The Armstrong 600 Series

The units were:

 602 Loudspeaker
 621 Amplifier
 623 AM/FM Tuner
 624 FM Tuner
 625 FM Receiver
 626 AM/FM Receiver

The units were modular so the same amplifier and tuner circuits were used throughout
the range.

As with the previous ranges, the 600's were modular and included receivers as well as
separate amplifiers and tuners. The above picture shows a 625 FM receiver. Along
with the 626 this proved very popular, particularly on the continent of Europe.
The 621 amplifier (show above) was rated at 40 Watts per channel into 8 Ohms. This
made it markedly more powerful than previous ranges. Yet despite this, the box was
smaller with a very ‘low profile’ appearance. To some extent this was deceptive as the
box was shaped with a cut-away black base. The effect was to make the box seem
thinner and smaller and seem as if it was floating above the table.

As with many other Armstrong items, the appearance of the 600 range was quite
distinctive, and designed to look attractive as a piece of furniture as well as provide
good performance. For example, although the units included a number of selection
switches these were accessed via thin ‘piano key’ tabs that the user pressed down.
These acted as levers to operate the internal push-switches. The thin strip of black
keys tended to be camouflaged against the black frontage. Hence the units didn't look
as if they were covered in buttons.

Rated Power 40W per channel into 8 Ohms Crosstalk <-45dB

Frequency Response 20Hz - 25kHz ±1dB SNR -65dB

Total Harmonic Distortion <0·08% at 25W <0·08% at 1W  

The 600 series amplifier had some unusual features. One of these was the use of diode
‘cold switching’ of the inputs. This meant that the input selection avoided any
mechanical switches in the signal paths. Instead the bias on a set of steering diodes
was changed by the input selector. Thus any corrosion or mechanical problems with
input selector switches was avoided. In more modern times other manufacturers often
achieve a similar effect using IC's for switching. These were not available back then.
One nice feature of the diode switching was that sources would ‘cross fade’ as the
diode voltages changed. This was felt to be more pleasant than an abrupt change,
particularly if the newly selected input was loud!

The power amplifier also had an unusual double-feedback arrangement. This was
employed to correct some of the effects of the output capacitor. (The design was
single-rail so required an output capacitor.) However it meant that over some of the
output frequency range the amplifier's output impedance went slightly negative. This
meant that the system maintained a high damping factor in use even when the cable
resistance was taken into account. As a result the 600 amplifiers gave unusually tight
control of the loudspeaker movement. This was also Armstrong's first amplifier to use
silicon transistors throughout. This meant an improvement in both power and
reliability.

Content and pages maintained by: Jim Lesurf

using HTMLEdit and TechWriter on a StrongARM powered RISCOS machine.

The Armstrong 600 Series

Tuners and Receivers

The above picture shows the 623 tuner. The tuner used for the 600 range was unusual
in a number of ways. The most obvious of these was that the LW and MW bands were
combined into one continuously tunable range.The AM tuner was also a double-
conversion superheterodyne receiver with a first IF at around 3MHz. This gave
unusually high selectivity to reduce interference. It also allowed the use of varactor
diode (electronic) tuning. It was this technique which enabled the continuous
LW/MW tuning. It also meant that electronic presets were available for MW and LW
as well as VHF. All these features were novel at the time for a Hi-Fi system and came
from the designer's (Ted Rule's) background as a radio amateur as well as his
experience in earlier years with radio in the RAF.

Coverage 87·5 - 108 MHz Frequency Response 30Hz - 14kHz -3dB

Full Limiting 1 microV (mono) SNR 100 microV 65db (ref 75kHz dev.)

IF 10·5MHz center 200kHz bw (-3dB points)  

Channel separation >40dB at 1 kHz THD (40kHz dev) <0·2%

Six tuning presets were provided. The preset channels were controlled by a set of six
small multi-turn potentiometers. You can see these through the small transparent
window which is under the main tuning knob shown near the right-hand end of the
above picture. Armstrong were always concerned to make setting up and using their
sets as pleasant and easy as possible. For this reason they provided the user with a
small screwdriver to adjust these presets. When purchasing an FM-only tuner or
receiver the six presets were all FM. On the FM/AM sets they were divided, three for
FM, three for AM. Since the AM tuning was continuous each of the AM presets could
be used for either MW or LW as the user chose.

The above picture shows a view looking down into a 600 receiver with its wooden top
removed. You can see the various circuit boards. The amplifier sections are to the left
and the tuner to the right, with the VHF front end nearest the right-hand end of the
box towards its back. The metal chassis you can see was elevated by the black plastic
plinth. Some more circuits boards (including the power supply stabiliser and the
stereo radio decoder) were mounted on the underside of the chassis and can't be seen
in this top view.

Although modular like the 500 range, in the 600's the boards were placed horizontally,
to allow for a lower profile. They were also hard-wired together with wired
connections soldered onto pins fixed to the boards. The pins were flow-soldered onto
the boards along with the other components. This construction method took a little
longer to assemble than the 500's slot-in cards, and slightly slowed down board
replacement when servicing. However it also removed any reliability problems due to
poor edge-contacts. Hence the range was more durable that the 500's as well as more
stylish.
 Content and pages maintained by: Jim Lesurf
using HTMLEdit and TechWriter on a StrongARM powered RISCOS machine.

The Armstrong 600 Series

The 600 AM Tuner

Many of the tuners Armstrong produced used circuit designs that were unusual. The
600 range was an outstanding example of this. From the user's point of view this
mostly just presented itself as a tuner that worked well and sounded good. However,
for engineers and radio amateurs the circuits themselves were often very interesting to
study. This page therefore looks at the 600's AM tuner and outlines how it functions.
The above picture shows an over-view of the circuit diagram of the 600 range's AM
tuner. This was probably one of the most unusual tuners ever to appear as part of a Hi-
Fi system and had a number of quite rare feature that made it something special. From
the user's viewpoint the main features were:

 The AM tuning combined the medium and long wave bands into one
continuously tuneable band.
 There were AM presets as well as FM presets, all adjustable using small preset
potentiometers.
 The level of apparent interference was often lower when listening to an AM
station on the 600 than with more conventional tuners.

From the engineering viewpoint the 600 AM tuner had two special features which
lead to the performance. The tuner used a double-conversion superheterodyne
technique, with the first mixer up-converting the input to a higher frequency. The
system enabled tuning to be made using just one single variable capacitance (using a
single varactor diode) hence avoiding tracking problems. The ingenious design
avoided many of the problems that beset conventional medium/long wave tuners. In
particular, the receiver had unusually good image rejection.

The above picture shows the front-end of the 600 am tuner. The signal could be
provided using an external (wire) aerial or antenna and earth, the connections for
which are shown top-left. Most users would, however, probably have used the Ferrite
Rod antenna that was provided with the tuner. This is shown with the part number
“FX80” in the above diagram. Although most modern AM tuners use a Ferrite Rod
antenna, most employ the rod as part of a resonant circuit as a tuned antenna. The
600's Ferrite rod was untuned. It was followed by a two-stage broadband RF
amplifier. (Using the pair of BF241 bipolar transistors shown top-left.)

Unlike most radios, the RF section of the 600's AM tuner was untuned. It picked up
and amplified the entire medium wave and long wave bands. The entire frequency
range up to about 2 MHz was then passed through a low-pass filter (shown as LPF60
in the above diagram). It then reached the first mixer. This used a balanced pair of
ITT44 diodes.

The lower part of the above diagram shows the first Local Oscillator. This was
arranged to oscillate at a frequency 3·1MHz above the frequency of the station to
which the receiver was tuned. The oscillation frequency was controlled by the bias
voltage, Vb, applied to a varactor diode (SMV770). This varactor was the only variable
tuning element in the entire AM receiver! The desired output from the mixer therefore
emerged at a first IF frequency of 3·1MHz. By choosing to up-convert the input to a
frequency well above the medium wave band the tuner avoided many of the problems
that beset conventional AM tuners. The low pass filter prevented any image
frequencies from reaching the first mixer despite the RF amplifiers being untuned.
The 3·1MHz IF output from the first mixer was then passed on to the stages shown in
the above diagram. The signal was now filtered by the resonant transformers show as
IFT79 and IFT61. These, along with the BF241, amplified the desired signals at about
3·1MHz whilst filtering away other frequencies. The signal was then presented to a
second mixer. This was a dual-gate MOSFET, the 40823, which was driven by a
second Local Oscillator shown in the lower part of the above diagram. This second
LO used another BF241 and was a fixed frequency oscillator, tuned to a frequency
that was oscillating at 3100 - 455 kHz. As a result, the second mixer produced down-
converted output at 455kHz. Hence the second IF was at the now-standard frequency
of 455kHz.
The output from the second mixer was then passed through a ceramic filter (TBF4-
A6) and then through another pair of tuned transformers (IFT65 and IFT66) whilst
being amplifier by another pair of BF241 transistors. These stages and filers were
tuned to pass a band around 8kHz wide, centered upon 455kHz. The output was then
AM demodulated using an AA119 diode. As well as providing the required
demodulated signal (audio) the d.c. level from this diode was used to provide a control
(AGC) voltage to adjust the gain of the IF amplifier stages and increase the working
dynamic range.

The system is neat in that it gives good selectivity and avoids some of the image and
harmonic problems of conventional MW/LW tuners, yet only requires one variable-
tuned element. By using a varactor, the tuning can also be preset since it is voltage
controlled. The only drawbacks are that the RF front end may be overloaded by
unwanted high-power signals, and the front-end gain must therefore be kept low
enough to avoid this. Hence the system does not give the untimate in distant or very
local reception. However for most users it provides a reduction in apparent
interference and hence means that some stations which come with “added whistles”
on other tuners come through without interference on the 600.

The prototype for the 600 AM tuner had an oscillator which covered a much wider
frequency range than production models. In principle, it is also possible to replace the
LPF60 filter with a high-pass filter. Hence the same circuit could have been used as
the basis of an “all waveband” short-wave radio combined with the medium and long
wave bands.

Content and pages maintained by: Jim Lesurf

using HTMLEdit and TechWriter on a StrongARM powered RISCOS machine.

The Armstrong 600 Series

Amplifier FAQ page

Having started this site, various people have emailed questions to me regarding how
to repair a 600 series item, or for details of how it works after having purchased one
second-hand. The info on this page is to try and deal with the questions and topics
that are most likely to occur when repairing or setting up a 600 unit. Please note that
I can't advise on locating specific items you may need for a repair. Please also note
that I cannot take responsibility for any damage you do, or harm that may occur
when you attempt any repairs. I offer the information on this page in good faith, but
it may well contain errors or be unclear. Treat the contents with care and only work
when you are sure you know what you are doing. When working on the set,
disconnect it entirely from the mains. Your life is your own, take care with it since it
is probably worth more than some old HiFi! :-)
The image shown above is a scaled down view of the section of the 600 circuit
diagram that shows the power amplifier (A17), control amplifier (C29), and power
supply (Z20) sections. The A17 and C29 circuits will be the same in 621 amplifiers,
and in 625/626 receivers. The above has been scaled to fit onto a reasonable size of
webpage, but as a result the details can't be easily seen. If you want a larger image
from which values can be read, just click on the above image. Please note that the
image you get will be quite a large gif. Also, when reading the diagram, please note
though that due to the Armstrong policy of ‘continuous development’ the
transistors, or some other details of a specific set may differ from what is shown in
the diagram.

Frequently Asked Questions & topics

What inputs and output does the equipment have? What are the sensitivities,
impedances, etc? The image below shows the layout of the main inputs and outputs
on the back of an amplifier or receiver.
It shows a view looking at the rear on a 621 amplifier. The back of a 625 or 626
receiver looks the same except that the tuner input is omitted for obvious reasons.

All the inputs are via 5-pin DIN sockets, so you may
require a DIN to phono adaptor. The pin numbers
are normally marked on any plug you use. For each
5-pin socket the upper (central) pin is the
earth/ground connection and is pin 2. In each case
pin 3 is the Left-hand channel input and pin 5 is the
Right-hand channel input. On the tape socket, pin 1
is the Left-channel output for the tape recorder and
pin 4 is the Right-hand channel output for the tape
recorder. On some later models the tape outputs
are also present on the same numbered pins of the aux socket, but are fed via
resistors to act as the old DIN standard current-source outputs. The sensitivity, input
impedance, and overload level of each input is as shown in the table below.

inputs tuner aux disc1 disc2 tape

sensitivity (mV) 120 120 3.0 6.0 250

 impedance (kohms) 68 68 47 47 68

Overload at 1 kHz 3V 3V 75 mV 150 mV 7V

Both disc inputs are via the same input socket and the sensitivity can be set via a
slide switch that can be found on the underside of the unit. The ‘high’ setting of this
switch gives 6 mV sensitivity and an overload value of 150 mV. The ‘low’ setting of
the switch gives a sensitivity of 3 mV and overload level of 75 mV. In general it is
recommended to use the high setting unless the cartridge has a low output and the
result is too quiet. Note that the input is only suitable for moving-magnet cartridges.

There are a pair of preset level pots beside the disc level switch on the underside of
the unit. These pots can be used to adjust the level provided at the tape outputs if
desired.

The main power amplier outputs are via DIN loudspeaker sockets. Two pairs are
provided and the outputs may be controlled via the pair of loudspeaker switches on
the front of the unit. The nominal output power available is up to 40 watts
continuous per channel into 8 Ohm loads. Note that the amplifier is only rated for
loads above 4 Ohms. Hence if you are using two pairs of loudspeakers
symultaneously please ensure that they have impedances of at least 8 Ohms.
Headphones may be connected via a socket on the front of the amplifier. The signal
provided to this socket is attenuated. If you wish to use electrostatic headphones,
connect them to the loudspeaker outputs to obtain the full output level. Note that it
is recommended to use 2.5 Ohm series resistors with electrostatic headphones to
ensure stability, although this usually only matters with early units.

To the right of the loudspeaker outlets there is a flat-pin mains socket. This provides
a mains output which is switched by the unit's on/off power switch and can be used
to control the power to another item. Just above the location where the mains cable
enters the back of the unit there is a screw binding post that is provided for an earth
connection from a turntable/arm/cartridge.
I have a 600 range item, but there is no indicator light I can see that tells me when
the unit is on. The indicator should be a small bulb behind the “Armstrong” name
label at the left hand end of the set. If this name does not light up when you switch
on the unit then the bulb will need replacing.

When I play something via the tape input with the ‘monitor’ button tab down the
tone controls, etc, don't seem to work. Is this a fault? No. The 600 range circuit was
arranged so that the tone controls and filters act upon the signals sent to the tape
recorder. This means you can use the 600 to modify signals when recording them.
When replaying tape normally (as with other inputs) the signal will once again go
through the tone controls unless you press down the monitor tab. However, when
the monitor tab is down, the tape input bypasses the tone controls.

When I change the volume I hear crackles or scraping noises from the
loudspeakers. What is wrong, and how can I stop this? This occurs due to dirt or
corrosion forming on the volume control. Various brands of volume control were
used during the life of the 600 series, some more prone to problems than others. A
particular problem sometimes occurs due to leakage current through the capacitor
that decouples the wiper of the volume pot from the d.c. present at the input to the
power amplifier. Over time, the current tarnishes a spot on the track of the pot,
causing a ‘dead spot’ that can then cause a crackle as you change the volume.

The simplest way to solve the problem is to clean the tracks of the volume pot with a
suitable ‘contact cleaning’ solution. This is available in spray cans from suppliers like
Maplin. I would recommend types of cleaner that are designed to leave no residue.
To clean the volume pot, proceed as follows:

Disconnect the set from the mains. Remove the lid. This is held by a pair of lever-
action clasps which are at the back corners of the lid, inside where the lid overhangs
the chassis. Pull the lower end of each lever away from the back of the set until the
lid can me moved backwards. Push the lid backwards. Note that the lid is fitted to go
under a lip at the front of the set. Once you have pulled the lid back far enough it can
be lifted vertically. Note that if it won't lift you may not have moved it back far
enough. Do not apply too much force when lifting. Note that on some later sets, one
of the levers also has a small screw attachment that prevents the lid being removed
until the screw is undone. This was fitted as the UK safety agency did not like sets
that were too easy to get into!

Once the lid is removed you should be able to see the pots behind each control. If
you are unlucky they are of a closed type which are almost impossible to clean.
However if they have an opening you should be able to see the wipers moving inside
when you rotate the knob. If they are open, spray in some cleaner whilst turning the
control up and down. Do this a few times to “wash and scrub” away any residues on
the tracks of the pot. Reassemble, and see if the problem is cured. If not, you may
well need a new pot.

Note that the problem sometimes only occurs during the first 30 seconds or so after
an amplifier has been turned on. If so, this is due to the charging currents and it may
not be worth cleaning the pot. If the problem persists or returns, it is recommended
both to the replace the pot and to change the capacitor on the A17 (shown as
component 473) to a new, lower-leakage capacitor.
The above image shows the layout of the components on the A17 power amplifier
board and you can see the 473 (L and R) capacitors at the lower corners. In fact, if
you are experienced with electronics it is sometimes a good idea to replace all the
electrolytic capacitors in an old unit as this may improve the performance. That said,
if the unit sounds fine there seems little point in bothering!

I'd like to use the unit to play signals from a CD player. Which input should I use,
and how should I connect it? In principle, you can choose to use either the tape or
aux inputs. Note that these are via DIN sockets, so you will probably need a DIN-
Phono adaptor lead. (These were supplied with the sets when they were new.) CD
players can produce signals levels up to 2 volts, which is relatively high compared to
the levels from typical sources when the 600 range was in production. This means
there is a risk of overloading the input and getting noticeable distortion on loud
sounds. This should not arise as the clipping level for the aux input is 3 volts for and
tape input is 7 volts. However for signal levels above a volt or two, the inputs may
produce more distortion than would be the case at lower input levels.

You are not likely to damage the set by trying either the aux or tape inputs for
playing a CD, so the simplest thing is to try either and see if it sounds OK. Ideally, I
would recommend using resistors as passive attenuators to reduce the level from CD
to around 200mV as this will ensure that overload won't occur and hence minimise
any distortion. However you will probably find that the music sounds fine without
requiring an attenuator. Note that when the 600 was produced ‘disc’ did not mean
CD because Compact Disc was not then available! Hence you can't use the disc input
for the output from a CD player. The disc input is meant for the output from a
moving magnet cartridge, playing LPs.

A drawback of using the tape input for CD is that the tape DIN socket has the outputs
you require if you wish to record signals from the 600. Note that you may be lucky in
that some later sets had a second pair of tape outputs provided via the aux DIN
socket. With these sets you can choose to use the tape input for CD and treat the aux
socket as being for tape. One point to bear in mind, however, is that this second set
of tape outputs may be via resistors to accord with the old DIN standard for current
source signals. As a result, when used with a conventional tape recorder, the output
from the aux socket may sound muffled (loss of high frequencies due to cable
capacitance) or at a low level. The existence of this second set of outputs was never
advertised. They were just added for those who encountered problems using the
european recorders that followed the DIN current-source standard. The tape output
signals from the tape socket follow the more usual voltage standard and should be
suitable for supplying output to tape recorders, CDR writers, etc.

I have a 621/625/626. However although I hear a ‘thump’ from the loudspeakers

when I switch it on, I can't hear anything when I try to play music. It may be that
you have the ‘monitor’ button down. If so, the amplifier will ignore all signals except
the tape input. Check that this button tab is up if you are trying any inputs other than
tape.

Alternatively, this problem can occur when the fuse that is in the power line to the
pre-amplifier fails. These were rated at just about the current that was used, so
sometimes fail after some years use. You may need to replace the relevant fuse. This
is the 160mA one shown towards the bottom-right of the main diagram. The fuse is
located on the Z20 power supply board which is on the UNDERSIDE of the main
chassis.

To check that this may be the problem, try connecting a signal source to the tape
input and press down the ‘monitor’ button. If you hear music when using the tape
monitor input but not when using any other input (including tape with the monitor
switch off) it confirms that the power amplifiers and power supply are probably fine,
but the control amp is not. The most probably cause of the control amp not working
is a failed fuse.

To open the bottom of the set, turn it over. Make sure the set is unplugged from the
mains before proceeding. Look at the underside of the set near the back and you
should see a series of fasteners that seem like strange screws. They have a pair of
parallel 'ridges' on the head of each fastener instead of the slot you would expect in
a screw, and are made of black plastic. These are quarter-turn fasteners. Rotate each
through a quarter turn. They should now become loose and the plastic base can be
removed. Note that it is also held under a lip at the font of the set, so lift it with care.
Look for the Z20 board. It should be labelled, and the layout of components on it
should be as shown in the above picture. If the front of the set is towards you, the
Z20 board should be near you, on the left. As shown here the control amplifier fuse is
to the bottom left of the board. Note that this board will carry mains voltages if the
set is on, and may carry high voltages for a while after the set is off due to the time
taken for the reservoir capacitor to discharge. Note also that the mains fuse is near
the 160mA d.c. fuse, so check you know which is which. Test and/or replace the fuse
and reassemble the set. If the set still does not work then the amplifiers themselves
may need repair.

One channel does not work. Is there a fuse that

may have blown? Yes. Disconnect the set from
the mains and turn it upside down. You will see a
recess that looks like the picture shown to the left
of this text. There are two circular fuseholders
which had a knurled rim and a slot in their tops so
they can be unscrewed. These are the powerline
d.c. fuses for the power amplifiers. Check and see
if either of these fuses has failed. If so, replace it
with a 2.5 Amp fuse. If you are lucky the spare
fuses will still be held in the clips beside the
fuseholders. Note that there may well have been
a good reason for the fuse to fail. It may be that
the power amplifier is faulty and hence the new
fuse will also fail. Is so, the set clearly needs
repair. However sometimes the fuse fails due to the output being short circuited. It
then is performing the task it was intended to fulfill and protect the amplifier from
excessive current demand. Hence the amplifier may work once a new fuse is fitted,
provided of course that the short has been removed from the output!
 Content and pages maintained by: Jim Lesurf
using HTMLEdit and TechWriter on a StrongARM powered RISCOS machine.

The Armstrong 600 Series

Tuner FAQ page

Using the tuner section of 600 range units is fairly straightforward. The tuner section
is also less likely to break down than the amplifier since the powers required are
lower. However the tuner does have some unusual features that may puzzle the
first-time user. Hence this page which tries to answer the most likely questions. Also,
tuners do sometime fail, even though this is rare, so the circuit diagram may be of
use.
The above image shows the FM tuner, stereo decoder, etc. The same circuits were
employed in the 623 and 624 tuners as well as the 625 and 626 receivers. The above
image has been scaled down to fit on this page. If you wish to view a larger copy click
on the above image. Please note that the image this will fetch is quite large. The AM
tuner is discussed on another page, so if you wish to look at the details of the AM
tuner click here.

This page will mostly be concerned with explaining how to make use of the FM tuner.
Note that the above circuit diagram was subject to modification as part of
Armstrong's policy of continuous development. The most significant change during
the lifetime of the tuner was a change to a newer stereo decoder, based upon a
better PLL IC. The decoder shown in the diagram is the older decoder.

Frequency Asked Questions

The tuner has two meters, but I can't work out what they do, can you explain? On
most hi-fi tuners, the two meters would be for signal strength and for center-tuning.
Here, however, they actually serve more functions.
The 600 tuner uses varactor diode tuning. It is unusual in that varactor tuning is used
for both the FM and the AM tuners. As a result, both for FM and AM, the station is
chosen by applying an appropriate voltage to the diodes in the set. The upper meter
indicates the voltage being applied to the diodes, and hence is an indicator of the
frequency to which the tuner has been adjusted. The purpose of this meter is to aid
you in setting up the pre-sets so that you can switch quickly between up to six
stations of your choice.

The lower meter will act as either a signal strength meter or a center-tuning meter,
depending upon which tabs are pressed down. When you are listening to an AM
station, the meter always shows signal strength. When listening to FM, the meter
shows signal strength when the AFC tab is down, but acts as a center tuning meter
when the AFC tab is up. When tuning manually on an AM/FM set, pressing down the
‘square’ tab button at the far right end of the row selects AM tuning instead of FM.
To tune FM manually you should ideally proceed as follows:

First ensure the AFC tab is up. If its down, press and release it to allow it to toggle
upwards. The lower meter now indicates frequency tuning accuracy. When manually
tuning, the main tuning scale will be lit so you can use the scale to see the frequency
to which you are tuned. Adjust the tuning knob until you are at about the correct
frequency and the station you want is audible. You can now use the center-tuning
meter to ‘fine tune’ accurately. Then press down the AFC tab and it will lock on to
the station. Since the set is now locked on you don't really need to see how well it is
tuned, so the lower meter now changes to display the signal strength. In practice
with strong stations you often don't need to fine tune with care as the AFC will do
the job for you. However this is up to you.

How do I adjust the presets to allow me to quickly select between six stations of
my own choice? Three of the presets are selected by pressing down one of the tab
buttons, numbered 1 to 3. By pressing down the ‘square’ tab, the numbered tabs can
be used to select three more presets. On an FM only tuner or receiver all six presets
are for FM. On an AM/FM set, the three presets with the square tab up are for FM,
and the three with the square tab down are for AM. Since the AM tuner covers both
medium and long wave in one band the presets the AM presets can be used for long
or medium wave stations as you prefer.

To set the presets to the stations you prefer you need to use a small screwdriver to
adjust each of the six multi-turn potentiometers which are hidden under a small flap
at the bottom right of the front of the set. Note that these are numbered 1 - 3 to
indicate which tab they relate to, and that three have a square around the number
to indicate they relate to the numbered tab when the square tab is down. The image
below shows the preset potentiometers under the main tuning knob with the
covering flap hinged down.
First switch to manual tuning by pressing down the ‘tune’ tab. Then tune to the
station you desire. Make a mental note of the tuning voltage indicator reading. Now
press down the numbered tab for the preset you wish to tune to the station you
have just manually tuned. Use the screwdriver to tune the appropriate preset to give
the same reading on the upper meter that shows tuning voltage. The station should
now be audible and you can fine tune using the lower meter to indicate signal
strength or center tuning. Once this is done, the chosen preset will always select the
station you have chosen when the correct tab is pressed down. You can now repeat
the process for each tab, using a different preset pot to adjust the selected
frequency in each case.

Once the above process is done you can essentially use the manual tune
independently of the six presets. When you select a preset station the main tuning
scale lights will go out as the scale is not required.

What does the distant tab do? This does two things when pressed down. However it
only acts upon FM inputs. Firstly, it disengages a mute that otherwise turns off the
output of the tuner when there is no tuned station, or when the input signal is weak.
As a result of this mute, when the distant tab is up, interstation hiss is suppressed,
and weak noisy stations won't be heard. When you press down the distant tab the
mute is disengaged. This may be useful when you want to listen to weak stations.
You may find you prefer to press down the ‘mono’ tab when listening to a weak FM
station as this may reduce the level of the background noise.

The distant tab also alters the sensitivity of the signal strength meter. Note that it
does not alter the gain or sensitivity of the actual tuner since these always adjust
automatically by themselves. The change in meter scale is purely to help when trying
to tune a weak signal as otherwise the meter deflection may be too small to be easily
seen.

What output does the 623 or 624 tuner provide for connection to an amplifier? The
outputs come via a 5-pin DIN socket on the back of the tuner. In fact, outputs are
provided at two signal levels.
  Pin 1 is a left hand channel output, high level
 Pin 2 is the ground (earth) connection
 Pin 3 is a left hand channel output, low level
 Pin 4 is a right hand channel output, high level
 Pin 5 is a right hand channel output, low level

The pin numbers are usually embossed on DIN plugs. If you are not familiar with DIN
plugs and sockets, please note that the order of the numbering probably isn't what
you expect, so check before connecting!

In the above ‘high’ corresponds to an output of 775 mV into a 600 ohm load when
receiving 100 percent modulation. The ‘low’ output corresponds to 100 mV with 30
percent modulation with a 68 kOhm output impedance. For most modern amplifiers
the use of the high output is recommended.

Content and pages maintained by: Jim Lesurf

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