neutron32176
- Jan 12, 2026
- 2
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- Jan 12, 2026
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I don't know if this is the forum to get help on a clock radio built in the late 80's but I would figure I would ask.
Need Repair Advice on Proton 320 Clock Radio
- Thread starter neutron32176
- Start date
Hello,
What is wrong with your clock-radio?
Are these the manuals?
Bertus
What is wrong with your clock-radio?
Are these the manuals?
320 . Rare and Ancient Equipment PROTON Audio Service and user manuals free download search engine
Download 320 . Rare and Ancient Equipment PROTON Audioservice and user manuals for free. ✅ Jabse Service Manuals Search Engine provides repair documentation for electronics aplliances dor free download. No registration required.
www.jabse.com
Bertus
neutron32176
- Jan 12, 2026
- 2
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- Jan 12, 2026
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It is kind of complicated.
Before we start I am a 67 year old Doctor, not a electronics technician
I have a good knowledge of electronic components and what they do.
My problem is trouble shooting.
You can't buy clock radios anymore and my wife wants one since hers died.
I picked the Proton 320 because I bought one in the late 80's and at the time it was the Roll Royce of clock radios.
What I have done is buy old Proton 320's off of Ebay and Recapped them with Nichicon and Panasonic Capacitors.
Unfortunately, this has been a learning experience.
The first two I ruined because the Ribbon Cables are so stiff from age they broke while I was manipulating them. I fixed that by hot gluing them in place to prevent flexing.
My problem is I need a little help with at least understanding how it operates.
Example:
1) The clock display will go out after a few days or so but come back on when you turn on the radio.
2) Another one comes on and I confirmed the audio amplifier has power and the display says the radio is on but the dial light doesn't come on.
I can't upload the manual since is is too big.
If you Google "Proton-320-cr-sm.pdf" it will come up.
Both radios were recently recapped.
The radio uses a TMS 3450NL IC which is essentially a clock radio on a chip.
I don't expect anyone here to teach me electronics.
I already have a working knowledge of how radios work, the problem is trying to trouble shoot a particular problem such as the Clock Display going out periodically or the Amp section coming on but the tuner and Dial light and tuner being dead.
The radio is actually pretty simple in that it only has three chips in it that run everything.
I am including the the manual to it since I can't separate out the schematic that is in it, and the Data sheets on the 3 IC's that are in it excluding the display.
Here is my problem, I don't understand how the Radio is powered up.
Everything appears to go through the TMS 3450NL.
If you will look at the schematic it would be a big help in letting me ask more specific questions.
I guess one big question is what chip powers on the radio and does everything go through the TMS 3450NL.
Before we start I am a 67 year old Doctor, not a electronics technician
I have a good knowledge of electronic components and what they do.
My problem is trouble shooting.
You can't buy clock radios anymore and my wife wants one since hers died.
I picked the Proton 320 because I bought one in the late 80's and at the time it was the Roll Royce of clock radios.
What I have done is buy old Proton 320's off of Ebay and Recapped them with Nichicon and Panasonic Capacitors.
Unfortunately, this has been a learning experience.
The first two I ruined because the Ribbon Cables are so stiff from age they broke while I was manipulating them. I fixed that by hot gluing them in place to prevent flexing.
My problem is I need a little help with at least understanding how it operates.
Example:
1) The clock display will go out after a few days or so but come back on when you turn on the radio.
2) Another one comes on and I confirmed the audio amplifier has power and the display says the radio is on but the dial light doesn't come on.
I can't upload the manual since is is too big.
If you Google "Proton-320-cr-sm.pdf" it will come up.
Both radios were recently recapped.
The radio uses a TMS 3450NL IC which is essentially a clock radio on a chip.
I don't expect anyone here to teach me electronics.
I already have a working knowledge of how radios work, the problem is trying to trouble shoot a particular problem such as the Clock Display going out periodically or the Amp section coming on but the tuner and Dial light and tuner being dead.
The radio is actually pretty simple in that it only has three chips in it that run everything.
I am including the the manual to it since I can't separate out the schematic that is in it, and the Data sheets on the 3 IC's that are in it excluding the display.
Here is my problem, I don't understand how the Radio is powered up.
Everything appears to go through the TMS 3450NL.
If you will look at the schematic it would be a big help in letting me ask more specific questions.
I guess one big question is what chip powers on the radio and does everything go through the TMS 3450NL.
Last edited:
proton32176
- Feb 3, 2012
- 6
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2012
- Messages
- 6
I'm sorry.
I didn't see the last part of your message and I can't edit my Reply.
Yes, those are the Service Manuals.
I don't really need to diagnose a single radio.
I can buy them all day long on Ebay.
I just need to ask some general questions from someone who has looked at the schematic to help me figure out why a recapped radio would work for awhile and then have issues.
I don't need a full electronics course.
I just need to ask some general questions about how some of the things work.
When they were recapped the values were correct, the polarity was correct, and there were no shorts.
I just need to ask some questions regarding some of the failures I have seen when the radio worked fine after recapping but developed assorted problems days or a week or so later.
I didn't see the last part of your message and I can't edit my Reply.
Yes, those are the Service Manuals.
I don't really need to diagnose a single radio.
I can buy them all day long on Ebay.
I just need to ask some general questions from someone who has looked at the schematic to help me figure out why a recapped radio would work for awhile and then have issues.
I don't need a full electronics course.
I just need to ask some general questions about how some of the things work.
When they were recapped the values were correct, the polarity was correct, and there were no shorts.
I just need to ask some questions regarding some of the failures I have seen when the radio worked fine after recapping but developed assorted problems days or a week or so later.
Martaine2005
- May 12, 2015
- 5,277
- Joined
- May 12, 2015
- Messages
- 5,277
That’s a good start by recapping.
The 80s ‘death caps’ certainly caused many problems in many devices and not just clock radios.
I would ask you: did the old caps actually leak onto the PCB?.
If so, any trace damage?.
Any glue like substance around larger components?.
This can also turn conductive and corrosive to the PCB.
The fact that it works for a few days, then the display goes out until you turn the radio on suggests a bad connection. Possibly corrosion on the pins, ribbon cable or a bad ground.
Can you replicate the fault and WITHOUT turning the radio on and simply ‘knocking/bang/ hit the unit?. A bit like the 70s TV engineer, smack the TV cabinet and the TV works again.
This would confirm a bad/loose connection.
The 80s ‘death caps’ certainly caused many problems in many devices and not just clock radios.
I would ask you: did the old caps actually leak onto the PCB?.
If so, any trace damage?.
Any glue like substance around larger components?.
This can also turn conductive and corrosive to the PCB.
The fact that it works for a few days, then the display goes out until you turn the radio on suggests a bad connection. Possibly corrosion on the pins, ribbon cable or a bad ground.
Can you replicate the fault and WITHOUT turning the radio on and simply ‘knocking/bang/ hit the unit?. A bit like the 70s TV engineer, smack the TV cabinet and the TV works again.
This would confirm a bad/loose connection.
Delta Prime
- Jul 29, 2020
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- 2,987
Is neutron & proton, same person?
Or am I missing an electron?
Did someone just high jacked this thread?
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- Nov 17, 2011
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- 14,273
proton32176
- Feb 3, 2012
- 6
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- Feb 3, 2012
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For some reason the site rejected my password even though I wrote it down.
I kept trying to Log-in and couldn't do it.
There is no link I could find to reset the password and it wouldn't just let me re-register with the elec32176 email address .
The proton32176 is an old Google account I haven't used in years so I don't know how it got that.
I simply saved what I thought was the right username and password and could not log in regardless of what I did.
That is why I made a new account and started over.
It was probably my fault.
I am a Doctor and yesterday a piece of equipment went out forcing us to cancel patients and some of them got extremely nasty with my wife. All that and the equipment is 6 months old with a 1 year warranty and the people we bought it from are refusing to call us back or honor their warranty.
It is a $5900.00 piece of equipment by the way that I can not work without.
I will answer the reply I got about the clock radio later today.
I have to figure out what to do about this machine and how to keep my Practice open.
proton32176
- Feb 3, 2012
- 6
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2012
- Messages
- 6
It might helpful if you look at the schematic.
There were no leaks or loose connections.
I checked them all for continuity.
Also, no leaking or damage to the Board or traces.
The Controller Board that controls the radio and the Display are less the 1/2 inch from each other and all check out for continuity.
Pretty much what I need is someone to look at the schematic and give me some troubleshooting help.
Adding the new Capacitors is causing some other components to fail.
I already had to replace a bad diode after the recap.
It would be easier if someone would look at the schematic with more knowledge than I have and give me some tips on what to look for on a future radio..
There were no leaks or loose connections.
I checked them all for continuity.
Also, no leaking or damage to the Board or traces.
The Controller Board that controls the radio and the Display are less the 1/2 inch from each other and all check out for continuity.
Pretty much what I need is someone to look at the schematic and give me some troubleshooting help.
Adding the new Capacitors is causing some other components to fail.
I already had to replace a bad diode after the recap.
It would be easier if someone would look at the schematic with more knowledge than I have and give me some tips on what to look for on a future radio..
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- Nov 17, 2011
- Messages
- 14,273
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
