Re: Thermal Shutdown Question

Thanks, I'll look for some variable resistors tonight. It's an old cheap stereo, but it sounds better than a lot of MP3s out there and I don't have to worry if I accidentally release the "magic smoke".

My dad has an old "MCS" (Says JC Penny on the back) stereo from sometime around the 80s. The problem is when it warms up the sound goes out. All the motors spin and the lights still glow, so it's not turning completely off. This happens on any input. It's worse in summer. When it goes off you hear a relay click. Turning it off then on again will get it working until it warms back up then click! I tried warming up areas with a hairdryer and found that the power amplifier ICs are VERY sensitive to heat. They're more sensitive than I expected. They're mounted on a pretty big heatsink so...