"Matt Evans" wrote in message
news:0GwGg.13142$Te.7574@trnddc07...
Hello! I'm new to the forum. Hope someone can help me.

I am looking at a surround sound stereo receiver for a freind (Pioneer
RX-570). Every time i plug it in it blows a fuse inside the unit. I've
opened it up looking for any obvious signs, but nothing looks out of order
except for the blown fuse. I borrowed a multimeter and probed around a bit
looking for broken circuits or whatnot. The only thing i found that was
out of line to ME (having little experience) was that there was a brown,
cylindrical object about a quarter inch long with two red and one green
line going around it in which when probed, had no needle movement(in ohms)
on the multimeter. I have placed the probes on it different ways on either
end but no dice. I did some reading on the net about it and i believe it
to be resistor. It's my understanding that resistors resist current, but
do not block it, so i figure there should be SOME current coming through,
shouldn't there? I have no training in electronics and know very little
about it, but i'm hoping to learn. If someone replys trying to help me,
please keep the lingo simple for me. Thanks!

I honestly don't want to put you off learning about the subject some, but
you have picked a mighty tough repair project here, to cut your teeth on.
The reason that the fuse is blowing, is most likely to be as a result of a
bad output stage - although there are other causes, such as a bad bridge
rectifier in the power supply. Pioneer amps are notorious for making the
most experienced of us cry, so I think that the liklihood of you ever
getting to the bottom of this problem, particularly just armed with a
multimeter, is slim to zero. You will probably find that your inexperienced
probing ultimately leads to additional damage, which will do you no favours
with your friend. Believe me when I tell you that you've only got to look
sideways at these DC coupled amps, to make them blow their output stages.
Your best bet would be to bow out of this quickly, and advise your friend to
take the item to a good repair shop, with properly qualified people who
specialise in repairing this type of equipment. Then, get yourself some
beginner's electronics books, and build up some basic understanding of
principles, and above all, personal safety when dealing with line-powered
equipment.

Arfa