[plaf26]

After losing bids on two Dynaco FM-3's on ebay with a view to revamping one according to Frank's Audio Basics article of some years back, I found locally an FM-1 with the multiplex board installed.  Looks like a kit assembled rather than factory assembled job on top of it.  Just to see if it was working, I blew the dirt out of it and plugged it into my system.  I had to turn my subwoof off because of the hum (the quad filter cap must be on its last legs).  But I just spent a wonderful evening listening to the thing.  I DID NOT WANT TO TURN IT OFF.  It didn't wander off freq. the way my solid state modded FM-5 often does.  I didn't hear all the background noise I usually get (despite the fact that the xmtr tower is practically in my front yard) from the one and only local classical station (MPR) here.  Will somebody please tell me what just happened? 

[Wayner]

Perhaps the FM-1 has great capture, I don't know what else. My FM-5 will also drift off but I have found that if I tune with the Dynatune "off", then after finding the station, put the Dynatune into lock, I have less drift. I don't think it was intended to work this was, but mine seems to.

W

[robinje]

Please forgive my ignorance, but what exactly do tubes do in a tuner?  I understand their applications in amps/preamps, but I am a tube tuner newbie!

Thanks...  Jim

[plaf26]

Otis:  I set 'em up so I could A-B them both with the sub off, and I still liked the FM-1 better.  At least for now.  I plan to do mods on the FM-1, so maybe after that they will sound more alike, I don't know.

Jim:  Tubes in a tube tuner do the same things as transistors and diodes do in a solid state tuner--they amplify, oscillate, mix, detect and rectify.

[plaf26]

Jim:  BTW, in the FM-1 and -3 there is one tube that also provides visual indication of when the station is properly tuned in and when a stereo signal is present.

[gjs_cds]

This is great news to hear--as I've recently picked up a couple of FM-3s off of Ebay.  (From last month though--so hopefully we weren't bidding against each other!)

I also got a PAS-3, which is my primary objective.  (Will upgrade w/ Frank's kit, just need a bit more time to save up my loose change for the kit.)

[rlee8394]

Go here for a ton of info and upgrade parts for your FM-3:

http://home.comcast.net/~netminer/FM-3A.Html