[starkiller]

Won a Sherwood S-2000 tuner the other day on ebay and after i unpacked it i saw that it has duct-tape wrapped around an area on the cord.  The tape is old, stiff to the touch.  I have zippo DIY skills so am wondering how difficult it is to replace the cord with something, well, less dangerous

Or, I am also wondering about returning it, the ad said, "In nice condition", no mention of a duct-taped repaired power cord..

Thoughts??

[SteveFord]

Take it to a shop for an alignment, check over and new cord - they old Sherwoods are great tuners when they've been given a tune up.

[JakeJ]

I'm with Steve on this one.  If you got that off of eBay for a song then you owe it to yourself to put just a bit more money into it and get the maximum performance out.  You'll be surprised, once it's in proper working order, just what it can do.

Maybe our resident "tuna" expert, doug s., will pop in with his .02 on the subject.  I know he's quite a fan of the older Sherwoods.

[starkiller]

Its not a matter of what the Sherwood can do, have had of number of them and they are really nice, its a matter of fixing the cord and if I can do it or not since everyone says its really easy..I have zero DIY skills along with peripheral neuropathy in hands and fingers so that has a bearing on the situation also, i am not fond of flames or chopped off fingers

[JakeJ]

Right, sorry, I didn't answer your original question.  Well, first make sure the power cord is unplugged.    Flip it over and remove the bottom cover (if it has one), top cover, or both.  Trace where the power cord passes through inside the chassis, and then where each of the two ends are landed.  Likely you'll find one soldered to a terminal point near the power transformer and the other end may be soldered to one point on a fuse holder.  All you need to do is unsolder and remove the old cord then do the reverse to install the new cord.  Toughest part may be dealing with the old strain relief device.  Since it is as old as the cord it may crack or break getting it out so you may want to have a new one on hand just in case.  I think you can still get them from Radio Shack.

Put the covers back on, plug it in, and fire it up!

Hope that helps.

[starkiller]

Jake

First off, love your Avatar..loved Calvin and Hobbs..

2nd, the soldering part is the problem as i do not have one plus i have never used one in my life...and even if i had not sure with the neuropathy and slight shaking I have if it would be a good idea..you know, the flames and such

I know its not the best answer but can i just clip the plug and splice in another one with those twistie cap thingies?  Sorry about the uppity scientific terms, hope you understand them

[SteveFord]

I know what you mean and I wouldn't do it that way.

[Doublej]

I think this is a picture of the underside of the unit.

http://www.canuckaudiomart.com/view_images.php?cfid=131556&image_id=1046589

Yes you can cut it and use wire nuts to add a new cord to the old cord. It should work fine and be a LOT easier than trying to replace the entire cord.

[JakeJ]

While I side with Mr. Ford again, in that it isn't the right way, but you can "cheat" and use a couple of wire nuts to do what is needed.  I'm guessing you plan to do this just ouside the chassis, a few inches from the strain relief?  Do make sure your wire connections are good.  Strip the wire back on the old and new cord at least 1/2" or a bit more.  Make sure you twist the wire together well before screwing on the wire nut on.  Use a good quality wire nut that has a metal insert in it for the threads, not plastic threads.  Tighten the wire nut such that the insulated part twists around a full turn.  Use electrician's tape on each wire nut and apply it in the direction (clockwise) of the threading.

It'll be a bit ugly but it will work.  Just be sure to leave yourself enough wire when you cut off the old cord to do the job right.

Be careful, safety first!

[SteveFord]

Starkiller,
Are you in the US?
Harrisburg Radio Labs in Harrisburg, PA has a guy there who is really good with the old tube tuners.
He's done 4 of mine and I'm really happy with the results.
I'm sure you could ship it to them for a freshening up.

[doug s.]

unless you are wanting to refurb this, find someone local to replace the cord for you.  not worth shipping for a power cord replacement.

meanwhile, pull off the tape and see what it looks like.  interim repair would involve using quality electrical tape.  and, separate the two wires in the power cord, and wrap each wire separately.

doug s.,
sherwood tunas rock!   

[thunderbrick]

Jake

First off, love your Avatar..loved Calvin and Hobbs..

2nd, the soldering part is the problem as i do not have one plus i have never used one in my life...and even if i had not sure with the neuropathy and slight shaking I have if it would be a good idea..you know, the flames and such

I know its not the best answer but can i just clip the plug and splice in another one with those twistie cap thingies?  Sorry about the uppity scientific terms, hope you understand them

If the cord is brittle and cracked, just changing the plug and/or splicing wire would still leave the remaining wire dangerous.  I agree with Doug S., surely someone, even a kid who dabbles in computers, might be able to do it.  Or ask the local Rat Shack if they know a good hobbyist. 

It's so easy even SEC fans can do it; maybe two times out of three.   

[starkiller]

Hmm, maybe my computer guy could do it that be a good idea

[JoshK]

Power cord replacement is super simple, so finding some techy person to help you do it shouldn't be hard.   That is the best idea.