I have a Technics SL-B5 and all of a sudden the pitch adj. dial is acting funky. What I mean is that it is overly sensitive, I can change the speed of my records without turning it, I just have to push slightly on either side.
I put a new belt on it during the summer so there should bo no problems in that respect.
Is this something I can fix myself? Perhaps I can take it apart and clean it?
I am really avoiding getting it professionally serviced due to the insane prices associated with record players. (i.e. a record belt is a rubber band that costs in excess of 20.00$CAD)
I will look on more audio-specific forums but I am trying here first.
I noticed the problem when I switched from 33 to 45 rpm to play something and found it was going too fast. When I tried to adjust the speed using the pitch adj while watching the stroboscope my speed was either extremely fast to too sloe and I can't get it adjusted back to normal.
Edited by - conquistador on Mar 10 2007
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pinc_noiz Deactivated User
758 Posts 6/05
Posted - Mar 10 2007 : 5:47PM
As I'm not very technical (and quite lazy), I've all my maintenance and repair work done by specialists. They have the experience and knowledge, and thus safe me lots of trouble and time (and risks) had I done a job myself. Often-times it's a really small failure that's found in no time by an experienced tech (dirt, lose contact, resistor out, ...).
Have a look at it yourself, and decide ... (you're the one knowing what you're capable of!).
Service-manuals for mass-consumer gear are normally around $10/15. You could ask Technics/Panasonic (probably via one of their distr. points), or contact eg. AnTechLabs (serv.-man.). Probably you're aware of some repair-shops in your neighbourhood you trust/ can try (non-audio repair-shops can't be expected to have a lot of specialised knowledge, but they at least recognise a motor/resistor/... ).
Not a lot of mass-ware has related specialist websites, as is the case for turntables too (it would be with great enthusiasm that I could give you links to specialist audio-repair shops/ High-End audio sites and forums, or turntable refurbishing businesses, but knowing them, I'm afraid you will be advised not to spent too much money on this B5 ... and have the repair done somewhere else ...). You could try AVS-forums, an enthusiast 'mass-market AV'-related site (incl. some on-line electronic-tinkerers), but as there's no mass-market for turntables, they've no specialised forum here either IIRC.
Try you own luck, or have it done by a specialist (a new table, with some credibility, can be had for around $300 ... ).
p_n
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conquistador Deactivated User
Hellhamster. 2947 Posts 10/03
Posted - Mar 10 2007 : 5:55PM
Thanks p_n.
I sort of thought you might know. I will take it apart and do some internal maintenance tomorrow.(prolly) Should I document it?
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pinc_noiz Deactivated User
758 Posts 6/05
Posted - Mar 10 2007 : 6:19PM
Sorry I can't help you here, conquistador. I'm more a sales/marketing man: I've my contacts (), but your gear is too ... uh ... specialised .
Should you document it? Hey, didn't I just tell you there are no websites related to gear/questions like yours. The world is waiting for you to realise their wishes!
success tinkering
p_n
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conquistador Deactivated User
Hellhamster. 2947 Posts 10/03
Posted - Mar 10 2007 : 6:21PM
Most of my library is on LPs I am terribly afraid to break my record player.
Ever took a photo of your paintings, got rid of the originals and used the photos to look at? Nah.
When afraid to break your table, please visit a specialised tech. Your deck isn't all that young and state-of-the-art, but killing it is beyond the point IMO. You could play safe (for your records, that is), and buy new. That way you've gear you can fully trust using. I've no plans selling something here: just a free thought (I could advise though joking)
I would say: have a look at the player yourself first, and decide what to do after ...
#SDNY he's all yours. -- Michael Steele 5110 Posts 3/03
Posted - Mar 10 2007 : 7:35PM
None of the following should be confused with competent and trustworthy advice. Proceed at your own risk.
The speed control is a potentiometer (variable resistor). Probably what is happening is that, similarly to when you occasionally get a "scratchy pot" on a receiver, amp, guitar, etc., volume control, the pot in your turntable has some internal corrosion or crud right at the spot where you need it to be for the speed to be right.
You can try sparingly spraying a product like this down into it, and then run the dial back and forth several times. You might have a better chance of getting the stuff where you need to put it if you take the base off the turntable (on the old direct-drive Technics turntable that's been moldering in my basement for years, you unscrew the four feet and three other screws). On mine, the pot is soldered directly on the underside of the corner of the main circuit board, and is not easily accessible, but yours will be different.
If the spray doesn't help, the pot would need to be replaced. I have no idea how much that might run you.
Records are inconvenient, however, and can't be played in the car or in the office. Plus, every time they are played, they wear.
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conquistador Deactivated User
Hellhamster. 2947 Posts 10/03
Posted - Mar 11 2007 : 12:31AM
I haven't got a car or office and I love my record collection. It's no inconvenience to me.
Edited by - conquistador on 3/11/2007 12:31:21 AM
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pinc_noiz Deactivated User
758 Posts 6/05
Posted - Mar 11 2007 : 4:21AM
'Inconvenience' is just a state of mind. And well, playback in an office-space wouldn't be too much of a problem ... (I welcome you to have a look over in my office ...). But then: "every time they are played, they wear"... In the times of cactus-needles they did: now-a-days, when treated respectfully, records hardly wear. Your cartridge isn't a plow, you know ...
Seen the volume of analog-playback gear sold, and the stability of this market, there's an overall accepted idea of quality and robustness about record playing. Don't get me wrong: the market for turntables isn't a substantial one, comparable with, say, that of speakers or CD-players. But a turntable isn't a rare, dinosaur-like apparatus, hardly ever seen. No: decks in a class (ca. $2.5K) like the Roksan Radius 5 or Rega P7 are frequently seen, a SME 30/2/ AVID Acutus Ref. or the like (+- $30) is gear I regularly have to deal with too, but a Rockport Sirius III ($70K) or Continuum Caliburn-Cobra ($95), the non+ultra of tables, are relatively rare. Apart from evolutionary-research, some revolutionary-work on record-players is done too, seen the ELP Laser Turntable.
Vinyl death? Because of inconvenience and wear&tear ? Wake-up! There's a wealth of analog-playback out there, including an almost bewildering portfolio cartridges, phono-preamps, tonearms, ...! Where's a record, there's a player .
Because turntables are (like cassette players) very sensitive to speed settings, I'd just bite the bullet and take it to a professional. Good turntables are getting more and more expensive so if you're happy with the one you have, you probably don't want to deal with the hassle and expensive of searching for and paying for a new one. Especially considering that you enjoy your vinyl and listen primarily to it, you're gonna want to keep your turntable in good shape as long as possible so it's probably worth having it regularly serviced by a pro. Just make sure you find an honest one who won't try and rip you off.
I knew about those (I have the hulk of a car whose radio has a compatible input). However, in addition to being handicapped by low-quality sound and disc skipping, these units played 45-RPM records only, not LPs.
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Dither Persona non grata
I love America 650 Posts 8/05
Posted - Mar 15 2007 : 2:50PM
That's a good point, they only took 45's and those 7-inch 16?'s. I think I read about a car turntable that could spin 12-inch 33?'s once, but I don't remember. Of course it's mostly a peculiarity, if you play your custom-pressed 180g MFSL records in your car, then you're pretty eccentric. MP3s do that job just fine. I can understand the charme of putting on a good record in the home stereo though. I used to own a Linn Sondek, but not anymore.
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pinc_noiz Deactivated User
758 Posts 6/05
Posted - Mar 16 2007 : 5:09PM
In the past, life was better... . A Linn Sondek ...
kenny62; probably one of these would solve the "can't be played" situation ... ?
Are you on the correct speed again, Maestro conquistador?
p_n
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conquistador Deactivated User
Hellhamster. 2947 Posts 10/03
Posted - Mar 16 2007 : 7:19PM
p_n: not yet, I have been dealing with other concerns. When I open my record player I am going to make a day of it. Lots of photographs plus I'll have a potential replacement in mind in case I break it.
As Harri said, it's probably the potentiometer itself that's dirty. Cleaning sprays *do* work on pots. However, they are almost always a temporary solution. The thing is, they wash away the dirt, but they also wash away the internal lubrication. That lube tends to fill the free spaces and kind of keeps dirt out as a barrier. So, with the lube gone and the spaces open, you get more dirt faster and you need to use the spray again.
If it were me I'd give it to a pro, but a *real* pro, as turntables are such an old and specialized thing that not every shop is going to have a tech that knows what they are doing with a turntable.
*Perhaps* the best compromise of doing it yourself and being reasonably sure, is to simply replace the pot entirely. It should have 3 terminals on it, probably soldered, but perhaps slide on connectors if you are lucky. If you can solder, and you can remove the pot from the body, then replacing it shouldn't be tough, and it's probably a standard value that you can buy from an electronics supply house (locally or over the internet). You may need to look up the part number of the pot to find the value *and* find out if it is LOG or LINEAR taper. It makes an enormous difference, so be sure to get that detail right. I'm guessing it will be linear taper, but I've never actually replace one, so I do not know.
As Harri said, my advice should not be confused with that of a professional technician.
Dr. P
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conquistador Deactivated User
Hellhamster. 2947 Posts 10/03
Posted - Mar 16 2007 : 11:18PM
Dr. P I like this idea. I don't have anything to do tonight so I think I might dive in and see what's what. It may be worth noting that never been serviced past belt and cartridge changes in it's entire lifetime. And it has spent most of it's life and very smokey apartments.
I'll let you know and take some pictures.
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conquistador Deactivated User
Hellhamster. 2947 Posts 10/03
Posted - Mar 16 2007 : 11:47PM
I just got done poking around and the player is working great. Just needed some cleaning I guess. The pot that was seemingly broken had a dust ball stuck in it.
