Revox A77 Project

[Bguzaldo]

Just looking for you opinion on something.

I just got an A77 for really really cheap...but it needs a lot of work. It powers on and the buttons on the transport seem like they want to work, for instance when I hit play the tape shield lifts and the motors look like they want to start turning but the motors are very stiff and it was almost impossible to thread a tape onto it since the motors won't really turn. I plugged a mic in and couldn't get any signal to show up on the meters and I wasn't hearing anything at all through the headphones.

I know basically nothing about restoring tape machines, but I would like to take this project because I want to be able to work on all my machines should anything go wrong. The problem is I really don't know where to start. Any help would be really appreciated. I'm not looking for someone to walk me through this, maybe some sources on the matter or some goods books to buy? I just need to arm myself with the proper knowledge before I attack this.

I've put off being a man for too long....

Thanks,
-Barrett

 

[The Ghost of FM]

Barrett,

You're in Chicago. So there should be any number of electronic repair shops in the area who would be able to fix up your machine for you. If you really want to learn what the pros know, I'd visit a few of the shops and speak to the technicians there on staff and ask them what their education path was to get to where they are. Most will probably tell you that they went to technical schools to learn electronics repair and trouble shooting and started off doing simple repairs and worked their way up to more complex stuff like your machine which has a number of mechanical aspects to it as well as electronic. I don't think this is a situation where you can just read a book or two and be ready to rock and roll.

Many of us here are dabblers, who can look for basic, easier to suss issues and through years of trial and error, as apposed to hard theory and formal education, manage to fix some of the problems but get stonewalled by more complex ones. And there's no shame in that. Just the reality of living in a modern world of complex toys that often require career level knowledge to fix them when they break/wear down.

You're 22 years old. Do you want to be an electronic technologist? There's probably a need for those in this economy. Your choice.

Cheers!

 

[Bguzaldo]

I know of many great places around here that could fix my machine no problem. I have a developing relationship with an old german tv repair man that I buy tapes and take up reels from. He always takes me to the back of his shop to show me the cool old studers he's working on...I'll have to work up the nerve to ask him if he's looking for an apprentice, but he runs the shop with his wife so he might have all the help he needs...I'm not necessarily looking to make a career out of this I just want to be able to fix my shit when it breaks and I figured restoring an old machine in this condition could give me a lot of insight.

My apologies for being naive. I don't mean to say this kind of engineering is as simple as a how to book; i understand it can be very complex. As you stated in your post....I'm only 22