Peter_s:
You asked, "...how difficult/easy is it to access these boards, get them out of the chassis, and replace the caps?"
Assuming you're asking about a MkII, it's pretty easy, and the boards are old 70's technology, so they're very easy to work on without damaging them.
To get at the boards, you need to remove the bottom cover, which is held on by a bunch of small screws. The boards will then be exposed. There are 4 boards, 3 of which plug into the one in the center. There are 3 or 4 screws holding each board in place, and some brass standoffs. Remove the screws and standoffs, unplug any cables plugged into the board you want to remove, and the board just slides out of the edge connector.
The boards are all pretty rugged and use double-sided copper, so they're pretty hard to damage. Work on the "underside" of the board, i.e. the side opposite the one with the parts on it with a 25-35W iron. Personally, I just use one of those spring-loaded solder suckers and suck as much solder as possible off the pad, then finish the job with solder wick. The part(s) should pop out.
Watch the polarity of the electrolytic caps. Also, I recall that Technics used a "22V16" numbering system on their schematics, which means 22uf and 16V. Something like that.
John L.
You asked, "...how difficult/easy is it to access these boards, get them out of the chassis, and replace the caps?"
Assuming you're asking about a MkII, it's pretty easy, and the boards are old 70's technology, so they're very easy to work on without damaging them.
To get at the boards, you need to remove the bottom cover, which is held on by a bunch of small screws. The boards will then be exposed. There are 4 boards, 3 of which plug into the one in the center. There are 3 or 4 screws holding each board in place, and some brass standoffs. Remove the screws and standoffs, unplug any cables plugged into the board you want to remove, and the board just slides out of the edge connector.
The boards are all pretty rugged and use double-sided copper, so they're pretty hard to damage. Work on the "underside" of the board, i.e. the side opposite the one with the parts on it with a 25-35W iron. Personally, I just use one of those spring-loaded solder suckers and suck as much solder as possible off the pad, then finish the job with solder wick. The part(s) should pop out.
Watch the polarity of the electrolytic caps. Also, I recall that Technics used a "22V16" numbering system on their schematics, which means 22uf and 16V. Something like that.
John L.