I've got two turntables and a problem
I've had this record player a long time. I think my brother bought it in the 1970s. Now, tragedy has struck.
The two F's have been in the news for a while: flooding basements and foreclosures. The two of them combined to do me in.
When a family member's house was foreclosed, part of my basement became a storage area for her belongings. When the water started making it's way into the basement, the piles of stuff had to be moved into higher, dryer piles. It seemed like the safest thing to put my record player on top of one of the piles to keep it from being crushed, but instead the pile tipped over and the record player crashed to the floor.
I finally have the basement cleaned up now, but the record player just doesn't work anymore. Oddly enough, the same relative who was foreclosed on offered up her record player before this happened, but that one doesn't work either.
When I lifted the turntable to try to find the problem, I saw the rubberband-like belt was loose. I didn't know for sure how it was supposed to be strung, but I'm guessing like this:
Is that right? If not, how should it be? If so, what else can I do? Is there someone who can fix this thing? Should I just buy a new one? Or a used one? Somebody save me, please. I have all these awesome records and two broken turntables.
Comments
Maybe one stretch of the belt needs to go around the actual spindle? You know: to drive it? Probably one of the long spans, but I'm just guessing.
Posted by: Kitsune | November 20, 2007 10:13 AM
Barry Pirkola probably knows how to fix it. I'll email him your post.
You know, Paul, the prima donna from the toga...
Posted by: Girl From the North Country | November 20, 2007 10:18 AM
When you git it fixed, let me know so we can give that Jane Fonda record a proper workout.
Posted by: aaron | November 20, 2007 10:30 AM
hey dude! this one's a snap-if it didnt get water inside the motor, even then a likely save. I'd hate to have a John Schneider record go to waste - so send them to me.
Barry
Posted by: barry | November 20, 2007 10:41 AM
Try this
The belt does go around all those pins, but it also goes around the inside bottom of the turntable. The trick is to reattach the turntable to the spindle while keeping the belt attached to it and the pins, sort of like putting a chain back on a bike sprocket - you have spin and thread it sometimes - tricky
Posted by: barry | November 20, 2007 10:56 AM
Thanks Barry. I'm able to thread the belt properly now, but there are other problems.
First of all, it's stuck in the play position, but the spindle won't power the belt to spin, even without the turntable in place. The spindle only spins when the belt is removed.
(It's also stuck in repeat mode, but that's not a problem since at this point I can't get it to peat in the first place.)
Posted by: Paul Lundgren | November 20, 2007 11:22 AM
Barry said you can drop it off at his place and he will take a look at it, if you want.
Posted by: Girl From the North Country | November 20, 2007 11:36 AM
Admit it, Paul. You were scratching again.
Posted by: Barrett | November 20, 2007 03:33 PM
Remind me to never let you be my Jenga partner, Lundgren.
Posted by: adam | November 20, 2007 03:47 PM
First, I wouldn't wrap the belt around either of those 2 front corners as you have, unless they are well polished and rotate freely.
Instead, look at the underside of your 'platter'. I'm betting the rubber pad comes right off, (maybe held by a clip on top). I'm betting you'll find at least one large opening right thru the platter which you can thread the belt... I have a Panasonic TT from the same era, and I think you'll also find a hidden rim on the bottom of the platter. Place the belt around that rim while it's upside down, then while holding the belt in place thru the opening(s), set it down over the center shaft, then finish by tucking the belt over the motor, (rotating platter as required). If the tension is right (just slightly snug) give the platter a slow, gentle spin by hand... if everything is smooth, you should be done. The arm probably won't react, but you might want to protect the cartridge/stylus with something like a chunk of cotton-ball and rubber-band just in case it has to be free for the platter to turn. In my opinion, the belt wraps the rim and motor shaft only, but I sure could be wrong -- you'll know by how the belt lays when you get it on the motor. It should never come near the center spingle - period.
-- I'll be curious to hear how you come out on this... lemme know!
Posted by: Bob-on-the-hill | November 22, 2007 08:05 AM
bob...that's the way it works on my 70's Technics SL-23 and now on my SL-B210...drive pin to hidden rim on the platter...it's kind of a trick to get it on there, but still probably the most effective TT drive systems made. If only I had luck replacing the RPM pots (speed servos) on my old SL-23...and I need a new headshell for it. I gave my old one to Terry VanDeWalker for his SL-23.
Best damned TT I've ever owned.
Posted by: zra... | November 22, 2007 01:58 PM
What you need to do is take that rubber band and wind it around your upper thigh three times before attaching it to the spindles on the turntable.
Posted by: The Cheerleader | November 23, 2007 05:03 AM
"but that's not a problem since at this point I can't get it to peat in the first place."
boo.
Posted by: zra... | November 23, 2007 06:57 AM
Right now the record player is in Barry's capable hands. To be continued ...
Posted by: Paul Lundgren | November 24, 2007 04:26 PM
Spent a rather large portion of the day in Barry's capable hands...
Oh my!
Posted by: Girl From the North Country | November 25, 2007 11:25 PM
i agree. that's got "bodice ripper" novel written all over it.
Posted by: zra... | November 26, 2007 06:19 AM