How hard it is to replace the rca input on the shindo amplifier?
Hi, Does anybody know how to replace the rca input in my Shindo Montille Ampplifier? I bought it used from an AG member. I just discovered that my RCA input was broken. The bass out put from my speakers is distortion. Please give me instruction of how to do it. I already order the Switchcraft RCA jacks which Shindo Used for their amp. Thanks in advanced. Calvin
It's done in few moves on almost all of the amps: 1. Remove chassis and locate the broken RCA 2. Remove broken RCA input (you may note or photograph how the wires connected or simply memorize) 3. Mount replacement RCA input the way broken old one was connected 4. Put chassis back together.
Don't be afraid to solder it is really simple for your task at hand, get you a good battery operated soldering gun, looks more like a small pen light, and enjoy not having to bring it to a repair shop. Good luck.
Thank you for your kindness Mofimadness. I really appreciate that. Unfortunately, i live in Southern California. With the support of all of you, I think I will try to do it myself. Now it is time to go to Home Depot for the solder. I will report back. Thanks all of you for giving me advise. Calvin
How hard it is to replace the rca input on the shindo amplifier?
Sorry but if you need to ask this and can’t solder, get someone (tech maybe) who know how to do it. It is a diy thing for someone who good with a soldering iron, sounds like your not one but you really need to be a diy’er to do it so it doesn't end up a mess.
You should talk to a Shindo dealer. It is important to use the correct jacks and solder to optimize the listening experience with Shindo equipment. Cables are important as well. Heavy cables can damage the delicate RCA connections.
If you haven’t soldered electronics before, then it may be more prudent to have a local repair shop do it. $100 is standard for this type of job. Typically, they will charge a minimum of 1 hour labor. Like steakster said, it can cost some money to buy good enough soldering iron and actual electronics solder. You might be close enough to the $100 already. The cheaper 25-40 watt soldering irons you can buy at home depot can work, but you may be there for a while heating up solder. This can require a long enough time where you might actually damage some element (like an IC or capacitor, etc.). Some solder points on electronics equipment and PCB can be stubborn, even for my 70 watt Hakko.
As for solder, Home Depot will probably not have the correct stuff. DO NOT buy acid core solder for electronics. For rosin core solder, you’ll want to get as thin solder as possible. Home Depot may have this, but mostly it is the thicker solder that is harder to work with on electronics. Also, for this quality of amp, you’ll probably want to get the better silver/copper type solder. You can get a small roll of Cardas solder from Parts Connexion for $25.
If you are intending to get into doing DIY stuff, then great. Soldering a new RCA input can be an easy job (depending on if you have to deal with PCB mount RCA connector or if they are just wired). Otherwise, it might be better just to have a repair shop do it.
If you're close to Monrovia (just north of Pasadena), take it into Brooks Berdan Ltd. and have the shop's tech Tom do the soldering. He is very experienced with electronics, being a maintenance engineer for a Los Angeles TV station. He routinely works on Jadis, VTL, Audio Research, and other high end lines. I'm sure he'll do it for less than a hundred bucks.
If you use proper tools and apply proper skills to solder a wire, you won't damage plastic chassis of RCA receptacles. To see how to solder proper you can go YouTube where you will find an arsenal of instructional videos.
In this day and age there is something to be said about
fixing something yourself. Heck, I've been guilty of throwing $100 and my
time to fix a $20 problem, but it sure was satisfying.
Hello, I have just finished a first project beautifully. Made a home made interconnect with silver conductor ordered from Tempo Electric. My system sounds wonderful with the new interconnect. I will do the amp over weekend after buying a good soldering iron. Is the Weller WES51 good enough? Thanks to all who had encouraged me in doing it the first time. Calvin
I used to own a Weller WTCPT, which is a 42 watt iron. It just didn’t heat enough for me and that made it just harder to use. The Weller WES51 is 50 watt, which is just a little bit better. If that’s what you have, then use it if it works for you.
I moved on to a Hakko FX-951, at 70 watts. It heats the tip really fast (generally within 10 seconds) and it’s very effective in keeping the tip hot. I can get in and out really fast when soldering connections, unless they are larger pins/metal. It’s digital readout/controlled and it’s really great if you serious about DIY, but it is expensive at $236+.
If you want a good quality inexpensive iron, look at the Hakko FX-888D. It’s discontinued, but you can still get it new at multiple sources for about $100. It’s a little bit less power at 65 watt. Main differences are:
- sleep mode on FX951 only - tips shape selection which is higher for the FX951 - tips technology: • FX951 use cartrige so the heating element is into the tip, every time you change tip you have a new heating elemnt • FX888D use standard tip, less selection, the heating system is into the handle sold as spare part in case of need ($20) - tips price, FX951’s tip are much more expensive the FX888D’s tip like 15euro Vs 5 euro
The Weller irons are very nice, but they are a lot more expensive for what you are getting.
If you want a cheaper iron, one of the best Chinese imports is the Quick 3103 analog station ($65) or the Quick 3104 digital ($85). Both of these are 70 watts as well. I use the Quick 861dw hot air workstation after a lot of research. The Quick products are extremely well made and high quality for Chinese stuff.
Then you could always go for the bargain basement Chinese import stuff on ebay for $50 or less (like the yihua or generic or whatever). They may look like they come with more stuff, but they are basically slapped together with a ton of low quality components. Be careful because these can actually become fire hazards, since the internal wiring is not always done properly. I would avoid, unless you were able to pull it apart and verify all electrical wiring is done properly and fix their mistakes.
Metcal is supposed to be one of the best stations, but I have never used it. This particular model is only 35 watts. The tip determines the temperature, so if you get it, make sure you have a series 600 or 650 tip. Don't use anything too hot or you're likely to heat and lift the contact pads off the PCB.
My old Weller WTCPT had the same type of mechanism where the type of tip determined the temperature. It could very well be that I was using a low temp tip (this was many many years ago). However, I'm totally spoiled with my Hakko - so I may be jaded. It could very well be that the Metcal or Weller may work out okay. If it was between the Metcal and Weller, I would probably jump on the Weller because of power output and temp controllability.
Used is not bad, as long as the item was kept in good condition. I bought a used Hakko 470B desoldering stations years ago and it's still going strong.
@dangcaonguyen - thinking about this, I'm pretty sure I had a medium temp tip on the Weller WTCPT. It still had problems keeping heat on the tip. Sorry, it's been so long, I can't remember specifics. Good luck on finding a good soldering station.
Thanks Auxinput. I did some researches about the Soldering Station and am getting more confuse. Cannot decide of which one I should buy. There are 2 price range. Around $100 and $300. I can afford $100 now. Since i dont do soldering for a living. Will the $100 range station good enough for mu need. I am thinking of the hakko 888 now. Please give me your best advice. Calvin
The $100 Hakko 888D will be just fine for you. It’s, basically, almost just as powerful at the 951. The main difference is the usability and tip options. The 888D will have good tip options if you are doing basic connections and through-hole elements (such as resistors, capacitors, RCA inputs, etc.). You would want the 951 if you need the advanced type tips, such as quad-tip, tunnel, spatula (these are used primary for SMD parts, such as surface mount op amps and ICs). The 951 has a sleep mode where it shuts down power to the iron if you let it sit in the iron holder for a number of minutes (the 888D does not). It also has a different way to set the temperature/settings. The 888D will heat the soldering tip just as well as the 951 and keep it hot.
The following two videos are excellent on the overview/review of proper soldering tip maintenance and using the Hakko 888D:
It sounded like you were in a hurry to get an iron so that you could solder this weekend, lol. If you have the patience and budget, I'd say get the 888D. I would also recommend a 1.6mm chisel tip (part T18-D16 for the 888D). I have found that it's a really good all-around tip that can be used in a lot of situations. Much better than the smaller pointed tip that comes with the iron.
Weller WES51 is a correct choice. It's a professional high quality tool sufficiently enough to work with any electronic applications. For terminating higher gauge wires it's best not to use soldering and use crimping. The maximum power dial for this iron is enough to solder 10awg
Heat flows from the tip to the parts and from the heating element to the tip . You should use the largest spade tip that will work so it's mass , therefore heat it contains is greatest at any given temperature . Avoid conical tips for most jobs .
Hello AG members. I am happy to report back that I have just finished replacing the RCA input jacks BY MYSELF. It took about 30 minutes. Thanks all of you. Now the bass distortions are all gone. My system never sounds this good. So clean and clear. Thanks. Calvin
Yes, I picked it up at a local electronics store near my house. I spent around $130 for the wes51, one extra iron tip, and a small can of flux. Thank you. Calvin
I’m glad that actually you chose the path of learning instead of hiring someone for insubstantial problem. I know many today’s audiophiles even refuse to learn to work on elementary items, but not this time indeed. The phrase on each today’s electronic component "Only for qualified technician" appeared in 90’s operation manuals instead of detailed schematics and service manuals to keep you away from learning and keep you closer to spending indeed. WES51 is very good investment for all electronic repair needs. I use one since 2002 SAME model. That tells about the undisputed quality of a tool. Now next step you’ll be shopping for de-soldering tool I guess.
I use the electric one with sucker bulb and found it the most useful for all applications I would probably want to use electric one with button, but 30W is insufficient most of times. https://www.parts-express.com/cat/desoldering-tools/520
For many years I've had one of those spring loaded solder vacuuming devises ("solder sucker") where you just point it at the solder and hit the button…instantly sucks up the hot solder no problemo, weird but effective.
Desoldering stations are actually a lot more expensive then soldering irons. Used Hakko or Pace desoldering stations are $250-300 used on ebay. I bought my Hakko 472B years ago for about the same price. Used pricing hasn't really changed in 10 years. Cheapest recommended new item is Hakko FR-300 for about $270 (it has the pump built into the self-contained handle -- not as good as a full desoldering stations like the used 472B). If you look at a used station, make sure it includes a vacuum pump (some stations require external "shop air" for suction). Otherwise, you're looking at the cheap options that czarivey has mentioned.
Desoldering station is only good when you're too much of a perfectionist who want to de-solder the whole board and change all solder joints in other words waste some time.
I am reviving this old post. I too am in need to replace the RCA jacks in my Shindo pre. Would you know which part number of Switchcraft female jacks are used by Shindo please?
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