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And
this is why... all that remains inside now is a sort of goo.
This presumably once was a crystal. |
| There's
nothing to do but replace the whole thing with a modern stereo
ceramic cartridge, modified for mono and to take a single
78 rpm stylus. The tracking weight is far too heavy for a
modern pick-up, so a counterweight is made up and discreetly
hidden inside the back end of the arm. |
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|
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Here's
the switch box where the selecting of the various operating
modes on this set is carried out. Everything from 'public
address' through 'recording radio' to standard radio and gramophone...
There's a pre-amp audio valve included here too for the PA,
which works fine. The two 'bulbs' look like neon peak recording
level indicators, but they no longer work. |
| The
gram motor needs 110 volts of course. It's also a tad leaky
to its case (which for safety must be earthed) so this 240-110v
step-down isolating transformer is now fitted. |
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|
|
The
wonderful frame aerial works again, rotating smoothly about
its wooden axis again, just as it did in 1940. The black drive
cords loop round a dowel rod under the chassis which is turned
by a knob. |
|
Things are getting back to how they should be now. However
I find everything has to come out again! There's an audio
hum problem caused by a component layout issue. Another morning
gone ... |
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|
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So
here she is at last! The performance is excellent and the
sound clear from the twin-barrelled output stage. But she
tends to run a little hot. I decide to reduce the HT current
consumption by increasing the bias on the output valves. |
| Lid
open now. 78 rpm records play very well. But without the original
long-obsolete disks and the cutting stylus I can't test the
disk recording facility. Nevertheless this is a really attractive,
easy-to-use and extremely rare pre-war American table radiogram.
Time to say goodbye now - the owner already says he wants
it back without delay... ;o) |
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