Model 24 PSU

[Tim Bradshaw]

My model 24 has suffered a fairly dramatic PSU failure (flash and a bang, now blows mains fuse, there is visible damage on the HT side of it). It's 2nd hand so probably out of any kind of warranty. I have contacted both Tascam and the local support people (I'm in the UK). But just in case: does anyone know if these PSUs are standard part? My guess is 'no' since the board says 'M_Series SMPS REV:B04' which probably means it's a TASCAM part and I'm screwed.

 

[shredd]

Check out “google”. Pretty good at findin’ stuff…
& I’m pretty sure that somewhere in the world, someone is selling p/supplies for M24’s. Even for the UK (where there’s been electricity for some time now, yes?? ).

 

[Tim Bradshaw]

@shredd Thanks for the recommendation. This not being my first rodeo I had in fact tried Google fairly extensively before asking here, but perhaps you'd like to recommend a search string?

Given this is not a power brick but the PSU inside the machine, which runs from the mains, my hope was that it was a standard part rather than something made by (or more likely contract-manufactured for) Tascam. If it was a standard part then the model number would obviously have helped. It's not. There's no reason to believe, I think, that anyone but Tascam have ever had any of these.

 

[shredd]

Given this is not a power brick but the PSU inside the machine

A-HA...color me stewpyd…serves me right for sticking my big nose in when I don't have a M24, never even SEEN one...
I (obviously incorrectly) assumed that the Mxx's had external p/supply brick/wart, like most Tascams do.

SO - it would seem that, yeah, you're looking at locating a genuine Tascam part...which is probably going to have to come from Tascam proper, or an authorized service facility. That's whatcha need to look for...and I'm betting there's one in Europe at least, if not the UK proper.
Sorry for the mistake. I'll be calling the dentist to repair the damage from sticking my foot in my mouth.

I'd tell you to say hi to my employer (lives in Oxford)...but apparently England is bigger than I thought. I've been trying to get them to swing over and treat the wise @Phil Tipping to dinner and a pint for everything he's done for us all, but it's too far away...

 

[-mjk-]

Wow, too bad that happened. Yeah, if it's a board/component inside the unit you really can't do much without the service manual, unfortunately.

 

[Tim Bradshaw]

@shredd I'm sorry if my previous reply was snippy: having this very expensive box blow up two days before Christmas left me in ... a fairly bad mood.

Yes, I think service people is my only option. My vague hope was that it might be a standard part I could source from RS or whoever, but it doesn't look like it is. And the damage is on the mains side of it: even if I was feeling my oats I don't think I want to be trying to repair the mains side of a switched-mode PSU I don't have a schematic for: that's a way of getting killed or killing the machine.

It's going back to Chalfont Acoustics who are the UK service people. At this point I'm hoping it will end up costing less than just buying a new one with warranty would have, but I suspect not.

 

[-mjk-]

Don't worry about @shredd, he's thick skinned, lol. I don't see how replacing that part would be so expensive that buying a new one would be more viable. However, you are aware that sometimes when PS stuff goes bad, it likes to take the rest of the world down with it. I sincerely hope that did not happen! Please post an update when you get the skinny on it.

 

[Tim Bradshaw]

@-mjk- Sorry, I worded things confusingly: what I meant is that the total 2nd-hand + repair cost might end up more than a new one in total (and the new one would have a warranty).

 

[Tim Bradshaw]

Here's a final update. I got it mended by Chalfont Acoustics, who are the official Tascam repair people in the UK. The person was really helpful and competent: I'd recommend them to anyone. It was the PSU and fortunately nothing else was damaged. It has, in total, ended up costing me more than a new one would have, but that is water under the bridge.

If anyone in the UK is interested in a brand new one, with warranty, for a very good price you could contact Chalfont Acoustics and say I sent you. (This makes it even more galling, because the price for this one is less than I paid for the 2nd-hand one!)

 

[Alex Oliver]

Hi everyone,

I don't know if this forum thread is still ongoing, but I must tell you that I have had the problem mentioned above.

In my case the result was that every time I turned on the unit, there was an explosion and of course the audio interface failed from time to time.

One day, I decided to open it and look inside, I discovered some burned components, and when I rebuilt everything, it did not turn on again.

My advice is: Official Service. My unit went as well to Chalfont Acoustics (like Tim mentioned before). Jo was a professional and I recommend to everyone. All I can say is that only they can repair it properly, any intermediate step will only be a waste of money (I suffered this situation).

Another thing, this has happened to other units, but Tascam will not be held responsible, as it always happens out of warranty, but I am certain that it is a factory fault.

Regards,

Alex Oliver