Cleaning old smelly Combos

[Tpi]

The downside to buying used is you get other people's cooties. (Where's the barf emoji?) (PS. Does anyone know any 1st graders I could get a couple bottles of cootie spray off of? I'll pay premium!)

Someone mentioned cat pee. In person, these dust bunnies lead me to golden retriever/lab. But, there's no distinct dog or cat smell. Church bingo night maybe with cheap incense are the major whiffs. There's something else in there too, but until we have smell-o-vision, it's not an experience I can share. I'm sure many out there in smell-o-land would be like "Hey what you got there is a fine blend of vintage this, that and a spritz of the other.

 

[JGbassman]

I’ve taken all sorts of funky smelling items and simply placed them in the sun outside over multiple sessions, and eventually the smell dissipates. It’s the least intrusive, no chemicals, and cost efficient way of getting rid of funky smells.

it won’t happen overnight, but it will work.

 

[Tpi]

To the suggestion on Nature's Miracle. My wife found a better one called "Anti-Icky Poo". Leaves no residual smells.

 

[Tpi]

I want to get this thing going. Therefore I am leaning to a simple detox and restoration. I'll keep the tolex as is until such time as. I will replace all the metal and get this thing top-shiny again. I am going with an entirely new grill. Don't know which direction. Star Trek gold communicator is a solid choice. If so, I'd get accented jewel buttons, red, blue, green to emulate the communicator more.

As to detox process, includes
Definitely sunlight.

I may take an orbital sander to the interior and remove the top 1/16"th.to 1/8"th of surface. Maybe respray black. Its not like surface color affects sound waves. I suppose the greater effect is turning a rough, mdf/particle board surface to much smoother reflectance..

Probably vodka or straight to the anti-icky poo as those are on hand

More sunlight.

See how it is in 7-10 days and hope it's good enough. Pack with charcoal at that point or something...

More to come! We'll take a look at the amp and the cone -which being canvas, also smells. Ugh! I don't know how to even think about de-scenting the freakin' cone itself...

 

[chadds]

I recieved a cab that while pristine reeked of Febreeze. I threw the cover away after days of bright sunshine and ordered a new one.
The cab I brushed baking soda into the rat fur and let it sit. Vacuum repeat. I would in your case put containers of low end fresh ground coffee inside. In my case I would swap the baking soda and let the coffee sit on the surfaces.

About a week success!

IMHO Febreeze and Love My Carpet are some of the worst odors. Especially since it took a human to apply them!

 

[allen_m]

Take the head and speaker/tweeter out. Grab a towel and drive the box and grill down to the nearest car wash. Give it a good washing inside and out. Dry it with your towel and sit it in the sun for a day. While you’re waiting wipe down the corners and other metal bits then hit ‘em with some black spray paint. When the box dries use the rest of the spray paint on the inside and the baffle board.

 

[1n3]

I am going with an entirely new grill. Don't know which direction.

For the smell, or other reasons? The grill fabric could definitely be a source of odor, but is easy to clean.

Definitely sunlight.

Yes. In a closed vehicle on a hot sunny day... better yet.

Probably vodka ...

No. Even 100 proof is 50% water. Rubbing alcohol (+90%) is cheaper and better.

I may take an orbital sander to the interior and remove the top 1/16"th.to 1/8"th of surface. Maybe respray black. Its not like surface color affects sound waves. I suppose the greater effect is turning a rough, mdf/particle board surface to much smoother reflectance.

IME, most cab smell is on exterior surfaces. The interior would be lower on my list. I'd leave it alone, at least until the cab has had a thorough airing-out. Sanding even 1/16" would be a huge bother and mess. Don't get it wet; particle board will swell.

... and the cone -which being canvas, also smells. Ugh! I don't know how to even think about de-scenting the freakin' cone itself...

The cone is paper, not canvas. Aside from gentle cleaning with a soft brush, I'd leave that alone.

 

[C Stone]

The downside to buying used is you get other people's cooties. (Where's the barf emoji?)

 

[ebo]

Will do, AgedHorse.

Another cleaner my wife suggested is soaking the wood with several passes of vodka. Costco brand is $26/3liters. A good investment for most people, regardless.
Good and bad I suppose...

Maybe just drink all the vodka. You won’t notice the smell anymore.

 

[Tpi]

I didn't notice the pos/neg/neutral tabs.

 

[Tpi]

It's easy to tell which side was up and down.

 

[Tpi]

Kitchen grease and dog hair with... stuff? I know there's worse out there, don't get me wrong.

 

[Whale guy]

If you are correct that the smell may be mold/mildew, open the cabinet up, or take out the speaker, and spray diluted bleach all around on the wood surfaces. You need to kill the spores.

 

[Tpi]

The bits that matter are pristine.

I haven't looked at the udnerside of this board yet, but if something fried and was visually detectable, this is the kind of simple part ID and soldering I can handle. even those timer chips. Those sockets make swap-outs no sweat. I'll take a closer inventory of their numbers to see what's there. All 558's maybe? I thought those were 10 pin... Anyhow...

 

[Tpi]

Here's a nod to product design... This cord wrapper peg has come loose.

To tighten it, I have to shimy in and get that nut above the power converter - space not twice the depth of the nut itself. Or remove 4 screws of the converter for easy access.

Here's a thought. If that converter is going to DC, I can intercept the circuit with power tool batteries. 18v, 15AH stepped down to what ever is needed. Suddenly, I can busk with this thing if I chose to. A little big for a casual busk admittedly.

I'm a big fan of converting things over to my power tool batteries. A pair of 15AH makita batteries serialed to 30Ah would last more than long enough for any occasion. While each battery would take 120 mins to charge (use a dual charger), one can bring a spare pair for continuous operation. And if forgotten, can be replaced at any big box hardware store and many smaller ones too. Finish with the gig and throw the battery on your drill. They weigh 2lbs each. It'd be interesting to know current draw based on volume and channels used.

 

[agedhorse]

Take the head and speaker/tweeter out. Grab a towel and drive the box and grill down to the nearest car wash. Give it a good washing inside and out. Dry it with your towel and sit it in the sun for a day. While you’re waiting wipe down the corners and other metal bits then hit ‘em with some black spray paint. When the box dries use the rest of the spray paint on the inside and the baffle board.

Never hose off a particle board box, quick way to ruin it.

I didn't notice the pos/neg/neutral tabs.

This goes to my comments about not taking a perfectly good amp and screw it up.

The bits that matter are pristine.
View attachment 5185360

I haven't looked at the udnerside of this board yet, but if something fried and was visually detectable, this is the kind of simple part ID and soldering I can handle. even those timer chips. Those sockets make swap-outs no sweat. I'll take a closer inventory of their numbers to see what's there. All 558's maybe? I thought those were 10 pin... Anyhow...View attachment 5185361

Here's a nod to product design... This cord wrapper peg has come loose.
View attachment 5185366

To tighten it, I have to shimy in and get that nut above the power converter - space not twice the depth of the nut itself. Or remove 4 screws of the converter for easy access.
View attachment 5185367


Here's a thought. If that converter is going to DC, I can intercept the circuit with power tool batteries. 18v, 15AH stepped down to what ever is needed. Suddenly, I can busk with this thing if I chose to. A little big for a casual busk admittedly.

I'm a big fan of converting things over to my power tool batteries. A pair of 15AH makita batteries serialed to 30Ah would last more than long enough for any occasion. While each battery would take 120 mins to charge (use a dual charger), one can bring a spare pair for continuous operation. And if forgotten, can be replaced at any big box hardware store and many smaller ones too. Finish with the gig and throw the battery on your drill. They weigh 2lbs each. It'd be interesting to know current draw based on volume and channels used.

What timer chips? What power converter? Battery power?

I can tell that you are in way over your head. Have fun.

 

[Grinderman]

Does anyone remember this?

 

[Tpi]

...
This goes to my comments about not taking a perfectly good amp and screw it up.

Measure once, smash until it fits.

What timer chips? What power converter? Battery power?

Those little black boxes with 8 legs in the sockets are IC, colloquially known as timer chips. The number written on them tells their type from which you can look up their function. Typical 8 leg in that format is 555. The 558 is a combo of two 555s in combined format.

That big black box converts AC to AC or AC to DC. If it goes DC, I can throw 30amp hours of battery and go anywhere with it that wall power cannot. For the cost of on-hand batteries and chargers.

What else?
(Quote: Who is this? What's your operating number?)
THX 1138.

I can tell that you are in way over your head. Have fun.

I do. I am. Always have fun in life no matter the naysayers.

 

[agedhorse]

Measure once, smash until it fits.


Those little black boxes with 8 legs in the sockets are IC, colloquially known as timer chips. The number written on them tells their type from which you can look up their function. Typical 8 leg in that format is 555. The 558 is a combo of two 555s in combined format.

That big black box converts AC to AC or AC to DC. If it goes DC, I can throw 30amp hours of battery and go anywhere with it that wall power cannot. For the cost of on-hand batteries and chargers.

What else?
(Quote: Who is this? What's your operating number?)
THX 1138.



I do. I am. Always have fun in life no matter the naysayers.

Horribly wrong on everything. Sorry.

 

[Tpi]

I learned new information critical to the long term function of this device.

There are ten IC timer chips on that board. The full part number for the one I mentioned, of which there are eight, is "TI RC4558A". It's a "General Purpose Amplifier 2 Circuit Differential 8-PDIP" and vaguely speaking generates a reference voltage that the the incoming voltage is regulated to and sent out as. I'm probly a little off on that for the cursory glance I gave it. Good news here is they remain in wide production and are on ebay for under $1 to several $ each depending. Needing up to 8, a 10-pack is ~$10.

The remaining two chips are the same and a doozy if either goes. They list as "RCA519 70487478". This is to say it is not a 519, nor 7048 nor a 7478 chip, but an internal Peavey code for their select choice of what is a common chip, the CA3080 or CA3094. Those are both "8 pin Transconductance Amplifier 1 Circuit Push-Pull 8-MDIP". Apparently they take a voltage/signal error and use that offset to drive a relay or other controller option. Apparently the chips Peavey chose were highly select versions of the common, rendering the common runs useless. Apparently folks at the Peavey forums can't even determine what the actual function is in the circuit and the old timers are vague too. And apparently the best option given by old-timer techs is to scavenge parts from a dead unit and hope it's not the same chip that's dead.

So that apparently sucks.