I hesitate even mentioning this one, but I'm a glutton for punishment! I'm working on one of these puppies and need to replace the damaged front panel meter (it's too badly damaged to do anything with). Short of buying a another whole unit to get a meter does anybody have a lead on where to find one of these? I know I could probably find something that's "close enough" but it would be nice to get this to resemble something that looks presentable.
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Optimod 8100a main meter replacement
- Thread starter RadioMan203
- Start date
I have an 8100 that supposedly has a couple of bad compression/limiting meters. Talk about 'unobtanium'...
As they appear to be electrically open (IIRC), I may try to see if I can locate the problem with a magnifying glass, etc.
That main meter will be a toughie. I assume it is physically trashed?
As they appear to be electrically open (IIRC), I may try to see if I can locate the problem with a magnifying glass, etc.
That main meter will be a toughie. I assume it is physically trashed?
HadYourPhil said:
The main meter is "physically disfigured" to the point that the hole in the front panel would be more pleasing to look at than the meter carcass.
Bill Sacks is Your Friend. Ask him about one.
Or, call Orban-CRL and see what they might suggest. There's always a remote chance they might have one.
Thanks for the suggestions. I'm going to give them a try and see what I come up with.
Does the 8000A use the same meter? Easier to find a junk 8000A than a junk 8100A.
B
Bill Sacks
Guest
Hi Bill
We have made an LED replacement for the older Optimod VU meters. Contact me at [email protected] if you want us to build one up for you. I will try to find a picture.
Phil, are also planning to make some LED versions of the vertical edgewise GR meters as well, as the factory ones are getting low and it is impossible to find new ones. Kim has become quite facile at replacing the scales, but that is a tedious task.
And to Bob on the Job- there are no "junk" 8000A's IMHO. That machine is still sweet and pretty sounding when given some TLC, new caps, new chips and a proper alignment. We have many happy refurbished 8000A's running out there. Give this a listen and enjoy it's clean innocence. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNbTv7Gn3ww
Bill
We have made an LED replacement for the older Optimod VU meters. Contact me at [email protected] if you want us to build one up for you. I will try to find a picture.
Phil, are also planning to make some LED versions of the vertical edgewise GR meters as well, as the factory ones are getting low and it is impossible to find new ones. Kim has become quite facile at replacing the scales, but that is a tedious task.
And to Bob on the Job- there are no "junk" 8000A's IMHO. That machine is still sweet and pretty sounding when given some TLC, new caps, new chips and a proper alignment. We have many happy refurbished 8000A's running out there. Give this a listen and enjoy it's clean innocence. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNbTv7Gn3ww
Bill
The Sacks man knows his stuff!!
I humbly stand corrected...Bill Sacks said:
How about a junk 9000? Wrong color tho.
To me the color doesn't matter as much as having something that works and is fairly close to the standard meter. I came close with a Optimod TV unit but when the engineer checked he discovered it was tossed out - I came close, but that only counts in tidily winks!
Should be a lot of Optimod TV's out there. I know of at least 2 sitting in cold-dark racks in this area.
Maybe post something in the TV forums.
Maybe post something in the TV forums.
Optimod TVs are hitting ebay now pretty cheap... most probably pulled from their analog program chains.
I was wondering if the card #5 and other parts are compatible with 8100s...
Bill or Kim?...
I was wondering if the card #5 and other parts are compatible with 8100s...
Bill or Kim?...
dannyscott101 said:
A while ago i converted a 8182a,If you remove the loudness controller card,also the Hillbert clipper cards,and change some jumper configurations,you can make it almost the same as a 8100a.
Thw difference is then the card 5,the master timing module will have to be changed and also some jumpers and resistor values changed on the card,to make it a 8100a card 5.
Also i fitted card 7 (encoder card) and fitted the bnc socket on the back,and also added some wiring to the mother board so that all the meter switch positions worked as a 8100a.
Took some time but works fine.
There is nothing wrong with the older Orban FM processors, provided that you use them in the loudness and spectral balance context of the era when they were current models. That is not a slam, some of the sweetest sounding stations are the ones not caught up in today's sound, but the compromise is they are not as loud.
I'm reminded of the early eighties when the 8100 was current. I was deep into custom stuff and brutal modifications of factory gear. One station sounded really amazingly good. The engineer was someone I respect greatly. I found out to my total shock he was using a stock 8100. His comment "I figure I can adjust an 8100 as good as anyone else". The secret, he did not mention, but I knew... He had the 8100 at the transmitter plugged directly into a high end exciter, and the STL was full data rate digital ( which was rare in that era). In other words the source audio from CD players was essentially going directly into the 8100 then into the exciter, so the design of the 8100 was fully resolved.
My point is those were some good boxes, and if you don't muck them up and let them do their job, you can sound pretty good, again in the context of the era.
I'm reminded of the early eighties when the 8100 was current. I was deep into custom stuff and brutal modifications of factory gear. One station sounded really amazingly good. The engineer was someone I respect greatly. I found out to my total shock he was using a stock 8100. His comment "I figure I can adjust an 8100 as good as anyone else". The secret, he did not mention, but I knew... He had the 8100 at the transmitter plugged directly into a high end exciter, and the STL was full data rate digital ( which was rare in that era). In other words the source audio from CD players was essentially going directly into the 8100 then into the exciter, so the design of the 8100 was fully resolved.
My point is those were some good boxes, and if you don't muck them up and let them do their job, you can sound pretty good, again in the context of the era.
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