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Wanting to fix my childhood boombox. Thought I'd have a look and found that this could be why my volume control is not working. A crack in this round circuit under the switch. Is there any chance of me saving it? Or does anyone know where I could take it in Brisbane as I've tried a few places and nobody wants to touch it:( I just want to keep it alive, wish I could fix it myself. Any advise would be appreciated, thankyou!
Hi @MarcL,
I do want to add an important electrical safety note here. I would strongly discourage opening or inspecting the internals yourself unless you have proper electronics experience. Even when unplugged, audio equipment can retain charge in capacitors and there is a real risk of electric shock or damaging components. This is not something to poke around in casually.
First thing I would check is whether the unit actually powers on at all. If you are not getting any lights, display, motor noise from the cassette, or any other sign of life, then the crack in the volume control board is unlikely to be the root cause on its own. The main exception would be if the volume control also doubles as the power switch, which was very common on older boomboxes where the first click of the knob turns the unit on and the rest of the rotation controls volume. If that is the case, a cracked track in that circular board could absolutely stop the unit from powering up.
In terms of repair, that round board is usually part of a combined potentiometer and switch assembly. Cracks in the PCB can sometimes be repaired with fine jumper wires or conductive paint, but it is not something some modern repair shops want to touch, especially on older consumer electronics. The bigger issue you will likely run into is parts availability, as those volume controls are often model-specific and not something you can buy off the shelf anymore.
If you can identify and source a compatible replacement potentiometer, you may have more luck finding a small electronics repairer willing to fit it for you. Otherwise, your best bet is to search specifically for vintage audio repairers or hobbyist electronics technicians in Brisbane, as they are generally more open to this kind of work.
As much as it hurts to say, the cost of diagnosis and repair can very quickly exceed the value of the unit, which is why many places will turn it away. That said, for something with strong sentimental value, it can still be worth the effort, especially if the fault turns out to be limited to that volume control assembly.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
Thanks Mitchell, it does power up. Lights and radio working, one speaker working faint and won't adjust volume. The volume adjust is seperate to power on switch. Cassette tries but not turning and I realise that's a whole other deal to fix but was hoping I can at least get it to working volume with radio untill I get it into someone for new speakers and casstte repair or replacement.. Appreciate the pointers. I attached a photo of the only stamp I could see near the switches not sure if that helps me with the part no though
Hi @MarcL and @MitchellMc
"Wanting to fix my childhood boombox."
I guess nostalgia is the big reason, but you can buy 'replica' boomboxes, possibly at a fraction of what it may cost to repair?
Do you have many cassettes left?
These work well with cassettes and you also get Bluetooth = Spotify.
Just a thought.
Cheers.
