Anyone know anything about electronics?

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Bubba

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I'm just curious if anyone knows anything about working on electronic? Specifically a mini-home stereo system. I have had this thing for several years, but its still in great shape and everything still works fine except for this one problem.

First off I had it sitting in my room for several years without being used, and one day I decided to turn it on and I was getting a message saying "Protect".....it wouldn't do anything. Well last night I got bored and decided to see if I could figure it out. I took it apart, unplugged some of the connections to the main circuit bored and tried looking for anything that may be the cause. Well anyway, I couldn't find anything so I re-connected all the connections that I removed(I have triple checked all those), and now I can get it to come on and switch cds, play the cds, and such. But the speakers don't seem to be getting any signal...so there is no sound. Well, I thought I would try the headphone jack to see if I could hear it from there, but when I plug in the headphones....I get that "Protect" message again and it won't do anything. But as soon as I remove the headphone plug, it comes back on normal. So i'm assuming the big speakers not getting any signal, and that "Protect" message may be connected in some way.

Anyways, I was just hoping someone may know something about this stuff, or if it could even be fixed. :|
 
Hmm... It's hard to troubleshoot without seeing the innards, but it sounds like it could be a capacitor that is bad or going bad.

Take it apart again and look at every little capacitor in there (they look like little miniature pop cans with two little wires that solder into the board). A good capacitor should have a nice flat top on it. A bad capacitor will start to bulge at the top. It could be a very slight, barely noticeable bulge, or it could actually be split open and leaking stuff that looks like battery acid. Either way, if you have one that is bad, they can be replaced with basic soldering skills.

Also check for any fuses. I doubt you are dealing with a bad fuse since it sometimes works, but check it out anyway just in case...

And as long as you are in there, attack the whole thing with a can of air. Make sure you don't have any dust or anything that could be bridging connections that shouldn't be bridged. Aside from static, this is the fastest way to wreck an electronic device: yes, electricity CAN travel through cat hair!
 
I don't really know electronics, but I do know google! :LOL2:

"The protect indication means the amplifier is overloading and has gone into protect mode. This is a power management circuit that has detected excessive current or power consumption in the output stages. The could be caused by a short on the speaker line, a shorted woofer in one of the speakers or dried out silicon grease on the insulating washer of the output transistor (which happens frequently in old amplfiers). You will burn out the output transistors if you keep pushing the amp. You really should get it fixed.

"Protect means the unit has a short circuit somewhere. The protection is to keep it from self distruction. Could be a power supply failure. Could be an amplifier module failure. Could be a shorted electrolytic cap in the power supply ripple filter. Could be a wire touching where it shouldn't, etc.
"
 
Can you try your speakers out not using your stereo?
If the speakers got damp at all sometimes the coils will seize up around the magnet.
You can check your speakers with a multi meter,normally 4,6,8 ohms.
Or just plug another stereo into the speakers to see if they work.
Also like mentioned below,could have a blown output IC or transitors.
 
I really have no way to check this stuff(i'm pretty sure that its not the speakers), and i'm assuming it would cost me more to get it fixed that I could just replace it for. I'm not really greatly concerned because I don't use it alot, however I figure since I do have it....I would try to see about getting it working....but its not looking good. #-o
 
Is there a community college/vocational school around.
If theres an electronics class, sometimes they take stuff like that in to work on.
Only get charged for parts and if they have old parts around they will use them at no charge.
Outputs don't normallly cost that much but having someone put them in....
 

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