Should u leave your boombox on?

Transistorized

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Jun 19, 2012
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If a solid state radio needs to warm up and/or maintain temperature before it reaches peak performance, there is something wrong with it. Tubes are a different story as it is in their design for values to fluctuate within a wider margin than solid state. They also need to be at operating temperature before they work properly. This may have been where this statement originated from.

Some people think that heat cycling electronic components wears them out faster but I have never heard that they sound better. Of course I do believe in that statement do a degree. They can't sound good at all if they're not turned on and even then, sounding good or better will vary from ear to ear and person to person. Heck sometimes I turn my radio off because it starts sounding bad. Maybe the backstreet boys came on or something. :-D
 

docs

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Jun 26, 2010
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Dont think it would make any difference at all for a boombox. Circuits in them are set and if they need time to improve you have faulty components and leaving it would just make it use those components. That said, a component has a life time so all you would be doing is shortening that I suppose.
 

mudman

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Apr 12, 2010
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YES! But I do it to preserve the on/off switch, the biggest issue with old equipment is the switches and rotary dials get corrodeded which in turn degrades the sound.

My equipment only blows up when I turn it on, I don't think I've had anything fail during operation unless I was really cranking it.
 

RETRO-SYNTH

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Jan 29, 2020
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I leave my recently acquired akai PJ-11 on 24/7, I just turn the volume down. No problems yet!

A lot of boomboxes use the tape function as "off", so they still have current flowing I would imagine. I would venture that it's alright.
 

Transistorized

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RETRO-SYNTH said:
A lot of boomboxes use the tape function as "off", so they still have current flowing I would imagine. I would venture that it's alright.
Hi Retro-Synth

The Off / [SLEEP] function on boomboxes removes power from the radio circuits when Off. It diverts the power to a leaf style contact switch on the cassette mechanism. The boombox stereo circuitry is off at that point. When the cassette player is in use, the action of engaging the cassette mechanism closes that leaf switch, serves as the power switch and powers up the radio.

Sometimes I get asked what Sleep mode is. Sleep mode is found on radios where the Power switch is separate from the Function switch. You can select radio, tape, auxiliary or any other functions available. You set the power to Off / Sleep and press play on the cassette with a tape loaded. The Function selected will determine what the unit does while powered up by the cassette deck. The cassette length will determine the time the box will stay powered up. If you put in a C90 cassette that will give you 45 minutes (roughly) of up time. When the cassette comes to a stop the unit turns off.

Some boxes have a Timer function. This is a logic circuit that (when enabled) looks for wall current to be applied with the power button left in the on position. It is designed to be used with a wall timer that removes power to the plug of the radio. Once power is supplied, the logic circuit automatically energizes the cassette mechanism to record (assuming the record tab is in place). Whatever you have the stereo tuned to or input you have selected will then be recorded. When power is removed, enough residual power exists in the logic circuits capacitors to kick the deck off and return it to its 'parked' off position.

This feature is only found on full logic decks since it requires engaging and disengaging of the cassette mechanism on it's own. You can essentially make any fully mechanical boom box perform a timer function by manually engaging Record on the deck while unplugged, the source selected, power button on and a wall timer to turn it on. However, some stereos will kick the deck off using their auto stop music search circuit (if equipped) during power up...so not all radios will do this. Plus if you have a fully mechanical deck without any logic circuits, I'm not a big fan of leaving a deck in record/play mode with the power off for hours. This can cause an aging pinch roller to develop an impression of the capstan roller and lead to W/F issues. Another reason why it is so important to manually disengage a full logic or feather touch deck when they fail in the engaged position.

Can you tell I'm bored? I wrote a book there (shrug)
 

jonny

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May 21, 2016
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Transistorized, that's an excellent write up, and at last I understand the Sleep position on my Ferguson 3T09! Tested it and it does indeed operate in Radio mode as long as the cassette deck is playing.

Using the tape length as a timer setting is quite ingenious.

Thanks very much for solving the mystery!