Fender Passport PD150 Repair

[neatneat29]

Hi - I have Passport PD150 which has been great for years but yesterday one of the speakers started crackling during a gig.

On further investigation I have established that the problem is with the jack output on the left side of the unit. I am guessing it is a loose connection as it comes and goes but I cannot get the back off of the unit to check this. Does anyone know how to do this? Many Thanks.

[Enzo]

Not sure what back you mean. Isn't the whole front panel held in place by three or four screws down each side? Aren't the output jacks along the bottom of the front panel?

[52 Bill]

If it's the older plain PD-150 the speaker jacks are on the rear panel. What I don't remember is if the jacks are on a separate board or if they are part of the power amp assembly.

If you switch the two speaker plugs does the problem stay with the same jack or does it stay with the cable and speaker combination? Have you tried cleaning the jacks?

[Enzo]

OK, I don't recall. I believe you. I am looking at the P-150 and the later PD-150 and cannot see any clear evidence either way. But I don;t recall working on any Passport model that didn't star by removing the front panel. To get the amp/power supply out the rear, I had to go in the front to release cables and stuff.

[neatneat29]

Hi thanks, it is the older model without the cd. The 2 speaker jacks go in the rear of the machine. I have tried different cables and also run the other speaker from the Left output on the unit and it 3 different speaker cables and the problem always seems to be from the jack plug on the rear from the left channel, the sound cuts in and out and crackles so I was thinking it might be a loose connection internally but have been reading other bits that suggest it could be the left internal amp could be down or woudl that be a total loss of sound? Thanks everyone]

[Jazz P Bass]

Intermittant generally implies a bad connection.

Where is the fault finding fun.

[tubeamptech]

I've repaired a few of these, but not the ones with the spkr jacks on the back. What I do know, is you have to remove the front panel, disconnect all the wires. Label them, or mark them. They all connect to the rear power amp/supply assembly. Once disconnected, remove the pwr amp assembly, disassemble, and I'm assuming you'll have a jack brd. Remove it, and check for cold solder joints. That's usually the problem, said with a grain of salt.

[52 Bill]

I looked it up and the speaker jacks are soldered directly to the power amp board, so the power amp will have to be removed to get to them. This is not an easy task.

Try checking all of the other possiblities first and then decide if you want to tackle the job yourself. If you are careful and patient, anyone with good mechanical skills can do it. Taking photos of all of the wire connections and placements will also help in re-assembly.

[Enzo]

Hah! I am the "experienced professional" and I use a half a roll of masking tape flagging all the damned wires and where they go. That and sharpie marks all over.

[nylicens]

Lots and lots of screws

... I cannot get the back off of the unit to check this. Does anyone know how to do this?...

I just worked on one of these yesterday. I can get you as far as removing the outer case. A battery operated screwdriver is a help. There are plenty of screws!

First remove the handle screws:



You have to pry off the handle cover-


Then the bottom:


And the latches on both sides


You can then work the surround off, but you'll need to unsolder the wires that are attached to the sides.

Once that's done you can remove the back screws and get access to the rear. All I needed to do was free a cd stuck inside, so I didn't go any further. So from here on you're on your own.

[The Dude]

Hah! I am the "experienced professional" and I use a half a roll of masking tape flagging all the damned wires and where they go. That and sharpie marks all over.

Yes, common practice for me, also. Whenever I start unplugging connectors in a repair, the sharpie comes out and every connector is labeled. I usually just mark the connector itself (no masking tape). It's kind of funny. Every once in a while I get a piece in the shop from 10-20 years ago and I can tell that I worked on it because I've written on all of the connectors. Hey, at least that part is already done!

[Enzo]

Oh yeah, I can recognize work I did years ago when I get in something.



I never take the case apart on the Passports. To get the rear stuff off - the power amp and power supply - I go through the front. I lay the thing on its back on the bench. Actually I use my cart table so the "foot" can hang over the side and it lies flat.

I take the screws off around the front mixer panel, which can then be lifted away from th case. There are some short ones near the bottom, watch out. I disconnect a number of cables from the front assembly, and I can remove it. Now the rear assembly can be removed out the rear. I remove the shield plate from the SMPS, more screws, and a few more wires. The rear panel is a cast heat sink for the power amp. The SMPS is bolted to it. Remove the screws and the SMPS comes off, exposing the solder side of the power amp board.