tape deck question

Not a boombox but could be related to one. My Aiwa AD-F990 home tape deck that I just picked up today after being repaired is not working right. When I got it home and hooked it up the left channel was not working. Even the left meter does not register. I took it apart and found 2 wires on the head were backwards, fixed that still not working right. Anyway spoke to the tech and he said it was working on both channels when he tested it. Went out to shed and checked the head again and found a different wire had broken off the head, soldered that wire back on and tested deck, both channels worked!!, BUT also noticed after playing for about 10 seconds left channel will go dead, let the deck sit with power off for a few minutes and than both channels work fine again, and over and over, may be a temp. intermittent problem but where? Cap, resistor, etc. ??? anyone ever have a problem like this? At least I have something to tell the tech now.Thanks

sounds like a transistor or an ic thats in the audio chain a cap maybe

I was thinking maybe a cap leaking down or something, I left it unplugged over night going out to check it again in a few minutes

With intermitent problems always look for mechanical problems first. While playing try poking around on the PCB with the back of a screwdriver, try twisting the chassis.

Sounds like a bad connection somewhere, dry solder joint..??

yea a bad solder joint will do that to tony maybe it was missed somwhere

I'll find out took it back to the tech, he said I was like a bad case of hemorrhoids , he really hates working on my tape deck, he told me if it wasn't mine he would have thrown it against the wall by now, lol

well thats not good didn't he just work on it?

yes, but every time he works on it he is fixing a specific problem, and the funny thing was when I took it back to him he was holding it vertically and both channels were working!!. last time he thought it was ok it was working for him when he checked it so I don't know why it didn't work when I got it home.

ok holding vertical and channels working well did you try to put it in that position that sounds like something loose a wire or loose board

No I just had it sitting flat, he'll figure it out, hopefully when he does there won't be any more suprises, when it did work for me for the few seconds I had one of my old mix tapes playing in it that was made on it and it sounded good. I'll give him a week or two than call him.

well i hope he can figure it out sounds like something that might be simple but at the same time you never know

Any updates on this Tony? Just curious.....

no I didn't call him this weekend I like to give him a few weeks before I call him, I know he really doesn't like working on this deck so I try not to annoy him with a bunch of phone calls, I'll post when I hear something about it.