thing is the led has one track directly to the switch, I tested and its good, but once it gets to the switch, I'm not sure what to look for or test?


I am trying it out while having the PCB card open, without the metal body, do you think this could be it?
 
I am trying it out while having the PCB card open, without the metal body, do you think this could be it?
If removing the card also removes a grounding contact, then perhaps, yes.

Considering that this is global issue to all 8 indicators, common connections such as power and ground are key issues to check on.

When the REC arm button is engaged, do you get a 6 volt reading off the red LED contacts?

Also, what about the amber LEDs below the red ones. Do they light up when their monitoring switch is engaged?

Cheers! :)
 
Hello Ghost!!!!

sorry I haven't responded sooner, but haven't had the time to etst the machine until today.

so I used the multimeter today on the red LEDs and but I'm not sure of the setting on the multimeter is AC or DC, but after reading the manual and everything working on DC I read the ilumination is fed with 6 volt AC, so I went ahead and tested this way.

RESULT: I don't get 6volts on the red LEDs But I get the same reading on all channels.

I get 4 volts when switch is not depressed and 4,5 to 4,6 when depressed. What does this mean, it should be receiving 6 volts right? so its a power problem as you stated?

By the way the yellow LEDs for sync below the red ones all work flawlessly!!!


Sorry for the delay again, and for your help, hope that something comes to mind that I can test or repair?
 
Hello Ghost!!!!

sorry I haven't responded sooner, but haven't had the time to etst the machine until today.

so I used the multimeter today on the red LEDs and but I'm not sure of the setting on the multimeter is AC or DC, but after reading the manual and everything working on DC I read the ilumination is fed with 6 volt AC, so I went ahead and tested this way.

RESULT: I don't get 6volts on the red LEDs But I get the same reading on all channels.

I get 4 volts when switch is not depressed and 4,5 to 4,6 when depressed. What does this mean, it should be receiving 6 volts right? so its a power problem as you stated?

By the way the yellow LEDs for sync below the red ones all work flawlessly!!!


Sorry for the delay again, and for your help, hope that something comes to mind that I can test or repair?

I would ignore the voltage reading anomaly as you mentioned the amber LEDs are functioning and they're fed from the same power supply leg. I don't know what the specific next step would be but you have now decreased your "crime scene investigation area", so look closer at every connection and touch up any soldering points that look suspect with regard to the "power paths" that feed those LEDs the juice they need, both positive and ground.



Cheers! :)
 
OK Ghost,

the thing is I'm not sure that the power to the yellow LEDs comes from the same source. As when I followed the path from the red ones it goes to a different connector, and then this one goes to the back and is connected to the REMOTE connector. Maybe this deck was used with the remote and when they were separated the never connected it back properly??

I've read in the manual to be able to use the remote you can take the rec arming module also and change connections, something like that. Could this be it? And if so where should I connect it to? I don't know it doesn't make sense to me that the cable that comes to the amring module ends up in the remote section.

I've attached some pictures, and I've checked all the paths to the LEDs and all seems ok. There's also some resistors which I'm not sure how to test.

Thank you for your quick responses!!

cheers

IMG_4224.JPGIMG_4227.JPGIMG_4229.JPGIMG_4223.jpgIMG_4228.JPG
 
There is a gorund pin on the lower PCB assy, and I was checking the path to the REC LEDs and when touching the LEDs left leg and the ground with the multimeter I see that there is LIGHT!!! This also happens with the nearest leg of the same switch, which of course is connected to the ground

Does this narrow down the problem to a grounding issue? or maybe its the resistors?

I think I'm getting closer to the solution, just need little help from my friends!! :)
 
That could do the trick Ghost, but I would really prefer to understand whats wrong, it has to be something simple

I have attached the PCB layouts, I have studied them and then I followed the ground path from the PWER PCB all the way through the wires to FUNCTION PCB ASSY A and then from this one to the the B. From there I checked everything is continuous until it ends on every REC switch.

And because the test I did makes them work, I suppose that there has to be a place where the ground reaches the LEds leg, am I right here? so I can't find this on the layout, but I'm sure with you expertize there is something I'm not seeing!!

The thing is, I'm sure the switches are working properly as I wrote on an earlier post, because when in record/play mode they light up on the VU's and repond to the ON OFF state. So the problem I have is the the LEDs themselves.

So I know I can get to the bottom of this.

cheers!!

POWER PCB.jpgFUNCTION PCB A.jpgFUNCTION PCB B.jpeg4.jpeg5.jpeg
 
On the last schematic, (11-9), there's a two wire jumper that goes to the record switch and lamp PCB and connects to the larger PCB below which has the sync switches and lamps. The ground for the red record lamps goes through that two wire jumper. Most likely, your ground break is somewhere in that jumper path.

Cheers! :)
 
So I've been working long hours on this. replaced the ribbon conectors between the two PCBs that looked like broken connections, but still no red LEDS.\\\

So I've been keeping on the layouts and studying them.

I've come to see that maybe there are a pair of drivers, transistors that may be bad, as they are supposed to turn one of the lights and switch between green and red, but there is no change, so maybe this could be the driver Skywavebe at tapeheads forum told me about?

So I went on the internet to learn how to test this. Just to be sure,

I used the multimeter on OHMS with highest setting 20M and from what I heard if there is a reading between emitter and collector then its shorted.

so can this be it?? Am I right on this? I also measured readings between Emitter and Base, and when I switched polarity still gave the same reading, this also means its shorted no?


ok I've attached the datasheet for the driver. Will try to find them tomorrow and buy new ones and change them.

2SA1346.png
 
I saw that transistor that was going to ground and thought it might have gone bad but I have no way of confirming that over the web. Replacing it, as you plan to do, will be the surest test of its fitness, obviously. I was also hopeful that just a break in that two wire jumper would have been the simpler and cheaper fix. I made no mention of changing out the 4 wire ribbons that you mentioned replacing so I'm not sure why you took that direction?

Let us know how the transistor swap out goes.

Cheers! :)
 
HEY Ghost!!

I found the two wire jumper in the layout but I couldn't see it in the PCB layout itself, I only see the connections between both PCBs happening through the 5 wire ribbons, but I can't find the jumper. So I thought maybe changing the ribbons was the way to go.

From the pictures I posted in earlier messages do you see the two wire jumper? maybe its not there because its actually missing? If you check the layout drawings could you point out where it actually is?

I'm not quite even sure what to look for, but only connection between the two PCBs are the ribbons as far as I can see.

Will look for new transistor which don't look to be expensive and post soon.

But if you know more about the jumper let me know because maybe that IS the real problem solver!!!

cheers and thanks again for the quick responses, this forum is just unbelievable!!!
 
I cant see the 2 wire jumper in any of your pics either. But your pics don't show the "control B" PCB in its entirety on both sides of that board. I would need to see that in order to figure out where that jumper should be.



Cheers! :)
 
Thanks for taking and posting the additional pics.

On the first photo, along the top edge of the card, I'm seeing a ground buss path imprinted on the card that runs the length of the board. The missing termination to ground jumper wire would seem to be at either end of that path as neither one seems to contact to ground, So, if you put a wire jumper in place between that spot, (first contact point at the top of that board on the left) and run a short wire to the ground terminal post on the "A" board below it which is on the corner of that A board, that should do the trick.

Why its not there in the first place is a mystery to me as the schematic you posted earlier clearly documents a connection which doesn't show up in the real world. Weird.

Anyway, you mentioned earlier that doing that temporary jumper worked to solve the issue, so just go with that and call it a day. ;)

Cheers! :)
 
Tanks for your answer,

actually what I tried that work wasn't just a jumper of ground to the A board, it was getting ground to reach the left leg of each LED, the one with the resistor, so that's why I think the problem is not getting geound to the entire board. I also found a path of ground that reaches the A PCB from the B PCB, so thats working ok, but the thing is, and I may be wrong, on any LED one leg has the resistor and the other should receive ground when the switch is activated, no? or is it the same one with the resistor that receives ground too?

SO if it is this way then the problem is the ground is not reaching the right leg? This is why I thought maybe the drivers are bad which connect to this path.

So I ordered a couple of transistors and will change them and test if that's the problem. I'm not sure if I can test it right away without them changed? maybe I could damage something?

Well sorry for all the time, it seems the subject has gotten a bit longer than I imagined.

In any case I wil keep posted when replacing the drivers.

cheers!!
 
well update!!

its been a long time now, but it took some time for the drivers to arrive.

I've canged the drivers and stillno red lights!

BUT I've also got some tape and tested the machine and evrything is running and recording smoothly eventhough the lights don't light up they DO work. So I just left it as it is.

Thank you all SO much for all your help, GUES I'll just have to use it as it is

cheers evryone!!
 
Did you get your machine up and running yet? I'm also here in Spain and have the same Tascam machine (located in California, however). Mine runs well.
 
Did you get your machine up and running yet? I'm also here in Spain and have the same Tascam machine (located in California, however). Mine runs well.

Sorry I didn't answer sooner, yes the machine is working, but I never got to get the red lights to work, eventhough it doe record to tape.

Would you know what the problem is?
 
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