Tweet
Good evening, I am having a problem with an old record player. It is a symphonic model 1123, and it won't shift down into 33 or 16 RPM. 78 and 45 revs work perfectly, but I cannot feel a gearchange when the unit is downshifted into 33 or 16. I would open it up and have a peek if my fincee wasn't so concerned, but could anyone give me a little advice on the matter? I am having trouble finding anyone who will even look at it.
-
-
If you were near Lansing Michigan, I'd look at it for you.
Do those rwo higher speeds actually spin at those RPMs? That is, is 45 playing at 45? Or are they spinning, but you don;t know how fast?
My first thought is motor mount rubber grommets dissolving into rubbery goo, the motor then drops down from its intended position, and the motor shaft misses the idler wheel.
I don't know that model, but I am assuming it is just a plain old everyday record player. So under the platter should be a wheel maybe 2-3" across, either all rubber or with a rubber rim. There will be a spring to hold this wheel agains the outer rim of the platter for traction. There will also be the motor with its shaft sticking up. The rubber wheel grabs against the shaft and thus transfers the motor rotation to the platter. When you turn the speed selector, the whole rubber wheel assembly should move up and down.
The motor shaft probably has steps in it - the diameter varies. Moving the rubber wheel - the idler wheel - up and down makes it touch different diameter spots on the shaft. That changes platter speed. If the motor is sitting funny, the idler can lose its grip.
Other matters: The idler tire - the rubber rim - can harden with age and not grip well. The platter spins around the central shaft, and if the lube hardens from age, the motor has to fight that extra friction. The slower speeds might not have the strength.
Does this describe your unit?Education is what you're left with after you have forgotten what you have learned.
Comment