My Dynaco PAT-5 SUPER-FET...

SCM · « **on:** 9 Sep 2011, 05:47 pm »

has been sitting stored away for a couple years now.
I sent it in to Jensens Stereo Shop back in '83. Frank and company did the SUPER-FET mod. I still have the reciept and the instruction sheets.
I think I may sell it though, along with a Dynaco FM-5. I even have the 'Retro Cool' wooden cage/box.
But..what`s a fair and reasonable price ?
It has some lettering wear on the 'VOLUME' and probably needs some Deoxit but other than that it has been great.

What go you Guys think ??

mark funk · « **Reply #1 on:** 9 Sep 2011, 06:18 pm »

Look at that! I have one too! Mine was not done by Frank and does not have tone or all those buttons. I well have to post a pic. I put it in my set from time to time and it still sounds good! I also have a FM-5 ( no wood with any of the Dyna stuff I have

) that is a Super Tuner II+ (the + is, I sent it to Frank last year and he did some stuff to it, made it sound much better). How much? I guess as much as some one that is looking for old stuff well spend. I would not know what to ask for then? You might try Ebay and let them set the price? Good luck

mark funk · « **Reply #2 on:** 9 Sep 2011, 06:25 pm »

Super Tuner II+

avahifi · « **Reply #3 on:** 9 Sep 2011, 07:38 pm »

I would ask $295 for the Super Fet Pat-5. This is a really early piece of ours. Our circuit set was very durable and excellent sounding for its day (early 1980s). If a little Caig Labs Deoxit D-5 cleaner in all the controls and switches can make it reliable, then it should keep running for years and years more. If it has AVA circuit boards (rather than highly modified original Dyna circuit boards), it probably is worth $100 more.

The Super Tuner Two was great for musical performance, not so great for sensitivity (a Dyna front end limitation). One further limitation on these is that unlike the Super Fet preamp, we probably cannot make any significant repairs to the old Dyna FM-5 circuits as there are no repair parts available at all to my knowledge. While it works, great, when it quits, it is probably done for.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

SCM · « **Reply #4 on:** 9 Sep 2011, 08:28 pm »

I 'popped the hood', I don`t think it has the AVA boards though. The two lighter color boards have 'Transcendence' on them but that`s about it as far as I can tell.

Btw..the FM-5 is stock factory issue, but it always worked well for the extremely limited FM listening I did with it. By that I mean, it seems maybe an

1 Hr in all these years. I just bought it to match, that`s all.

Tone Depth · « **Reply #5 on:** 10 Sep 2011, 06:11 am »

One of the more unique features I liked about my former PAT-5 through its early AVA upgrades, was the individual tone controls for the L and R channels.

Quote from: SCM on 9 Sep 2011, 05:47 pm

has been sitting stored away for a couple years now.
I sent it in to Jensens Stereo Shop back in '83. Frank and company did the SUPER-FET mod. I still have the reciept and the instruction sheets.
I think I may sell it though, along with a Dynaco FM-5. I even have the 'Retro Cool' wooden cage/box.
But..what`s a fair and reasonable price ?
It has some lettering wear on the 'VOLUME' and probably needs some Deoxit but other than that it has been great.

What go you Guys think ??

trebejo · « **Reply #6 on:** 10 Sep 2011, 08:05 am »

Quote from: SCM on 9 Sep 2011, 05:47 pm

What go you Guys think ??

I think Msrs. Hafler and Van Alstine have reason to be proud of what you have shown us here. Accurate science and meticulous engineering sans distracting bling and fluff result in a device that has outlived the vast majority of its peers. As for its performance by today's standard, is there a brand-spanking new solid state pre for ca. $600 (which becomes ca. $300 used) that can compete with this? I doubt it, specially when "competes" includes the possibility of sending it back to the manufacturer for service, repair and modular upgrades.

Man, this preamp oozes history and correct decisions. Really, are you sure you want to sell this? You may want to show it off (again) in 2033...

mark funk · « **Reply #7 on:** 10 Sep 2011, 04:48 pm »

I took some pics,

Look at those caps,

avahifi · « **Reply #8 on:** 10 Sep 2011, 06:13 pm »

My goodness these are old ones. The amplifiers are ones obviously done before I had the common sense to actually use the services of a "real" electrical engineer. They certainly don't represent our modern work. The Pat-5 preamp at least has AVA designed audio boards, but the power suppy work looks pretty shabby. At least we have learned to do bettter over the years, and even though these look pretty tacky, the were pretty good sounding. We certainly sold a lot of them and they almost all have stayed working without drama for the past 30 years or so.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

rcag_ils · « **Reply #9 on:** 10 Sep 2011, 06:55 pm »

Does potting the transformer of the Pat-5 work? Was it Frank's idea? I've been wanting to pot, or insolate the transformer, but would not have used such material, whatever it is.

trebejo · « **Reply #10 on:** 10 Sep 2011, 08:34 pm »

Quote from: rcag_ils on 10 Sep 2011, 06:55 pm

I've been wanting to pot

Ah, now that you mention it, time to play some Peter Tosh...

Wayner · « **Reply #11 on:** 10 Sep 2011, 08:40 pm »

That is the wrong pot. I haven't potted for 35 years but I wonder if it would actually make the hum worse? Or should I say buzzzzzz.

"ner

avahifi · « **Reply #12 on:** 10 Sep 2011, 09:11 pm »

I doubt if the gunk on the power transformer was our idea. It would tend to make the transformer run hotter.

Frank

TONEPUB · « **Reply #13 on:** 10 Sep 2011, 10:04 pm »

That DH-200 brings back some great memories...

rcag_ils · « **Reply #14 on:** 11 Sep 2011, 12:35 am »

I am sure you guys know what I mean, about the pot application.

. But the Pat-5 did come out during the height of the other kind of pot.

mark funk · « **Reply #15 on:** 11 Sep 2011, 01:00 am »

Well, I don't think that stuff was Plas da clay. It's is hard as a rock

. Maybe I should chip it off?

SCM · « **Reply #16 on:** 11 Sep 2011, 06:23 pm »

That`s quite a different setup that you have there Mark. What happened to all the controls and all ? Is that a particular build that deleted it all ?
Does it have a phono section ?

I decided to plug mine back in and there were no issues whatsoever ! Didn`t need any cleaner...no noise, no static, no scratchiness just nice and quiet with plenty of gain with my Dynavector 20HX sitting at about 11 o'clock on the volume control.
Sounded nice !

mark funk · « **Reply #17 on:** 12 Sep 2011, 09:24 pm »

SCM,
Well you know, I got that many years ago off Ebay. Looks like a hot rod! I don't know if it has a phono, it most likey does I have not had a TT for over 25 years but there are four PC cards in there two are the phono section I would think.

SCM · « **Reply #18 on:** 10 Dec 2011, 03:03 pm »

Quote from: SCM on 9 Sep 2011, 05:47 pm

has been sitting stored away for a couple years now.
I sent it in to Jensens Stereo Shop back in '83. Frank and company did the SUPER-FET mod. I still have the reciept and the instruction sheets.
I think I may sell it though, along with a Dynaco FM-5. I even have the 'Retro Cool' wooden cage/box.
But..what`s a fair and reasonable price ?
It has some lettering wear on the 'VOLUME'... FOR SALE

xecluded · « **Reply #19 on:** 8 Jan 2012, 05:46 am »

Quote from: avahifi on 9 Sep 2011, 07:38 pm

I would ask $295 for the Super Fet Pat-5. This is a really early piece of ours. Our circuit set was very durable and excellent sounding for its day (early 1980s). If a little Caig Labs Deoxit D-5 cleaner in all the controls and switches can make it reliable, then it should keep running for years and years more. If it has AVA circuit boards (rather than highly modified original Dyna circuit boards), it probably is worth $100 more.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

There is a Super Fet Two Pat-4 on ebay with Van Alstine boards for much less:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/330669115798