Clarion Radio FM died :-(

[runner1]

ok folks so my new 406 is driving well, despite a blown gasket! 255 miles of £30 last weekend so I am not complaining atm! Anyway, the FM suddenly died on the head unit :-( I actually repair hifis and have done a little ICE before but not had to tackle something that doesn't have a display, so therefore can't really power it up and test it properly on the bench which is annoying!

FM failed quite quickly with a number of thuds through the speakers, and so I suspect the tuner itself, as AM still works. Gone through suspected dry joints with no luck, so I am looking at the TEA6848, located in within the metal can which is the tuner iteself, as it seems to get pretty warm during power up which you would not generally expect from such a device...

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Gonna be a sod to replace as it is a very fine pitch, but quite doable. Just ordering now and will keep you all updated!

Just wandered if anyone else here has had a similar issue..?

[jonsowman]

ICs getting hot is usually not a good thing.

As you said, it's doable, if you've got a hot air reflow station to remove the old IC that will help it come off cleanly and not lift any pads. Give everything a good clean with flux before seating the new IC. Lots of flux and solder braid/wick and it'll be fine.

Sorry if you already know all of this!

Good luck!

[runner1]

Yeah no probs mate I have a reflow station so should not be a problem. The chip is not getting terribly hot but warmer than you would expect. The noises coming out the speaker suggests there was a failure rather than something similar to drys though.

Incidental I just tried putting the radio back without the tuner board hoping to use the cd player, but I am getting the security beeps over the speakers so it obviously doesn't like this! Think I might stick something else in there for now while I wait for parts..

[rwb]

There have been quite a few reports of FM reception failing. Normally it gets weaker and weaker, and harder to find any stations at all, until finally it's useless. Only know fix to date has been a new radio. Any progress you could make on this would be brilliant.

[Doggy]

There have been quite a few reports of FM reception failing. Normally it gets weaker and weaker, and harder to find any stations at all, until finally it's useless. Only know fix to date has been a new radio. Any progress you could make on this would be brilliant.

I too have this t-shirt.
(now as faded as my FM reception)

[PeterN]

There are some good cheap radios on ebay along with facia plates. I've got a very nice Pioneer complete with a USB input for not much over £40.00. I was a TV engineer for 50 years but I don't think I would bother with trying to repair it, although you sound considerably better equipped than me - I still only have a soldering iron.

Peter

[runner1]

There are some good cheap radios on ebay along with facia plates. I've got a very nice Pioneer complete with a USB input for not much over £40.00. I was a TV engineer for 50 years but I don't think I would bother with trying to repair it, although you sound considerably better equipped than me - I still only have a soldering iron.

Peter

Always nice to come across an old school tv tech. Was never trained myself however use to do Saturdays on a bench in a hifi shop in the early 90's, until the old man retired :-( I agree it is increasingly difficult to repair stuff nowadays, but in many cases still quite possible. Just a shame I cannot readily test the thing on the bench - Anyway, my current budget means that £40 needs to go on a head skim and new set of belts sooner rather than later!

[PeterN]

I had no training I was just mad about radio and latterly TV and in the '50s when I started if you could repair TVs you could get a job, and fortunately I could. I still only really understand valves, since I retired 10 years ago technology has passed me by. The only exam I have passed in my life was the City and guilds amateur radio exam morse test . My former job doesn't exist any more.

Peter