Rebuilding an old electronic.

RLT_Byers · January 28

My wife just bought me a vintage organ (1967) and the circuitry is showing it's age. Some odd sounds, and the 16' pipes don't work due to a shattered circuit board. (Looks like someone tried to get a better grip to lift the thing, by reaching inside and put the 300lbs of weight on a flimsy plastic circuit board.) I've replaced capacitors, and am familiar with soldering more modern components, but some of the caps on this board are oddball to me, and I'm not sure how to go about rebuilding a circuit board. Anyone out there do this kind of thing that can point me in the right direction to get started? I'm willing to sink blood and treasure into this because this will be a learning project for me and a labor of love for the instrument. This will EASILY be the biggest, and most complicated project I've ever taken on.

mariushm · January 28

How could I or others help if you don't post some pictures and/or actual questions?

You may also get better help on a forum like eevblog : https://www.eevblog.com/forum/index.php

Heats with Nvidia · January 28

You can either make a new circuit bard, or glue the one you have back together with 2 component epoxy resin. But if you glue it back together, you should reinforce the broken parts with some other material by glueing them over. I usually use new PCB material for that purpose.

Also if you don`t know what a capacitor is, a photo would help.

RLT_Byers · April 25

Well, I was really looking for a general source of information such as a book or a website rather than specific. I've searched and found lots of info, and have bought a tester. I thought this was a resistor, but it's reading as a diode. Maybe it's because this thing is just so old...

mariushm · April 26

No, it's because often components are connected in PARALLEL with other components in the circuit, so the tester can get confused.

If you want accurate measurements, you need to desolder at least one leg of the component.

The device may advertise "in-circuit" testing but that's misleading, it doesn't mean you'll get accurate measurements in circuit. It just means the test voltages are low enough that there's minimal or no chance for some component to be turned on by the power sent by the meter through the probes.