Klemt Echolette S

[TransLucid]

I haven't seen the oscillation problem you mention yet. Don't forget that there's a bias oscillator that turns on, so you may be seeing that, which is normal, when you start recording, if you're poking around with a scope probe. If it's audible, then it's not the bias oscillator.

There are 2 playback heads and 3 record heads. The 3 volume knobs control the levels to the record heads. The output levels should be the same at the same settings of the control, and this can be adjusted using the level pots on the side (not the bias level pots).

These machines are complicated and difficult to work on - I'm looking at it as a challenging and fun project, and when I get frustrated I put it aside...

Bob

[carrejans]

It's an audible oscillation actually.
Maybe I can adjust it with the echo/input balance trimpot, you mention? (I have 2 trimpots on the back, between the tubes)
Or maybe with the trimpot on top, behind the playback heads. (The right one has something to do with echo volume, I think) But that shaft has broken.


Ok, so I will try to adjust the volume of the record heads. Which ones are the level pots and which one the bias pots? See my picture.





Thank you very much!!

[Spiders]

Echolette stuff

Looks like I picked a good day for my echolette to break (again). The volume trimmers are the black plastic guys on the side. Be gentle, they can break if you use tools on them. On mine the control for head number 1 works in the opposite direction of heads two and three. Also, to tame down the crazy osscillation turn down the reverb trimmer on the top of the unit.

I just put a new tape loop in mine, only to find that the first playback head isn't working. The second one works, but pretty weak. I've worked so much on this thing, for this to happen now crushes me . Anybody have thoughts on my problem? Btw I have the older point to point unit ( motor dated 2 march 1961)

Thanks

[TransLucid]

To add to Spider's description, the bias pots are the smaller variable capacitors.

Spider - you can replace a head if you can get to the terminal strip way down in the inside corner, and can find a replacement. I bought a second unit for parts, but the real challenge is to disassemble the unit enough to get to the wiring and then be able to put it back together again. Also, the wires are very thin (although, to their credit, Klemt used very high quality wire).

[Spiders]

TransLucid- I feel your pain on getting into the unit. The components are so tightly packed in there, it is downright amazing. Sadly, I don't think that my problem is the head/s. When I am in echo mode the output is a lot lower than it should be, if I go to nachhall aus the level is as it should be, gutsy and awesome. So, I feel that something else in the circuit must have gone. This started when I fired the echolette up, only to find that the motor wouldn't start without help (nothing new) I gave it a push and there was a terrible grinding sound. I found that the motor had slipped a bit from it's mount, and was grinding on the mounting screws for the vari/cap for head 2. I got the motor back in place, and this problem began. This is really killing me. I've worked so hard on this unit, everything was working great. BTW, the heads read about 1k, further making me think that they are ok. Any ideas?? I'd set this thing on fire if it didn't sound so good.
thanks a million

[TransLucid]

The motor startup problem is most likely due to a bad cap. Mine did the same thing and changing the NP cap (it's a gold can) fixed it. The other two electrolytic cap cans were also bad, causing a lot of ripple in one case and causing them to overheat due to leakage in another.

As for your level change, there is an adjustment (Nachhall Pegel) on top with the tubes. Did you try adjusting it?

As for the heads, the play heads are the outside two, and the rec heads are the inside three. I measured one play head and (if I remember correctly) it was more like 8k ohms. 1k seems reasonable for a record head. Any reading at all means the head isn't open, which is the normal failure mode.

Bob

[carrejans]

I changed the volume of the 3 record heads, so they have +/- the same volume.
The oscillation is not there anymore, either.


The strange thing about this machine is, that everytime I use it, it has some other problems. ;-)

- I have an annoying hum now, that I haven't had before. But this, I should be able to fix.
- When I pull out the "Reverb Duration" pot, the reverbarations are a lot louder. (overdriven also)
- Also the reverberations sound really chorus-like. Before I had nice clean reverberations... (has my tape become bad all of a sudden???)

[Spiders]

"As for your level change, there is an adjustment (Nachhall Pegel) on top with the tubes. Did you try adjusting it?"

Sadly, I believe the top level adjustment is global, and applies to both modes. I did mess with it though, prior to posting. This is a pretty significant muting of the signal I'm dealing with. Roughly a 50 percent cut in level.

"As for the heads, the play heads are the outside two, and the rec heads are the inside three. I measured one play head and (if I remember correctly) it was more like 8k ohms. 1k seems reasonable for a record head. Any reading at all means the head isn't open, which is the normal failure mode."

well dang, it looks like one of my playback heads opened up after all. Dang dang dang dang dang dang dang. All of my heads measure out to 1k, with the exception of the one that measures 16.4 meg. Perhaps that one has a problem

All this being said, I still don't see why I would experience such a great loss of signal in echo mode. This is vexing.

Any guidance, good sir?

thanks

spencer

[TransLucid]

The reverb duration switch shorts out one of the playback heads in one position (I'm not sure which). When both heads are on, there are more repeats, which may account for the "chorus-like" effect you noted. This could mean that when to switch is in the other position, only the bad playback head is (partly) functional. On the other hand, if one head has no output, you should either hear no echos (if the bad head only is engaged) or longer echos (if the good head is switched in). If you can get to the head leads, you can try shorting out one or the other and see the effect.

The duration switch also switches in an attenuating resistor (as best as I can tell) just after the Nachhalldauer control. Opening this switch could raise the level as you noted. This switch is open when the second playback head is shorted.

I guess you'll have to do some more testing to figure out what's really going on.

Finally, don't forget that the three record heads can create denser echos when used together. I'd start with only one record head functioning, then test both the playback heads, then repeat this with each of the other two record heads.

Bob

[Kazooman]

I believe that Bobby Staedel rewinds Echolette heads. I have no idea what this would cost and you need to figure shipping to and from Germany. Here's a link to an English translation of his website:

Google Translate

[Spiders]

I believe that Bobby Staedel rewinds Echolette heads. I have no idea what this would cost and you need to figure shipping to and from Germany.

kazooman, yes indeed. He is an awesome guy. When my echolette took a dive a few years ago he guided me through the process of fixing it. I think it was pretty exasperating for him, but in the end my echolette worked again (for a while). An angel really. I'm sending my heads to him, he does them for 25 euro a pop, plus shipping of course.

[bloke]

Hi hope you guys still get this thread, i have an Echolette S it works fine for a while then it goes into this weird hum that kinda hard Oscillating noise it only occurs after about half an hour, it also is noisy when i turn on the Echo but i don't have any tape at the moment, any suggestions?

[TransLucid]

My first thought is your power supply caps are old and dry and start leaking after a while. Have you changed them?

As far as noise when the echo is on, the playback amplifiers have a lot of gain, so any noise on the supply will be amplified.

If you have a splicing block and tape you can make tapes easily.

Cheers

[bloke]

My first thought is your power supply caps are old and dry and start leaking after a while. Have you changed them?

As far as noise when the echo is on, the playback amplifiers have a lot of gain, so any noise on the supply will be amplified.

If you have a splicing block and tape you can make tapes easily.

Cheers

thanks for the data mate, I'm sorry I'm really crap at this but id like to learn

where are the "power caps" and what do they look like ?i don't have a manual, sorry to bug you!

is there a PDF of the manual available?

M

[TransLucid]

there are two aluminum cans on the back of the chassis (near the power transformer). One (gold) is for the motor, and the other (silver) is the power supply caps. The part is nearly impossible to find, so, if you want to replace them, you have to jury-rig something (I used terminal strips and radial caps).

The manual is available, but pretty useless. The schematic is also available, and useful. You can find both on-line if you search for awhile.

good luck