QuestionI have a Kenwood VR-309 reciever/amp my son gave me. I do not have the remote. (he could not find it) It comes up in standby but the power button does nothing and it remains in standby. Is there a simple way to use this without the remote and get it to power up?
AnswerProbably the standby matter and remote control are independent questions.
ONE: Coming up in standby is an indication that some kind of failure has taken place. There are many, many possible causes. Most common is the result of overdriving the amplifier or driving it with speakers that are too low in impedance. In these cases one or more of the audio power output transistors have failed and caused the power supply to shut down. In any event, it will most likely need service to make a repair to some part of the circuits inside the receiver.
TWO: The receiver should operate in normal fashion without the remote but you will need the remote to operate the more sophisticated features of it. Basic on/off, input selection, etc. should be available from the front panel.
You can download the owners manual from the Internet with a google search; retrevo.com is a good one but there are others, too.
This receiver is getting old so it is not worthy of a big $$$ investment in my opinion. You can often find equivalent receivers on craigslist or at thrift stores for less money than the cost of repairing. But, I think it is worth checking with a good audio repair shop and get their opinion about it. Some shops will take a quick look at it and give you a good guess as to the cause of the problem and a probably price on the repair cost.
Best wishes.
PS: You can purchase replacement remote controls online but they are quite expensive; maybe as much as $40. You can also find used, workable remotes at thrift stores and on ebay if you look around. I have seen Kenwood controls for $5 all the time.
