Kenwood KA 6100 project

boomerfss

Hi.

I picked up a Kenwood KA 6100 integrated amp locally yesterday. I got it home and it has a few issues. I thought it might be a good way to learn more about this hobby, so I plan to fix it up.

So far it usually only puts sound out of 1 speaker at a time. Even then it is intermittent. When it is putting out sound, it really sounds nice, so I hope to get it running well.

It seems to be affected when I activate switches or turn knobs. That seems like a good place to start. I have read a little about dirty switches and cleaning them, but I really have no idea what I am doing.

I am looking for advice on the best way to start.

Thanks,

Jim.

TNHNDYMAN

Sounds like it needs a good cleaning with deoxit. Click on link for a nice write up on walking you thru the process of cleaning a vintage piece of gear.....

http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=207005

TNHNDYMAN

Looks pretty clean inside. Also may want to check and replace fuses- probably not an issue if its working intermittently, but cheap insurance to keep it working once you have it back up and running. I like that Kenwood, it's a sharp looking silver face piece of gear.

PS -- will be sending pm with info on Polk 5's shipped

George Grand

In the 3rd image, about halfway up the left side are two round affairs with apertures in them, mounted one behind the other. Stick the nozzle of your cleaner in there (both holes) and spray. Work the Volume knob back and forth through its full travel a few hundred times, and then spray again and leave it. Do the same with ALL the other knob actuated controls. If you look straight down on the amp while you're doing this, it should be fairly easy to see where the shafts attached to the front panel knobs terminate, and where you need to administer cleaner spray.

boomerfss

Thanks for the link to that write up. That's going to be a big help.

Also, for George. By cleaner, do you mean compressed air?

Tks!

P.S. Don't worry Travis, I am practising on these old HK bookshelf speaker. I won't hook up the M 5's until i get this working right!

TNHNDYMAN

By cleaner he most likely means an electrical contact cleaner of some type. Deoxit is a brand of such cleaner used frequently.

boomerfss

Looks like a trip to Radio Shack to pick up some Deoxit. Anything else I should pick up (like fuses? Where would I get them and what would I ask for?).

TNHNDYMAN

Fuses at Radio Shack as well. Clean it first, then if any problems check the fuses inside the unit. I see 5 fuses in pic 2. Replace with same values. Note location and values before removing from receiver.

ambiophonics

Nice find - many of those units use a speaker protection relay which over time becomes intermittent ad can cause no output from one or both speakers. Most of those relays look like a little clear ice cube - they can be carefully removed and cleaned internally (burnish the contacts) or replaced if needed. Many times it seems like wiggling the controls, adjusting the volume etc is causing the symptoms to improve/worsen when really it is the relay causing the issue.

mopar paul

Nice unit-I have a few of my own. Built good, they just get dirt in them and have that problem. Taking the cover off and removing the parts to get to the back of the switches is not too bad. I used Fader lube from Parts Express to clean mine while working all the switches back and forth.

cnh

Those Kenwoods are pretty good. I have a KA-7300 that is a notch up from yours, sounds nice.

cnh