Vintage DD turntables. Are we living dangerously?

I don't believe Lew needs my tech, Halcro--he can probably solder just as well as my tech can--what he needs is a sunnier disposition :).

Lewm: after Halcro's experience I'd call into question every solder joint, including the 70%+ you already did. I recall you saying that for days it worked fine at Thalmann's but when you took it home it acted up again. Maybe some bumpy streets cracked one or two of those delicate joints?

The symptoms you describe are more or less what I experienced. They can lead one to suspect a failed component or something complex. My tech (and Halcro's) spent a good deal of time with that mindset only to discover that the gremlins lived in the solder joints. Since the boards are too complex to try to locate the joints responsible for any particular symptom, the 'brute force' method is recommended: redo them all; it's the only way to be sure.

If it still doesn't work, well then, we can say that your skepticism was warranted.

There is only one way to "redo" old solder joints, and that is to completely strip and clean off ALL of the old solder from both the eyelet and the component. This is incredibly tedious and time consuming. Some folk just wave a wand, melt the original solder and then add more solder - this is a recipe for disaster.

Great new Halcro!!

But seems like those JVC techs might have been cutting corners back in the day :-)

touch wood, but the Pioneer Exclusive turntable did not have any corners cut.
I guess that is why they offered lifetime servicing for all Exclusive hifi gear.

Unfortunately the hifi gear might outlive Pioneer corporation.

Thanks Shane,
Not sure if corners were cut or it's simply an aging characteristic of solder?
I think it's the number of joints and the sheer complexity of their locations plus the triple layer stack of PCBs which must flex whenever they are handled for servicing that is the real problem...?

Halcro

I think it's the number of joints and the sheer complexity of their locations plus the triple layer stack of PCBs which must flex whenever they are handled for servicing that is the real problem.

You hit the proverbial nail on the head, the hole bugaboo regarding DD IC failures {in this case} should be finally put to rest.