Arcam Alpha 3 tuner loses presets

Phil_aka_Pip

You can set them up but the next time you power off it will forget them. Does it use flash or EEPROM, or is there a battery in there which had given up?

strumjoughlamps

More likely a capacitor.. if you open up and see no obvious battery or chip it will be one of the larger capacitors. 

mr-mac

Something that old and hi-fi will likely have a battery in it... Get it open and check it as likely to have leaked

Phil_aka_Pip

Thank you, I shall have a look

mr-mac

Don't see a battery on main board.  Could be on control panel board.  Did see a photo of internals and on that photo on mainboard beside big rectangle silicon chip (Toshiba one iirc) there is a black rectangle capacitor thing that was all split open... C101 if memory serves.  Not many capacitors in it tbh so hopefully not hard to check and see.  Hopefully it may be obvious

Phil_aka_Pip

@mr-mac is this it?

https://en.audiofanzine.com/misc-hifi-product/arcam/alpha-3-fm-tuner/medias/pictures/a.play,m.1039741.html

mr-mac

Can't say for sure that's component but noticed the crack and thought worth a look there 1st.  But look on the board for controls as well as the memory and its power is often on the actual board that has the buttons etc on it.

mr-mac

You could also email arcam and ask if they could tell you which component in the alpha 3 tuner is the power source for preset memory.  Hi-fi companies can sometimes be quite useful that way.