Post by SBPost by SBAll,
I have acquired a Sony ICF-SW40 radio. The rotary tuning knob on the
side of the unit is faulty. When I rotate it in a given direction,
the frequency setting doesn't change in a linear fashion but hops in
indiscriminantly sized steps in either direction up or down. This is
true for all three bands. Hence tuning is very unreliable.
How is the tuning wheel coupled inside the radio?
Could this be an issue with excess dirt / lack of lubricant in the
tuning mechanism?
Has anyone experienced this kind of problem before and how was it
solved?
Thanks
SB.
I looked at the datasheet / service manual for the ICF SW40 at the
http://www.eserviceinfo.com/index.php?what=search2&searchstring=ICF-SW55
See the link for SW40.zip.
The rotary encoder used is a Sony part 1-473-596-11.
http://www.nexttronics.com/catalog/sony/1/147359611.htm
this part costs $75.49.
How generic are these rotary encoders?
Is it possible / recommended to substitute a lesser grade / cheaper
part in place of the Sony component?
Thanks
SB
Sony really doesn't want you repairing their products. They'd
rather have a new sale. And service facilities are expensive, so
Sony has been closing them down at record rates. Which, for you,
means, once the warranty is up, which occurs about the same time as
the production of the item is discontinued, you'll find an obstacle
course of roadblocks to getting your product repaired. This wil
include gargantuan prices on fairly simple components, tales of
'proprietary' components no longer under production (most of the
active devices are, in fact, generic production and available from a
wide variety of sources--mostly Toshiba--though listed in manuals
with Sony exclusive part numbers, and only the service tech has the
cross reference data...and he AIN"T talking, trust me), and delays
in repair reaching far beyond the 'f*ck it' point...in two cases
I've been involved in, exceeding two years.
What they'll do for you, though, is give you some token credit on
your current product, and move you into a similar product, with the
same features. Usually with a higher price tag. In the end, if you
add up the money, you usually spend between 1.5 and 1.8 times the
cost of your original product to have a working product again.
And you'll say 'thank you' for the privilege.
I removed Sony from my life and my business years ago, and
haven't missed any of it.
Ok...rant out of the way...
Sony has contract service providers in many areas. This is NOT
factory service. But it can be very good service. Just through an
independent contractor. Find someone who's authorized to work on
Sony products and make some phone calls. You'll get a lot of
stonewalling, and a lot of Sony noise, but if you keep at it, you'll
find someone who will shoot you straight. This person will likely
also be a service tech for other companies. This is the best
scenario. He'll have the cross reference data for parts, and the
access to manufacturers' supply of generic components without Sony
labels, or part numbers.
The rotary encoder you seek will not be $75 from the original
manufacturer. And if you can get the tech to sell you one, the
repair can be time consuming, but straightforward enough you can do
it yourself and save additional cash.
Likely, the encoder you have is dirty. Or the lubricants used
within during manufactur have deteriorated, hardened, or dried out.
This is VERY common. In some cases, simply working the encoder
through its range for several minutes will restore some semblance of
sanity to your tuning experience. But this will likely only be
temporary.
Sometimes, you may be able to dismantle the encoder, to clean it.
I'd stay away from simple sprays. They can harshly affect the
composites used in these components, rendering them unusable. Even
DeOxit has been shown to have a deleterious effect on some composite
sliding contacts.
If you can open the encoder, you may be able to clean the
contacts, wipe them carefully to remove any remaining detritus, and
then wipe with a contact lubricant like MCL.
I'd repeat the process at least one more time to ensure cleaning,
and thorough lubricant penetration of the contact materials if
possible.
The encoder will last you another few years.
If you can't clean it, or get it working through handling,
replacement is your best option. And yes, there ARE direct
replacements available for your encoder, probably even the OEM
factory model in your radio. And at reasonable prices.
But you'll pull your head off and kick it down Route 66 before
you get that information from Sony.