From: jeh@cmkrnl.com
Subject: Re: Need help with car stereo....
Organization: Kernel Mode Systems, San Diego, CA
Lines: 38

In article <1qih53$9ho@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>, ae454@cleveland.Freenet.Edu
 (Paul Simundza) writes:
> My friend has a nice Alpine car stereo, and it only has 2 channels,
> but one of them does not work. It does not put out any current or voltage
> at all, is that channel therefore blown?  I then shut the radio off and
> ran continuity into the two speaker ouputs of the channel, and it charged
> and discharged so I know the wires just aint bad.... 

This probably only tells you that the DC blocking capacitor that's in series
between the one-chip, single-ended audio amp and the speaker terminal is there.

> any Ideas? 

Open it up and look for the power amp "ICs".  They'll be fairly obvious. 
Replace the one connected to the dead output. 

> also,
> how would I locate where the signal of the radio/tape unit is BEFORE it
> gets amplified, because then couldn't I hook up RCA outputs to that signal
> so then he could just use a little amplifier? 

Well, one thing you should do is poke around the terminals of the power amp
chips.  Use a probe with a 10M resistor (like a scope probe) connected to the
input of a small audio amp w/speaker.  If you find line-level input to both
chips, one of the chips is bad and can probably replaced pretty easily.  

If you want to pick off a near-line-level signal, suitable for feeding to an
outboard amp, the outer legs of the volume control pot will often be good
enough.  This is *before* the volume control (and usually before the tone and
balance controls too).  If you take off from the center and ground legs of
the volume pot, this will be after the volume control (but again, probably 
before the other controls).  

If the unit is a modern type with an electronic volume control chip, you should
probably forget the whole thing. 

	--- Jamie Hanrahan, Kernel Mode Systems, San Diego CA
Internet:  jeh@cmkrnl.com  Uucp: uunet!cmkrnl!jeh  CIS: 74140,2055
