AIWA 3 Head Tape Deck (AD-F990) Part 3 - The End
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- čas přidán 19. 04. 2024
- UPDATE:
So I’m running a 3-part LIVE workshop that takes us on…
A Time Travel Through Vintage Electronics.
We’ll rewind the clock, dive into the tech of the times…
(and study the very history of how things were broken and repaired has evolved)
The workshop is coming soon, but if you're reading this then you're in luck (or not)...
And there's still time for you to sign up using the link below:
www.menditmark.com/mend-mark-...
The workshop dates are mentioned in the link above too.
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Mark continues with his battle with the over-complicated Japanese market AD-FF90 cassette deck. In this episode, the Dolby Auto-detect problem is solved, and the issues with COMPUBRAIN (D.A.T.A.) calibration are tackled.
If you are really keen - you can support the Mark's workshop here:
www.patreon.com/MendItMark
UPDATE:
So I’m running a 3-part LIVE workshop that takes us on…
A Time Travel Through Vintage Electronics.
We’ll rewind the clock, dive into the tech of the times…
(and study the very history of how things were broken and repaired has evolved)
The workshop is coming soon, but if you're reading this then you're in luck (or not)...
And there's still time for you to sign up using the link below:
www.menditmark.com/mend-mark-workshop
The workshop dates are mentioned in the link above too.
I am cassette deck collector and you are an elite tech. That Aiwa AD-F990 has a reputation for being extremely difficult to work on and yours was full of complex issues that you successfully sorted. I wish you were in America. I’d happily pay you top dollar to keep mine operational. It was a joy to watch you work your magic.
It's easy to ship though.
This guy is super busy, I checked and yeah, he wasn’t taking on any more work
I believe he is really busy, I like it the way he does it all.
I am always looking forward for a new video. (I have also a cassette deck with some issues, broken belts and a high tone Tru the outputs and headphone. No I have not a Aiwa in the mid 80's I was have a autoreverse deck of Aiwa)
But as you where say he is so busy I think not he would have time and I must ship it from the Netherlands to England 😢
I hope much more videos will follow it looks me a great guy.
It’s a joy to see someone work!
It is getting harder and harder to find people with the skills and experience and who are willing to work on cassette decks. I am still doing it but I am in NZ so even further to send to, but I do get things coming in from different parts of the world for repair.
The world is messed up. The masses celebrate the mediocrity and uselessness of celebrity and then Engineers like Mark who have so much skill and intelligence are overlooked. Its about time we championed all the engineers and scientists who keep our modern work working. Without them .... well, I dread to think what the world would be like without them.
Thank you Mark for reminding us of what true value is.
Well, he interacts like Hollywood with their fans. Not at all.
@@Mike1984-lc9rh He owes you something?
@@vannk73 No. And I don't owe him any future views or subs. Its called social media, so you can interact, both ways.
To be fair. I have no idea what Mark is doing. I am amazed just watching a very skilled man doing his job, and not giving up on a subject
You're not alone. I can usually get a basic understanding of what's going on, but all the stuff with the compubrain flew over my head
It's absurd what he's capable off. this is really insane. I bow down to you Sir! This is no simple repair stuff, this is reverse engineering and re-engineering territory.
You have to admire Marks tenacity to not let this deck get the better of him.
Most of us would have declared it beyond repair when the motor required replacing.
I used to dread seeing these top of the range models on the repairs rack, they were
too clever for their own good.
I had a couple of them when they were new. one look inside, the first time one of them needed something doing, & I swore I'd never buy an aiwa again. dreadful construction, & a miracle that they achieved the performance they did, which wasn't all that anyway.
@@duncan-rmi I have repaired many Aiwa decks over the years, the higher spec models are a nightmare
to work on as Mark has shown us.
Nakamichi is another brand that is way over rated and they are not as reliable as you would think.
I prefer the better decks from the Sony ES and Denon range, at least they are far easier to work on.
@@Barbarapape in my post above I mentioned me looking at that Aiwa machine against the Denon DRM710 that I bought and still have and has been totally reliable save a couple of drive belts. But I did compare it with an Nakamichi BX 1 and BX 2, which were low spec compared with the Denon. I rejected the Aiwa because I thought it gimmicky and I thought the horizontal buttons would collect dust. I really dodged a bullet not getting the Aiwa. Also, I worked for the BBC as an Engineer at time and we were buying the DRM 710s.
@@G8YTZ If you want reliability and long life, Denon are hard to beat.
I found Nakamichi to be very disappointing with gears that split and mechanisms
that required regular rebuilds, the "Dragon" was well named.
@@Barbarapape Interesting, I've never owned a Nak, but looks like that's another I dodged! A friend has a BX2 I might ask him about it.
From the outside: what an interesting and iconic looking piece of 80s tech. From the inside: oh my godness, what a mess ...
This channel is in my top 3 favorites now - there’s brilliant troubleshooting, perseverance, and innovation, all with a great attitude and humor to boot
Repairing these AIWA decks (F-770 .. F-990) is one big game of chess - one step forward, two steps back. Well done Mark.
I have not touched this sort of kit since the 90's and videos star recorders !!!. He has a very disciplined approach and visualisation of signal paths. The edit is just enough to keep us following his thinking without getting bored. I now know to avoid this deck and stick to my Reel - Reel. I wait for a service on a Teak 8 - 80.
@@Woffy. Sophisticated cassette decks can be a nightmare to fix or restore. Mark will have spent hours upon hours on this.
@@JamesE707 Certainly, that was my point about the abridged edit cutting between scope and sig gen. Thats a lot of work, If I had this sort of instruction at college I would not have cock up so much.
@@Woffy. Don't disagree with you at all Woffy.
Kind wishes.
James.
@@JamesE707 TC-645 Nice work James, I have one waiting on some love and a Teac 8 - 80 Nice robust mechanics. I am getting a bit sloppy these days and the blue smoke seems to be following me. These videos help me focus on my discipline and not wast time chasing half baked assumptions. Best wishes.
This Aiwa is a pain in the ass, I would have given up on the whole project a long time ago. But not so Mark, he continues to tame this thing. Congratulations to Mark for having so much knowledge and patience.
Again, I bow to Mark's fabulosity so much so that my nose is touching the floor!
Over 3.500 views in a single hour means high quality content. Thank you, Mark, for delighting us again!
"Don't you start that again". Love it!!. Should be put on a Tee Shirt .
Why ?
I expect Mark is skilled way above this field and repairs the equipment as a hobby.
The level of knowledge and quickly working arround circuits and components is second to none.
Mark is in my mind one of a kind a rare breed of dying craftsman.
👍👏
Oh, I wouldn't call Mark a 'dying craftsman'...
@@RebeccaTurner-ny1xx apologies he’s not dying but the skills are dying, I thank him for sharing his knowledge with us.
@@chox2001 no they're not
Someone had to sell his Rolls Royce in order to have this Aiwa back...
Absurd talent, Mark!
Great work!
I always wonder about the repair bill. If he's charging by the hour, it must be astronomical. I'm guessing he just charges for the entire project and makes up for it with Patreon revenue and educational value to himself.
Thank you, Mend it Mark. I used to be a bench tech in the 80's and 90's. I used to work at a Stereo Store's service department(s). This is great fun for me to go through all of the bench steps in troubleshooting. I can live a little bit vicariously through you. :-) In fact, The Aiwa AD-F990 was one of those 'sleeper', affordable great decks. It wasn't a Nakamichi, but it got really close, for way less money.
its built like crap
Mark, I am a mechanical engineer and certainly not involved in the electronic side of things but I do love my old HiFi equipment.
I have been following your channel almost from day one and have to say your knowledge within your field of electronics, diagnostic skills, and sheer perseverance to achieve an end goal is quite simply second to none.
In a word. . .AMAZING! Thank you so much!
I now understand why many repair shops has stopped fixing tape decks
No repair today only change parts and all gone resycle binn
I used to fix these Tape Decks bank in the 80s in Hong Kong but Mark's fixing and diagnose is another level
G,day Mark from Sydney Australia.
Learning outcomes
* Dolby noise reduction
* Different quality of tapes (TDK etc).
* Importance of schematic and data sheets.
* HP signal generator function
* Disassembly of chassie
* Fault finding and current measurement to specifications (use freeze spray)
* Remove and replacement of resistor (joining two) to achieve specified energy reduction.
* Analysis of signal waveform (peak to peak and time)
* Test signal output and function of the tape deck.
* Assembling for completion.
Fantastic and very professional video production, thank you.
🫣🇦🇺
OMG what a nightmare, saved by a tech genius. Great job!
Great job on persevering with this nightmare piece of machinery. That poor response when recording at 10kHz is a classic symptom of worn heads, so there's probably little that can be done about it.
Boy did I learn A LOT in this video Mark - thank you ! Also I realized tonight that I get a really kick when you have to fabricate something in a repair, just amazing mate.
when these hifi components came out you wondered why they were so expensive .... a little dive into this video might explain why!
good work mark !
Not always, I have a very hi-end CD payer. The power supply is complex. But there is sod all component wise for paying the CDs.
I also have the original Sony CDC101, the first CD player. It has a silly amount of components in the case, jam packed. Mark if you fancy a challenge, it randomly skips tracks, would be lovely to have it working again.
I have been waiting for the conclusion video for this tape deck so couldn't click fast enough when i saw it. Funny seeing all those parts laid out at the end. 😆 Must have been tempting to just chuck the whole thing in the bin.
I have never heard of an op-amp being described as "posh" before... Love it Mark!!!
Mark, you absolutely go above and beyond and are definitely a breath of fresh air in this day and age. Most technicians would have given up long ago. I admire your dedication and devotion to your projects.
Simply stunning! A joy to watch the conclusion, and your skill, knowledge & expertise seeing through. There is life in old things!
My goodness, the amount of work that went into the original manufacture is incredible. And, same again for your repair! Great job.
Brilliant as always. You must have the patience of a Saint.
I’ll be honest this is 1000 times better than the ending to Game of Thrones! 😊
No nonsens, brillant experienced engineer, very entertaining to watch and start your Sunday with, thank you Mark
A real ordeal. Sure. But a joy to watch the unrelenting search of the faults in this device. Thanks for uploading. 😊
That itch you cannot reach. You're so patient in your ways. Filming each angle with care too. Awesome!
Hello Mr Smith, you’re cassette tape decks ready £4000 please.
Oh dear!!! 😂
Best Electronics channel, I watch all the videos. here from Brazil.
Il deck in questione è di una bellezza unica, aiwa era sia per home che per car una sicurezza unica.
I tuo lavoro certosino, oltre che super professionale, lascia sbalorditi. Vedere tutti gli strumenti che usi è spettacolare. Complimenti davvero per la tua competenza e la tua simpatia Mark.
Un saluto dall'Italia 🇮🇹🙋♂️💪🏻💯
That was an epic journey Mark. Really appreciate you taking the time to capture and share all of that. I know it is not easy.
OMG what a nightmare of spaghetti... I would have put the back panel straight back on after seeing that. Well done Mark, genius!
You usually have to wait ages to get the services of a top class engineer. No the wonder Mark is always busy, when you see the quality of his work. Thanks for sharing, It's been a great series.
I've never seen or came across such a 'massive operation' in my life! Great! Love from India!
Поражаюсь Марк твоему терпению и упорству! Столько неисправностей в одном устройстве и электрических и механических. Просто ты не ремонт делаешь а реставрацию?👏👏👏
It's not just the incredible skill and dedication but also the quality of the video editing..
Great job 👍
I grew up always hearing some things (electronic hifi) just wasnt worth fixing. It was a fantasy to imagine some just saying f-it and going in 100% with maximum knowledge and seeing what it took to fix the ‘unfixable’. This guy scratches all those itches. What an inspiration.
It makes me wonder: with all that engineering and r&d, were these really not ment to last that long and have THIS many issues?
I didn’t understand a word of your technical lingo but this sure had been one heck of an interesting video. Sir, you are a master of your trade. I salute you. 👌🏾
Hats off to you, sir! Celebrations are in order for a job well done, and an appointment with landfill postponed!
Been waiting for this one. More anticipation and excitement than the last episode of Dallas - Who shot JR!
I lost him quite early in the operation, somewhere between Ohm:s and the big kHz, but I stayed to the end, learned absolutly nothing, but deeply impressed with his genius
I have a much deeper appreciation for people like Mark on the the things he does and he can actually teach someone like me the art of troubleshooting. Well done.
No one beats Mark, he is the king of electronics. Great skill, great job!
I had an AD-F780 - great sounding machine...but I knew that it would be such a costly challenge to fix (if I could find someone like Mark that was up to the task) that I just put it on the kerb when it failed. Like inkjet printers, cheap to buy, expensive to maintain. Anyway, I echo everyone else's awe at Mark's didactic style, skills, awesome kit, his tenacity and demeanor, and brilliant video production quality, Genius!
I don't think I've ever seen a simple Aiwa repair. They are absolutely complicated beasts. Great job and perseverance, Mark!
Great content , knowledge, personality and videography . Best channel around
wow. insane amount of work going into this. I fixed all my Tascam tape decks, but the Aiwa is on a new level of complication. Fix one thing and another issue pops up. I have seen a couple of these decks for sale and was curious about taking one on. After watching this video series i think i will steer clear of these decks in future. 😆 Was really fun watching you isolate the faults one by one. I never knew resistors failed so easily, or maybe its just that deck. Either way i loved the video, and cant wait for the next showdown!
Absolutely incredible work, Mark!
Hi Mark, I am new to your channel and I am hooked, I understand and can follow around 75% of your jargon and skill, you should be so proud of yourself. To electro mechanical engineers, you are a guru. Keep doing what you do for all us sad buggers, we love it 👍
I have the very similar AD-F770. I replaced the pinch rollers which was fiddly. It's still a noisier machine than my XK-007 Excelia which uses broadly the same deck. On that one I replaced the motor with a new-old-stock motor sourced from USA at great expense.
My dad who passed away always said if man made it man can fix it, without correct diagnosis there is no cure for anything
I was 7 in the 70’s watching dad who did the same job as mark repairing everything and he always had problems with aiwa and Philips I used to love seeing someone bringing in a unit that was dead and I was fascinated by how to repair things and leave the door working. I especially took a keen interest in cassette decks and vouched to myself I’ll have a Yamaha or nakamichi instead lol
My dad is mark reincarnated my dad had 10 oscilloscopes and 5 test meters but mark you win the prize of the most test gear ever I’ve seen on a rack especially the oscilloscopes lol you obviously love them where as I love cassette decks and had 40 in 53 years
Your attention to detail and root cause analysis is perfect. I love this channel, and fantastic to keep professional kit from getting binned. I applaud you!
he made multiple mistakes from lack of attention. as an ex-avionics engineer, you do that and people die. so no.
Mark...you have the patience of Jobe!🙄🙏 I have never seen a more complex cassette tape deck in all my years!?🤯
Brilliant, Mark. I think if you look up "persistent" in the dictionary your picture comes up......I
I thought when the knackered tape possibility arose that you'd take the cassette apart and lose the first 10 metres of so - a real walk down memory lane!
This repair was a wonderful adventure, the most beautiful of those illustrated so far. The most sincere congratulations to the great technician Mark.
I also own an AD-F990 and now look at it with great suspicion.....
I was looking to buy a f990 but after watching the king of electronic repair,I decided against it...Thank you Mark for the excellent video...
To borrow a phrase from Star Trek's Doc McCoy, I think Mark could fix a rainy day. And with a smile on his face the entire time.
And "That's" metal blank tapes, what a blast from the past - I used to save up for those for my favourite albums.
Your videos always give me an appetite for work and actually for life, because things don't always work out. Not only your perfect work and knowledge, but also the processing of the video (shots for details, editing, etc.) I bow and thank you. 👍
What a journey! Thanks for taking us along.
I find your videos inspirational, educational, and just the ticket for lunchtime relaxation. Keep up the brilliant work, and I'll try not to buy tools and muck up my electronics. Best leave that to professionals, like you.
It's interesting how veroboard never caught on in North America. I loved going to down to Greenweld on Milbrook Rd in Southampton to buy the 2nds/offcuts from the vero factory (in nearby Eastleigh)
Awesome !
First time I have seen you mate. A good presentation that moves right along. Not too blabby or arrogant.
Good on You!
happy to watch your videos all the time
I thought no way he can restore this deck, but at last the video that i have been waiting for came out. Thumbs up. Brilliant.
LADIES , and GENTLEMEN ----------- you are watching an artist of the highest calibre ------------ and humorous !------- what a combination
Thank you for sharing these videos Mark. I appreciate all of the extra time and effort that it must take to video your work so that you can share it with us.
Thanks Mark. Always look forward to your vids!
another outstanding video Mark, boy I wish I was half as good as you are. I imagine your the product of good training and a lot of experience. Amazing stuff Mark, nothing seems to phase you at all. Keep up the good work mate!
I think this is my absolute favorite video. Fantastic. I have a fascination with tape decks from that era.
Happy to see you bro.. 🙏
It's always a pain finding noise in a circuit. It's easier to find a missing signal. I remember making a signal injector at college for that reason.
I remember doing the math for a transistor, and the circuit wouldn't work. It was the first time our professor talked about the fiddle factor, so I had to play with the biasing resistors, then it worked.
Love the channel Mark. Looking forward to the next one
Mark, you gave me the courage to fix the F770 that I purchased a long time ago when I worked in Hollywood. Just a couple of new belts, but removing the transport was frightening. (And I've repaired a few audio devices in my days.)😉
That deck was amazing for its time, and it still sounds great. It's been a blast to re-live the 80's and play some of the 100's of cassettes I amassed back then.
It's always an absolute pleasure to watch you, sir!
This deck was one helluva basket case, well done for not giving up on it and the motor rebuild, especially. The way you said "it's going home" at the end, really sounded like you were glad to see the back of it lol.
A very interesting series. I don't know how you managed to carry on with it for so long. The owner must have a real attachment to it, with all your time put into the repair 👌
What a fight. Loved every round.
Nice work! You did what you could to keep this vintage deck alive for another 10 years or more!
Großen Respekt Mark, sehr gute Arbeit. Vielen Dank für deine Videos! 👍👌🙂
I learned a new use for "Blutack". Thanks.
I spent my mid twenties repairing all sorts of items reorders radios etc at a time when IC's were just coming of age. It was then a Job change to a high end UK aircraft manufacturer which curtailed further work which was just a hobby for me and most of my repairs was done with nothing more than a model 8 AVO which my boss bought for me to enhance my skills. You mark have a workshop full of equipment I could only dream of having.
You're a genius!
I am considering to mail my Kenwood kx600 to you for a tuneup and belt replacement 26 years overdue.... the problem is I'm 17000 miles from the Uk🤪. Like S. Brightman say: an ocean away; almost two!
You are a master of electronics. Truly incredible skillset.
I’ve been following your content and I can’t believe the amount of work you put into this deck, you’re very skilled with this stuff. I think I can barely change the belt in my deck 😂 You did a great job, thanks for sharing.
I salute your persistence and knowledge with this tape deck.
I have zero idea what you are doing as this is so professional but I love the videos, great content indeed keep up the good work.
What a outstanding job repair Mark 👋👋👋
What an ordeal that machine was! Back in the early 1990s I was looking for a new deck, the choice was between that Aiwa machine you have there and the machine I bought; a Denon DRM 710. All I can say is I made the right choice. The only components I’ve ever replaced in the Denon were the two drive belts and after 30 years I think that’s fair enough, but the heap of wiring inside that Aiwa, all those bodged components on the back of the PCB. I definitely made the right choice. The Denon is much neater on the inside and is one of the best sounding cassette decks of the era. Thanks for the entertaining video though.
Thank you for the videos Mark. After watching you, I was able to re-cap my cross over networks on my favorite pair of monitors with ease.
Brilliant repair, fantastic equipment.
Considering that it was a total mess you did an excellent job. Thanks for the video!
Most intriguing repair, you are great!
Mark, outstanding work as usual. I really don't know how you have the time or patience! Bravo sir!
What a long run to mend it Mark. You finally nailed it. Bravo 😊💪🍾🍾
You are welcome 😊
I dont understand a lot but its fascinating to watch. And you do it all with a smile xx