Broken Headphone Imput on Tascam 424 MK1

[amierjeski]

I've got a Tascam 424 MK1 (the ugly, pale beige one) on which the headphone jack doesn't work. All other functions seem to be in order, however, recording is difficult because of the problem. Is this an easy fix?

 

[stevieb]

It can be daunting- PCB boards are intimidating, but if you are careful and ensure that not extra solder flows across insulating parts of the board, it is into difficult to change jacks. Just take your time.

Oh, and I think that is a headphone output.

 

[diggy_dude]

If you've never soldered before, I'd get someone else to do it, or practice on an old piece of junk gear first.

 

[j.harv]

The problem could also be that at some point, a pair of headphones with a mono jack could of been plugged into it.
I hear this can screw things up.

 

[stevieb]

The problem could also be that at some point, a pair of headphones with a mono jack could of been plugged into it.
I hear this can screw things up.

Not to get IYF, but I can not imagine how that would screw up the jack (Just for clarification, "jacks" are usually female, "plugs" are usually the male part.) A TS plug inserted into a TRS jack will simply not complete all three electrical connections the way the TRS jack would like to "see" it being done.

 

[j.harv]

Ok.I kinda got it wrong.From what I've heard,SOMETIMES plugging in a mono PLUG into head phone jack can screw things up.
Because the mono plug will only give you the left channel,and the right channel of the source will be shorted to ground.Which could cause damage and short out the headphone amp.

 

[diggy_dude]

Ok.I kinda got it wrong.From what I've heard,SOMETIMES plugging in a mono PLUG into head phone jack can screw things up.
Because the mono plug will only give you the left channel,and the right channel of the source will be shorted to ground.Which could cause damage and short out the headphone amp.

This actually happened with a Walkman-style radio I had in the early 80s.