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  1. #1
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    Advice with Sansui TU-517

    I recently purchased a Sansui Tu-517 AM/FM Stereo Tuner ($40). Up until recently I lived near Seattle where there are many stations and have had no problem with reception. I moved over the mountains to the center of the state where I am at 2700 feet elevation.

    So I now have a high quality tuner and low quality signal. I have always just hooked up segments of wire to the antenna terminals, and found something that works through trial and error. I would like to know the best ways to bring in both AM and FM stations and how to correctly attach the antennas. I also would like to adjust the needle/indicator on the tuner as it reads off by quite a bit. 1/8 inch.

    It does seem to sound much better than my built in tuner in my H/K AVR247. It seems to have much clearer highs and there is more low end as well. I must say that the H/K did more than impress me as it does pick up stations very well on both bands, but I just love the feel of an analog tuner, especially when you can spin the dial from 88 to 108 in one twist. I am rambling now so anyway If anyone can offer any advice on adjusting the indicator as well as my best bet for a cheap or free antenna that would be excellent. Thanks in advance.

  2. #2
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    I don't know about free. Usually you can get away with a stretch of bare wire for AM, it works pretty well but your best bet for FM would be an outdoor antenna. If you have cable, you can try hooking it up to your tuner to see if anything comes in. Back in the day the cable companies used to use an antenna on a tower to bring in the locals and if they weren't filtered you could get FM stations. If you have any rabbit ears laying around, they work well too but not as good as an outside antenna.

  3. #3
    Shostakovich fan Feanor's Avatar
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    Nice find

    Quote Originally Posted by Fleet1950
    I recently purchased a Sansui Tu-517 AM/FM Stereo Tuner ($40). Up until recently I lived near Seattle where there are many stations and have had no problem with reception. I moved over the mountains to the center of the state where I am at 2700 feet elevation.

    So I now have a high quality tuner and low quality signal. I have always just hooked up segments of wire to the antenna terminals, and found something that works through trial and error. I would like to know the best ways to bring in both AM and FM stations and how to correctly attach the antennas. I also would like to adjust the needle/indicator on the tuner as it reads off by quite a bit. 1/8 inch.

    ....


    A Sansui TU-517 for $40 was a nice find. Check out the site below for a bit more info on the Sansui and many, many other vintage tuners. In general, the old analog tuners have held up well over time, and I'd recommend one for anyone looking for a tuner.Alignment of the tuning needle position isn't usually a big deal. Movement of the needle is usually done by a belt and pulley system and adjustment can most often be done with a screwdriver.

    There no substitute for a good antenna and in some locations an external one is the only solution, regardless of the sensitivity of you tuner. But try rabbit ears for a start, and it some times helps to move it around the room to find the best position. Extend the length of your antenna cord with quality 75 ohm coaxial cable to reduce RFI from devices around the house. With rabbit ears and the TU-517, you probably need 75 - 300 ohm adaptors on both ends of the cable.

  4. #4
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    Thanks for the advice. As luck would have it I did get a set of rabbit ears at the Salvation Army with the required cable 75-300 ohm. There was also an amplifier attached to this 99 cent marvel of techology. I am aware of the drawbacks of amplifiers but I can at least mess with it and see what I can get with and without it. I have read some specs online of different rabiit ears and most sat that they only work from something like 88-92Mhz. Is this always the case with the rabbit ears?

    On a similar note I saw my neighbor taking his external antenna down a few days ago so maybe I can see what became of that.

    As far as Adjusting the needle you are saying that I can just esentailly slip the pulley one way or the other in the belt until I get the desired result?

    Thanks a lot for all the advice.

  5. #5
    Shostakovich fan Feanor's Avatar
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    Try and see

    Quote Originally Posted by Fleet1950
    Thanks for the advice. As luck would have it I did get a set of rabbit ears at the Salvation Army with the required cable 75-300 ohm. There was also an amplifier attached to this 99 cent marvel of techology. I am aware of the drawbacks of amplifiers but I can at least mess with it and see what I can get with and without it. I have read some specs online of different rabiit ears and most sat that they only work from something like 88-92Mhz. Is this always the case with the rabbit ears?

    On a similar note I saw my neighbor taking his external antenna down a few days ago so maybe I can see what became of that.

    As far as Adjusting the needle you are saying that I can just esentailly slip the pulley one way or the other in the belt until I get the desired result?

    Thanks a lot for all the advice.
    I'm not sure what, technically, the optimal range of rabbit ears is, but they are better than nothing at all FM frequencies in my experience, so just experiment to find the best position. I got a huge improvement just moving my rabbit ears from on top of the tuner to a position along the adjacent wall

    Each tuner is little different, but I'd bet slipping the pulley would do it. Almost certainly there is some inherent method for you to align the indicator on the Sansui.

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