SOLVED (for now at least) - Tandberg TR-200 one channel weak

[xerox]

Hi.

I like those Tandberg TR-200. Nice and small in format and very good bass presentation. Enough power for (my) home use.




Maybe I'm just the unlucky buyer. I bought this receiver a while back, tested it and replaced few lamps and put it on the shelf.

A few weeks ago I took it in use as main amp and it sounded/sounds just splendid with a TD-124 turntable and Mirsch OM 3-28 as main speakers and a pair of QLN ONE as satellites.

Then yesterday I noticed that the Right channel sounded much weaker than Left. To compensate I now have to turn the balance from 12 o'clock to past 3 o'clock. (Max Right is about 4 o'clock.)

(My former TR-200 I had a few years ago showed similar behaviour, but if I recall correctly, on that one one channel died completely after a few weeks use.)

What is it about old Tandbergs being woken from years and years of attic sleep?

Anyone got a clue where to start troubleshooting?

/mattias

[tbradley]

Looking at the circuit diagram for the amp there are several electrolytic capacitors on each channel that may certainly by now have declined in perfomance. I would look to change these out also the electrolytic's in the power supply circuit as these would be of a similar age. Good quality caps are now far cheaper then when this amp was made, so replacing with if needed a slightly higher value for the power supply is not to pricey they are also far smaller in size.

[xerox]

Thanks!

Will look into it.

/mattias

[xerox]

Ok.

I found a blog here: https://tandbergista.home.blog/tr-200/

and found the solution.

Just one squirt of electric cleaner on this trimpot (the brown one):



located here:



(Picture from the blog where the trimpot is replaced by the blue, modern one.)

And the TR-200 is working again. Magic!


/mattias