Kenwood Blew my Mind - NXR-800K. Repair. How Right to repair should be. 

Kenwood got another customer.

To get exact search results, you must add space after the word. If you search only for R4, it will show you every word that starts with R4, but if you add a space after, it you only look for R4. It always works for me.

The Reason for this is Amateur radio users will not buy a product to use without a semantic or manual about what is in it & how it works. Yet the rest of us will blindly buy electrical products that don’t do this . Amateur Radio is the one field left where the Right to repair is a right & not a privilege ….

I wrote Harmon Kardon asking for a schematic so I could find a part. They emailed me back with the entire service manual and a link to their site to buy parts. It was an extremely thorough manual.

Kenwood, a REAL company.

An electronic repair manual in 2024? That's as rare as a Sasquatch riding a Unicorn holding a piece of the Holy Cross. Amazing! Props to Kenwood for serving the customer instead of their Sales Division.

Nothing new here, regarding Kenwood. I've been fixing Kenwood gear since the 1990's because of this very reason. Keep up the good work my friend and long live Kenwood! 😎🙏🏼

I am a Radio Ham in the UK. Most of the major Amateur Radio equipment suppliers have full service information available. 🙂

That manual is intense. Like you said, if Kenwood can do it, why cant everyone else? Its not like we're going to re create all the products and sell them ourselves lol. We just want to fix what we OWN.

just like the old days, well done kenwood

I worked in TV/Video/Audio repair 30 years ago and it was common place to have full schematics and parts lists for every device we ever repaired. We had a whole filing cabinet full of them. Repair was simple when the manufacturers made such manuals readily available. The fact that so many companies no longer do so has done nothing to prevent the throw away society we have today. I remember fixing equipment that was 20 plus years old. Today most failed electronics ends up in the trash simply because it can't be repaired without service manuals.

Look at Page 18, R405 and R404 are 0 Ohm 1/16W

I do a lot of repair work on vintage synthesizers and audio gear from the 80's and 90's. The amount of documentation from the manufacturers back then was amazing. Not only for professional models, but all the way down the product line to even toy keyboards. Schematics, board layouts and theory of operation descriptions are so incredibly helpful. Happy to see proper service manuals aren't completely extinct. Thanks for another great video!

I think it's basically requirement in the amateur radio community for the manufacturer to offer support for repair and alterations to their equipment. That's the heart of ham radio and I don't think products would get sold without that information.

The lost 0 Ohm esistor was just aside od the metal oxyde cap you can see the white grey line and the zero sometime... was not far...

As a 2-way communications technician and Kenwood dealer - every 2-way radio they make has detailed service manuals including, theory of operation, parts lists, board layouts detailed schematics. for portable radios, mobile radios, repeaters, base stations. It's always been great working on Kenwood 2-way radios for the last40 years. Have a blessed day.

Amateur radio is a different beast, the spirit of self repair and modification is ubiquitous and many companies provide this kind of data to aid in repair and modification of their own devices. Those diagrams really are nicely laid out though!

Hi alex.. i did some internet search and found out and based on this video that one reason to have 0 ohm resistors is to create two pc board layouts, one with a resistor in place and one without any resistor. However, it is cheaper, smarter, and better inventory management (for the manufacturer) to have just one board and insert/remove the zero-ohm resistor as needed.

I have been a fan of Kenwood HiFi and car head units since my father built a HiFi system in the 70s using Trio components as Kenwood were then known as.

That blob of solder is creating a short circuit just like the zero ohm resistors. The question now is, if it didn't work before, what makes you think it will work now with the resistors in place?

I repaired Kenwood audio back in the 80s thru 90s. Never had issues with warranty repairs and very good technician support. Those were the days, memberberry! 😁

Schematics give very little advantage to a competitor. If a competitor wanted to make a schematic from a product they could afford to pay someone to disassemble and test every component and xray the boards to get the circuit diagrams. Yes it would be expensive but for companies like a Kenwood competitor, say Yamaha, if they really valued the schematic they could pay to have prepared at a reasonable cost to them. The reason schematics matter is REPAIR SHOPS can't afford to do this with every single device we repair. My only point is the reason schematics are withheld have very little to do with proprietary information. There are primarily withheld to limit the ability to repair. These kind of manuals were the norm for decades. They still exist for quite a bit of stereo equipment.

This is a remarkable example of how providing detailed manuals can empower repairability and support the Right to Repair movement. Kenwood’s comprehensive 156-page manual, including schematics, board diagrams, and part numbers, is a testament to their commitment to customer service and sustainability. This approach not only facilitates easier repairs but also sets a standard for other companies to follow. It’s a win for consumers, the environment, and the repair industry. Kudos to Kenwood for leading by example!

I used to do micro miniature repair. Once people found it cost less to upgrade over repair. But with old equipment that people want is another story. Like old tube TVs have a schematic glued inside. I still love working on old pinball machines, they come with some real nice schematics to work from.

Kenwood customer since the 90s and they are always good customer service. Plus the stuff still works I bought in the 90s

@kenwood is just built different 🙌

Amateur radio companies such as Kenwood, Yaesu and Icom supply service manuals to service shops and the amateur radio community. Years ago, manufacturers encouraged repair of their equipment, it was a selling point. Sadly, not today. Even some CB manufacturers such as Uniden and Cobra don't release repair information using trade secrets as their reason. Others such as President, Ranger and Striker will release service manuals to repair shops. I encourage customers to purchase from companies that encourage repair at independent service shops instead of purchasing from companies who hide behind trade secret BS. Thanks for the video Alex.

Kenwood and other radio equipment manufacturers have fortunately never really stopped providing complete service manuals and information to both the amateur and commercial consumers. Makes me miss the old days. We had a console when I was a kid - had the TV, record player, radio, and tape play all in one. The schematic was included in a fold out, and etched into the back panel. A tube failed one time - Dad pulled it out, we got the value off the schematic, went to the display at the grocery store, picked one up, brought it home and swapped it in. Done. lol - wow, different times :)

We hams generally won't buy a transceiver or other such equipment if it doesn't have a service manual. Tinkering and repair are a central tenet of the hobby.

Those resistors could be placeholders to unlock certain features of the radios, like a jumper trace you'd cut.

When I was a TV tech in the 80s companies always had repair manuals you could get and there was a schematic on the inside of the cabinet or cover

I was amazed to find so much detail and part numbers for a Samsung Galaxy 8 tablet that I repaired!

I have quite a few of Kenwood's electronics and yes, they provide a complete manual just like this for all of them. At least all the ones I own anyway.

This remember me to the old times of CRT repairs the service manual, they have everything like this. But in 2024, it's another level!

My guess as to why they'd put two 0 ohm resistors in parallel like that, is to leave room for future circuit tuning if fixes come along. Adding a small resistor above 0 ohms, or some other component of that size wouldn't require a circuit board change for the next revision. By having two in parallel allows the flexibility to put two [presumably more common values] in parallel to make the [rarer] value they need, or even an RC pair with a resistor and capacitor. Going the other direction, maybe it USED to be an RC filter or some components they thought were needed for stable operation, but later decided it was good enough without them. Cost savings.

cool.. I remember a lot of things had these parts lists. back in the day.. nice to see some still do it

Thank you for video,it is nice to sit beneath you at your laboratory 😊

I remember the days when there was a schematic for almost all electronic you would buy... Good times.

Kenwood leading the way for customer support. That's awesome! Probably because the Japanese still have honor.

Salam bro. As an amateur radio operator, this is very standard with amateur radio gear. Full schematics provided. Eid Mubarak for Sunday/Monday

I work all day now with those schematic thanks to you and your RU-vid channel I get a job in repair chop for kenwood I saw your video during Covid already do smd soldering for Eurorack module. You helped me to be good in repairing not just doing a pick and place like a machine thanks again. I still looking your videos during my work cause it’s a very good shop in Canada that helps me and give me the tools to get better 🙏🙌 good work and long life to Kenwood support

I work on radios as well and this is why I like buying older test equipment. You get schematics, service data, calibration procedures, parts lists, board views, block diagrams, etc. My old Fluke 6071A RF signal generator from the 80's has four manuals filled with this stuff, it was a different world back then...

Roland does a really good well with this also. I was able to mostly repair my Roland MC-808 by looking at the service manual.

Blown away indeed. Kudos to you Kenwood. Love you for this. Feels so good. Good luck and best wishes to all. Cheers! 🎉

In the PDF file, expand the left pane, where you switch views... and look at the bottom, there's a tab for attached files. Some PDF files have other files as attachment.

Great video - good gear has info like this - Pioneer, Sansui and some others did the same back in the day. I kept my families receiver working for decades! Zero Ohm Resistors are a thing! Had a good read on how many ways they can be used. -RF choke -skipping over a trace in a multi-layer board - test point - 'permanent' dip switch setting. All sorts of tricks! Thanks!!

Kenwood, hand out those notes to the industry, we need more and better business practices

Amazing manual and work done for it

Everybody used to provide all these information back in the day. Just look at the service manuals for very high-end electronics like Tektronix, HP, Philips, and countless others all over the world. Not the expendable junk we get today... It's very sad that people are amazed to see this kind of things nowadays. This used to be the norm when companies were still building quality products made to last.

Let's reward Kenwood, be a customer! I am a one! Hats of for this company for this good practice, providing us all the infos so that we can repair their products!!!! Awesome video! Thanks!!!!

Awesome cattle dog!. It's really nice to come across such gems these days. Rare as they may be.

I've been restoring old pinball machines and I totally love it that their manuals have schematics where to look values for everything. It is so fun to fix those things. You should try it too.

I'm always fascinated by what you can learn when you read a product manual. Interesting things you would never think of otherwise. In some cases, just reading the manual and understanding its operation can make the product better in the users eye. it sounds obvious, but often overlooked.

I started fixing electronics thanks to you, bought microscope, soldering station etc... Most of the appliances i fix are air conditioner, washing machine, dryer, dishwasher.... Most of those manufacturers have such manual, with diagrams and schematics.... Seems it's hard to get schematics for phones and computers only....

As you said the manual is work of art, impressive work and lovely repair

Kenwood has always done that. I had those manuals back in the 80's. This was the time when almost all radios and such had repair manuals or you could get them from a company that I forget the name of, they printed them all. But once things started to goto IC's and things could not be repaired by the average repair shop, that went away as well. If i rememeber right, Kenwood also mandated that all of their design engineers spent time in the Kenwood warrenty repair department repairing the returns so they knew what was breaking and where to pay attention to in their designs.

Could you imagine a stuck up barrister having a go at this repair 😂? …….And they think they are above everyone. 😂😂😂😂😂😂 Simply amazing detail in the manual , trades like this and people with practical knowledge deserve better recognition. ❤👍

Repaired some Kenwood radios at work a few times. Their documentation is solid, and i've always been able to find the replacement parts I needed one place or another.

Not surprised, I remember years ago when I bought a Kenwood car stereo, that manual was several pages and highly detailed. Nowadays, you're lucky to even get a manual when you buy electronics, and if you do, it's basically a single piece of paper.

That is wonderful of Kenwood just a little information of the device you purchased wonderful👍

Old 1990s Radio, cassette boombox, DVD/VHS players,TV, washing machines had schematic booklets.

I bought a Kenwood amp to replace a failing Bazooka (20 years old and the RCA connectors are failing) because it was on sale, and I had seen dyno tests where they actually provide wattage they claim, but also because I've heard of their quality. This was before I knew about their repair information they provide! Now I'm even more excited to get it hooked up and running. I think a lot more of their products will end up in my possession from here out.

Kenwood has always made quality products, just like pioneer

The fuse sitting right next to where working on board sitting up right re watch video if it still there

In the past, Japanese companies always had service manuals for their authorized agents and distributors. I once went to a local agent to purchase a service manual for my Sansui A80 amplifier. Instead, I was given an original copy of it without charge. I still have it till today.

Kenwood, Yaseu, icom all are great companies . I been a ham radio operator for over 25 years and these companies are awesome. 73’s

I always had a Kenwood home and car sound system. They are just good.

I just built a garage boombox with a Kenwood Z919 and KAC-680 with Infinity speakers. The deck is over 20 years old. Works like a charm. Kenwood rocks. LITERALLY.

Kenwood definitely got my respect, Ill definitely buy more from them for now on, thank you very much for being a better company.

I have been on the fence whether to buy pioneer or Kenwood head unit (2 of the best). Now I know exactly which one will buy FROM NOW ON. FU pioneer, apple, etc...

Kenwood A+ all my schematics from Kenwood are like that one I work on lots of vintage stereo equipment love Kenwood killer job on that love your program/channel

Not only the manual, the quality of Kenwood products is outstanding. I have a Kenwood Spectrum hi-fi bought new in 1984. It still works perfectly in 2024. I don't use it much anymore, but there was a time that I played disco with it. That amp was driven at max power for hours on end twice a week for a long time, even the speakers still sound pretty good, with only a hint of distortion these days, but I don't use more than about half power in my old age!

thats amazing we need more companies to do this

Alex, the service manuals like this are common if we talk about Hi-Fi components: amplifiers, tape decks, tuners, DAT tape decks ecc. ecc. Many manufactures provide their own service manual for their products and they are very useful even if you have to service a device for maintenance on a regular base. I like the way you surprise when you find something new that helps your job.

It's truly remarkable. Not even DELL has manuals like this

Service Manuals to the component level used to be common in and prior to the 90s however many companies did restrict their distribution to only authorized repair centers. As a consumer I was able to obtain the service manual for the SONY VHS Video Editing Decks - the decks i so much regret purchasing yet so glad I purchased the manual considering they spent more time getting repaired than getting used.

How ironic. I just started repairing audio equipment myself. And was just posting on audio karma how amazed I am about the service manuals provided. I am working on a Onkyo and a vintage Realistic quick search and the manuals are readily available with everything you need.

Bravo, Kenwood, you got a customer!

In the big three ham radio makers, all provide detailed service manuals for their transceivers, etc. Kenwood might be a cut above the rest but in my experience Yaesu has excellent service manuals. I have no direct experience with Icom service manuals.

Well done Kenwood, exactly how it should be, and how it was done years ago. I'm showing my age now but circuit boards used to have the circuit diagram on the board with the values of the components and as such made it so much easier to repair.

Yeah, this is pretty common for most amateur radio gear.I have radios and different stuff from Icom, Kenwood, yaesu, MFJ, etc... If it doesnt come with the rig, it is available online.

I will surely consider a kenwood for my next stereo 💪👍

Todays youth is really living in a depraved society.when i was still in school and learning about electronics,i could find infor easily, especially in libraries and electronics shops were all over the place.thanks Northridge fix,kenwood,Rossman and everyone in diy communities.

I design my own systems so have all the software source code and pcb details. Makes it much easier to fix.

Most amateur radio equipment have schematics. Amateur Radio licenses are experimenters licenses, the hobby itself started by tinkering, building kits, and experimenting. The finished goods makers of radios had to provide schematics to a community used to building their own radio gear from kits. Heath Kits were all the rage. Elecraft, QRP labs, and others provide kits today. I built two pieces of equipment just this year - a WSPR beacon and a "Hamshack" clock. I will be doing further modifications to them. If you search amateur radio today, you will still see people experimenting, adapting, and tinkering at component levels.

Alex, if it weren't for the excellent repair and service manual from Kenwood, there would have been no way for me, a novice repairman, to be able the test and repair my TS=50s HF amateur radio back to working order. Everything was there, including the parts and identifying placement for the radio AND all the country zones which they marketed for. I'm not sure if you are aware of this, but the very same radio built for the European market spec's, are different from ones built to United States spec's and some other countries. The information for ALL countries was included and separated by country code. Thanks for the fine videos.

I remember when you took the back off a TV or radio there was a circuit diagram inside, the good old days.

❤ Back in the eighties but also later, many manufactures provided printed service manuals also for comercial products, like tv sets. For my marriage, my wife and I were gifted of a Sony TV set which was provided with a complete set of manuals, i.e. user and service manuals as well. It was 1992...regards from Italy.

The 2 "0 ohm" resistors in parallel are fitted to handle the current for the circuit

There are many pro equipment, especially older ones with diagrams. However, consumer electronics has absurd greed from companies. Companies want to monopolize the repairs business of their products but in reality they don't want repairs because making the same device is vastly easier/cheaper/more profitable than repairs.

You've got to hand it to Kenwood. Very professional.

Many equipments have this kind of manuals. Usually, the manuals come in a set (operator manual, service manual, parts list manuals etc). Most often, rhe service manual is only service personnel authorized, and this is usually mentioned in the first page That is what happens in photography finishing machines such as Noritsu and Fujifim Frontier, etc. In there you have everything about the machine (all conectors description, all connectors pins numbers, wiring diagrams which even describe the cables colors !). In short no physical aspect of the machine surprises you when you go trough it, absolutely nothing. How to browse intosuch manuals ? We proceed the same as when reading the Bible: the machine alarms a fault by displaying an error message with its number; the serviceman now refer the number in the manual and traces the related faulty sections (mechanical or electrical parts, electronic boards, etc) But even though, micro soldering still remain a challenge for many of the aevicemen; that was my case until I discover thw micro soldering trough Northridgefix RU-vid Channel. Alex, you are a mentor to me.

All Kenwood and Yeasu Ham Radio devces have such very detailed repiar manuals. Kind regards from F4VSJ, Hans

That's weird. Two 0 ohm resistors and a fuse in parallel?! Maybe they did this to allow the fuse and resistors to blow when there's a high-current spike?? I dunno.

As far as I know, Japanese has this philosophy called "Kaizen" which means "continuous improvement". Hence, why Japanese electronics lasts basically most half of your life or even more. And manuals like this, even Nikon provided a parts and how to disassemble manual for those who really need it.

Kenwood is now on top priority on brands I'll look for to buy. They got a new customer.

It is possible that manual was leaked. If you can find manuals for all Kenwood products then they truly deserve the praise.

companies not providing repair docs & components list should be hit with, at least, a pollution tax for forcing e-waste pollution

Was gonna switch out the stereo in my 19 civic, now I know the brand I'm looking for

I was a bench tech since 1979, and most manufactures provided this level of service information.