Allen Tone Card Reader Has Gone Dead

[Jontb]

This is an ADC 2110 1986 Allen. I know it won't last forever, and thanks to the great guys on this forum I've been able to make many repairs.

Without any hint of a problem, the card reader for the Alterables stoped working all at once.
All of the lamps are lit, but nobody is home (I replaced them a few years ago) but nobody is home. It is as though there is no signal getting to the board...there is no hum or static at any volume level.
Everything else works the same.
Before I start unplugging the power supply myself, looking for something out of place (as if I'd recognize it) what trouble shooting can I do?

What is the going price to replace this Alterable board?

Thanks much!

[myorgan]

Jontb,

I don't remember if the ADC organs have a card reader power supply, but if it does, check the fuse in the power supply. Hopefully, that's all that's wrong. We have a few other techs on the Forum who can provide solid, conclusive answers. Unfortunately, I'm not near my ADC organ right now, so I can't provide a definitive answer.

Michael

[tucsondave]

If all six lamps are lit and the proper brightness then check the connector on the card reader.

Check the audio path by pulling out the RCA plugs for channel 5 + 6 from the cage and touching the tip to get hum from the speakers.

Next would be to check the voltages on the AV-1 board in the cage. It's the upper board. There is a four pin molex connector for the power.
1. Red +5v should be 5.1 volts
2. Black Ground
3. Yellow -15 volts
4. Green +15 volts
I have seen solder joints go bad on the connector pins on the power supply.

The parts catalog only shows the entire TG assembly being for sale but Allen still repairs them.

td

[davidecasteel]

If all six lamps are lit and the proper brightness then check the connector on the card reader.

I believe that the ADC card reader uses 11 of the 12 rows of the Tone Cards, so there should be 11 lamps lit. If there is a position not used, it would be the one second from the right end, looking as cards are inserted (the 11 row).

David

[jbird604]

David,

The MADC reader (which our poster has in his 2110), uses only six lamps. You probably already know about this rather different card reader apparatus, a completely different animal from the MOS and ADC readers. No actual waveform data is encoded on the cards. The cards simply contain a number which calls up a tone that is already resident in the ROM on the Alterable Voice satellite board in the cage. The cards also automatically switch on chiff, sustain or percussion as appropriate for the tone being called up.

I can't add anything at all to the troubleshooting advice already given above. I hope you don't need your AV-1 board replaced (or factory repaired) because that is probably a pricey affair. Maybe it will be just a loose power supply connector on the AV-1 board.

[davidecasteel]

Sorry. He reported an "ADC" instrument--I did not know it was MADC.

David (from Riga, Latvia)

[toodles]

MADC models used the ADC designation in the model number. I suspect to avoid confusion with the MDC models--or just because it was easier to keep all the current models labeled with the same generic family.

So an ADC 2110 is correct as a model number, but it is an MADC technology platform.

[tucsondave]

Actually-to add to the confusion-it was an MADC-2. :-P

I think I remember reading a post from a friend of someone who lived next door to somebody that worked at the Kinsman organ factory that the ADC had supervariable hyperneutral ground, the MADC added negative DC feedback through the push-pull input-output and the MADC-2 included free-floating recumbent disgronification. :-)

td

[myorgan]

MADC models used the ADC designation in the model number. I suspect to avoid confusion with the MDC models--or just because it was easier to keep all the current models labeled with the same generic family.

So an ADC 2110 is correct as a model number, but it is an MADC technology platform.

Actually-to add to the confusion-it was an MADC-2. :-P

I think I remember reading a post from a friend of someone who lived next door to somebody that worked at the Kinsman organ factory that the ADC had supervariable hyperneutral ground, the MADC added negative DC feedback through the push-pull input-output and the MADC-2 included free-floating recumbent disgronification. :-)

:-P Color me confused! I'm glad we have guys like you around!

Michael

[Jontb]

Thanks so much for all attempt to help!
There are only 6 lamps, all work.
There is only one power supply to these boards
It was very difficult to get voltage readings off the power conector...there is power.
I discovered that with the power to the Alterable Board disconnected, only the middle octave of any keyboard would sound. I think this means that while the Alterable Board won't sound of its own, it is still doing someting nesseccary for the Great and SWell to sound in all octaves of the compass.
I get hum thur the RCAs when touched.
I don't see anything out of place.... it just doesn't work.
Time to call the local Allen Tech.
Thanks Guys.
Jon