# curious about a yamah cr-640



## tater (Jun 15, 2007)

OK so my grandpa just give me this Yamaha cr-640 receiver which has been sitting in his garage for atleast 20 years  completley untouched..(27yrs old) its in absolutley perfect condition..all the bulbs on it work...whole 9 yards...Well curiosity has gotten the better of me... SO im wonder if maybe i can take like a 1u server PSU or maybe a micro Atx psu and stick in it..mod the psu to run when simply plugged in (dont wanna do any modding or damage in any form what so ever to the receiver (cost $400 in 1980..and its still looking brand new..so its worth sumin)... but i figure get a psu in it modded so i can just plug it in and itll run then change out the metal grate in the top wth clear acrylic then putting some of that led wiring and run it around the front so its visible through the front panel and illuminates the buttons and all... then put some neon cathodes in thetop near the glass, make it all sound sensitive. and put neon feet on it ...??? this is just purely talk but i love the idea...so can anyone give suggestions/ideas?...alternatives?

Here are some picks of what it looks like (not my pictures)


----------



## Carcenomy (Jun 24, 2007)

I don't entirely understand WTF you are doing.

You don't want to do any damage or modding in any form... but you're talking about hacking out grilles and putting neons in it?

Make up your mind, and FFS, do NOT ruin that lovely old girl! If you absolutely must, go all the way - but it's either one way or the other. Fully gut it and turn it into a lovely PC case, or leave it alone and use it for its original purpose.


----------



## TUngsten (Jun 24, 2007)

that will kick the ass of most receivers out there today, keep it


----------



## tater (Jun 24, 2007)

was never going to be a pc case....the forum title doesnt specificly say "Computer Cases, Modding"  (but it does have "& Electronics" on the end)..come to find out the receiver doesnt work and i cant fix it to the best of my knowledge...so sometime this week im going out and buying a new one


----------



## Carcenomy (Jun 25, 2007)

It seemed implied, that's all. So it doesn't work - that changes things again.

If it's DEAD with no chance of repair, then perhaps you COULD consider modifying it. Would make a great HTPC case.


----------



## tater (Jun 25, 2007)

Im not sure if its that far gone.....Only problem is when i put any amount of pressure on the volume button...all my speakers crackle


----------



## DrunkenMafia (Jun 25, 2007)

tater said:


> Im not sure if its that far gone.....Only problem is when i put any amount of pressure on the volume button...all my speakers crackle



Man that is a piece of piss to fix, just take the volume knob out and clean it, because its so old it will have a slider type rheostat in it.  the contacts will just be all dirty..  Which is causing the crackling noise..

And don't wreck it man, I see what you want to do with the cathodes and that, you don't need to put a psu in there to run them, just get a small convertor and tap off the 110 coming in.  If you wanted to get a little tricky you find that most of that amp will actually run on dc voltage so you could maybe even just find a suitable source and tap off that.  A psu would be overkill considering you will only need like 1 - 1.5 amps if that to run some cathodes...


----------



## tater (Jun 25, 2007)

im really not sure how to fix it...i know its gotta be an easy fix...but im just gonna but a new 6.1-7.1 surround sound receiver...


----------



## MadCow (Jun 25, 2007)

I want that receiver. I have a set of speakers that sound absolutely amazing with old-style analogue MOSFET amplifiers.


----------



## Carcenomy (Jun 26, 2007)

DrunkenMafia said:


> Man that is a piece of piss to fix, just take the volume knob out and clean it, because its so old it will have a slider type rheostat in it.  the contacts will just be all dirty..  Which is causing the crackling noise..
> 
> And don't wreck it man, I see what you want to do with the cathodes and that, you don't need to put a psu in there to run them, just get a small convertor and tap off the 110 coming in.  If you wanted to get a little tricky you find that most of that amp will actually run on dc voltage so you could maybe even just find a suitable source and tap off that.  A psu would be overkill considering you will only need like 1 - 1.5 amps if that to run some cathodes...



That's the one. Sounds like a dirty pot to me, judging on that nice hearty round volume knob. Not a biggie at all. Hell, just don't press on the volume knob.


----------



## DrunkenMafia (Jun 26, 2007)

If your unsure man, you can do it without taking the know out, just get a can of contact cleaner and spray the shit out of it while your turning the knob around and it should get all the crap out...  It will sound like new after that..  If you can't get any contact cleaner just try compressed air, it should work as well but the contacts probably have a nice layer of corrosion on them by now so it won't work quite as good

PS.  MAKE SURE YOU HAVE POWER OFF FIRST AS CONTACT CLEANER IS FLAMMABLE AND WILL TAKE YOUR EYEBROWS,HAIR AND RECEIVER IN A SECOND...  THEN YOU WILL LOOK REALLY FUNNY.


----------



## ex_reven (Jun 26, 2007)

DrunkenMafia said:


> PS.  MAKE SURE YOU HAVE POWER OFF FIRST AS CONTACT CLEANER IS FLAMMABLE AND WILL TAKE YOUR EYEBROWS,HAIR AND RECEIVER IN A SECOND...  THEN YOU WILL LOOK REALLY FUNNY.



Speaking from experience ?


----------



## Carcenomy (Jun 26, 2007)

Contact Cleaner is fun


----------



## DrunkenMafia (Jun 27, 2007)

ex_reven said:


> Speaking from experience ?




Haahaaaa 

Almost, a guy in brissie was using it in a metro liner ( twin engine plane, same as one that crashed up at lockheart river last year), he was cleaning a relay under the floor when someone turned power on and all the fumes exploded..  the plane was almost a  write off I believe and I think he got a little burned...

Its got heaps of fumes that stuff but shit its good for just about anything..


----------



## tater (Jun 27, 2007)

if u say compressor air i guess a can of air would work too?im really not even sure where i need to be cleaning....



> Hell, just don't press on the volume knob.



i cant touch the knob in any way without it crackling...not just pressing on it


----------



## Wile E (Jun 27, 2007)

tater said:


> if u say compressor air i guess a can of air would work too?im really not even sure where i need to be cleaning....
> 
> 
> 
> i cant touch the knob in any way without it crackling...not just pressing on it


The volume knob should pull right off. It's probably a little tight, but it just slides over a post. Pull the knob off, make sure the receiver is unplugged and fully discharged (Turn the power switch on while the unit is unplugged), and spray non-residue electronic contact cleaner all over the volume post.

Do the spraying with the receiver facing up, so the cleaner gets in past the post. Then start to turn the volume post back and forth in full sweeps to help dislodge all the dust.

I don't know where you are from, but I get my non-residue contact cleaner from Auto Zone. I think it's $3 or $4. Make sure it is non-residue.

As a side note, once you get it working right, you will be absolutely amazed how good that thing sounds. They really don't make them like that anymore. (Well, not unless you want to spend $10,000 or more. lol)


----------



## tater (Jun 27, 2007)

cool....thanks for the info ...and ya we got auto zone in GA...one is opening up right down the road...lol right at the entrance to the little gated community i live in

*EDIT* ok sweet....i just took a can of air and blew the heck out of it moving the knob back and forth and then i just put the knob on and rapidly turned the volume up and down a couple dozen times...and now its fine...alittle crackling but next time i go to town ill definitley be buying some of that contact cleaner.... im still getting a new receiver...but this is good...because i have 4 speakers i wont be able to use with my new receiver..and this will open up the ability to have a stereo at my dads and moms house

*edit* OK wow that was fun....right side speaker's are still crackling...left side run great..(sept for alittle big of a crackle if u place pressure on the knob....and it cuts in and out.. which is really weird


----------



## MadCow (Jun 27, 2007)

I had something similar with an old receiver too, mine had two fuses, one for each channel and the contacts were dirty and corroded. I just soldered a wire on the bottom of each holder for completely bypass the fuses and it worked for a while.


----------



## tater (Jun 27, 2007)

Well me and my sister went to auto zone and picked up some Non-residue contact cleaner (5.99 isle 1)  we got home i pulled the top off the receiver pull the volume knob off..sprayed really good in and on volume control...and left it standing upright (back on the floor of my deck) and left it to sit for 10-15 min and came back out with a can of air and blew it down really good (can said make sure no fumes remained so can of air was my best solution) brought the receiver back in hooked all my speakers up and now im strongly concidering not buying a new receiver.. I have 6 speakers hooked to this receiver and WOW it sounds great...i am amazed lol.. But i think instead of picking up a new receiver ill spend half that budget and go buy a nice new pair of speakers (prolly klipsch.. but if the pair i want are too overpriced ill just get this nice little pair of sony)


----------



## Wile E (Jun 28, 2007)

tater said:


> Well me and my sister went to auto zone and picked up some Non-residue contact cleaner (5.99 isle 1)  we got home i pulled the top off the receiver pull the volume knob off..sprayed really good in and on volume control...and left it standing upright (back on the floor of my deck) and left it to sit for 10-15 min and came back out with a can of air and blew it down really good (can said make sure no fumes remained so can of air was my best solution) brought the receiver back in hooked all my speakers up and now im strongly concidering not buying a new receiver.. I have 6 speakers hooked to this receiver and WOW it sounds great...i am amazed lol.. But i think instead of picking up a new receiver ill spend half that budget and go buy a nice new pair of speakers (prolly klipsch.. but if the pair i want are too overpriced ill just get this nice little pair of sony)


Yep, nothing quite sounds like some of those "oldies". I really miss my Technics SA-1010.


----------



## tater (Jun 28, 2007)

i just wish i could set my center up somewhere  sad i got a 375 watt Klipsch KV-3 center...and no where to put it....the receiver is one with an A/B setup so it has a place for up to 4 speakers total...well i have 6 hooked to it.. i cant take it above level 3/10 before its just too loud to be near lol  its great..However i think the contact cleaner shorted out the leds  none work now...but if i have my way ill have some of that neon wiring all through it which will make the face glow nicely











Basicly i have 2 klipsch kg .5 speakers, 2 unknown toshiba's and 2 yamaha ns-6's......right now its not hooked up to my desktop...but in 2-10 days when my cable arrives it will be


----------

