Rock-Ola 443

Hildegard · by **Hildegard** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 10:26 pm

Hello Riley,
we received your offline email, too. Thanks.
I know both items you're asking for. From what I know so far they are not getting reproduced.
We got samples of both in the meantime and we will think about reproducing them.
I will email you more detailed offline later in the week.
Next to exchanging the lamps you could switch the starters and chokes, too, to find out if one of them is faulty.

@Ron: I guess "transformer" is another term used for chokes or ballasts? In Germany we also have starters called S10 which are for both 110 and 230V. And I can confirm your experience - sometimes a few starters have to be tested to get a working one. For T12 25 Watt lamps the best experience we make is with a FS25 starter (110 Volt, 25 Watt).
Besides this I find that the "lamp-question" is a kind of mystery - e.g. why does a T8 lamp with correct values not work where a T12 was originally used? So far I did not find an answer.....

Hildegard

by **Ron Rich** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 10:39 pm

Riley,
Just look at them-you will be able to see any sockets that are broken-bent. Compare them to a good one.
Sometimes, if you are "lucky" you can "re-form" the bent ones, with something sharp--be SURE power is off first !!---- Ron Rich

DoghouseRiley · by **DoghouseRiley** » Tue Jan 05, 2010 2:53 pm

Thanks for that Ron..
On the subject of live mains.
When I got it home I plugged it in at it was completely dead. We had given it a slight bump setting it down, enough to "bounce" a few records out of the carousel. But I suspected the mains lead as it had two "lash-ups" with insulating tape, so I replaced it. Still nothing!
Then I found the on/off switch at the back!
My "mitigating circumstances" are that my 468 has no on/off switch.

by **Ron Rich** » Tue Jan 05, 2010 5:44 pm

Riley,
You're welcome--didja find the lamp problem ?
You have no idea how many miles I have driven to "flip a switch on"--sometimes the "mains" ( that's usually spelled "line" here in the USA), or a "service switch" that someone forgot to place back in the "operate" position. Ron Rich

DoghouseRiley · by **DoghouseRiley** » Tue Jan 05, 2010 6:13 pm

Hi Ron,
"Further to my defence" I'd also just come back from a 320 mile round trip to collect it, so I "wasn't at my best."
I was having "one of those days" My youngest son came with me to provide the muscle.
We'd hired a van. When I picked it up I sat in it and adjusted the mirrors. I remarked that the centre mirror was missing. My son replied, "Err.. That's probably as there's no naffin' back windows in this van."

No I've not sorted the lamp yet, as we've had eight inches of snow over-night.
We live south of Manchester in what I often call "The tropic of Mersey Valley" as the weather is usually mild and not as wet as it is reputed to be. We played golf right through last winter. We rarely get snow and haven't had more than an inch of it for about ten years.

This is where I keep my jukeboxes, the Japanese "tea-house" I built twenty years ago at the bottom of our garden. So you'll see, not a day for messing about with hobbies.

This is what it looks like in the summer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SVpwjnRxKA

by **ami-man** » Wed Jan 06, 2010 11:22 am

Hi DoghouseRiley,

If you need some lamp endcaps by all means contact me.

Regards
Alan Hood
ami-man
UK
alan-hood@datex.co.uk

DoghouseRiley · by **DoghouseRiley** » Wed Jan 06, 2010 1:07 pm

Thanks Alan, I think it would be worth it and should be easy enough for me to change them.

I've looked at the spare fitting I have in my garage and the end caps are the modern plastic ones and therefore unsuitable.

I'll send you a PM.

DoghouseRiley · by **DoghouseRiley** » Mon Jan 11, 2010 2:59 pm

Just a word of thanks to Hildegard and Oliver of Jukebox-World, for their interest and who are going to help me out with my problem with the coloured graphic above the bass speakers.
http://www.jukebox-world.de/

Also thanks to ami-man, who's sorting out some fluorescent end caps for me.

DoghouseRiley · by **DoghouseRiley** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 4:50 pm

Alan (Ami-Man) has kindly sent me some end caps and they were exactly the right ones. As the snow has now all gone, it was bright and sunny this morning and about 55f in my tea-house, I changed them over and the problem was solved.

I need to get a T8 25w tube tomorrow. An electrician friend says the only difference between T8 and T12s is the size, the T8s replaced the T12s as they were more suitable for slimmer fittings, particularly for concealed lighting above kitchen work-tops. So another problem solved.

Digressing slightly, I gave the black plastic bass speaker grill a good clean, nicotine is really foul stuff isn't it? I restored the colour with "tyre wall black" giving it a good buff up and it looks fine now. Just the coloured graphic to sort out now, as I expect the record jacket insert to arrive from Victory Glass this week.
Otherwise it's looking as good as new, well...almost.

Thanks again to everyone for their help and advice.

by **Ron Rich** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 7:29 pm

Riley, and All,
Your "electrician friend" is almost right, as understand it--the T-8 was developed both for that reason and cost cutting purposes. The T-8 size has almost the same light output as the T-12, but not quite. The T-8, costs less to make, and being thinner, is lighter, and easier to ship. As far as I know, in most sizes, they are "interchangeable". Do however, watch out for the wattage rating, as there is at least one length that they are not interchangeable--I think it's 28 inch, but I'm not sure-- Ron Rich

DoghouseRiley · by **DoghouseRiley** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 10:36 pm

Thanks for that Ron, but it's working Ok with one of the other two T8s already in there.
I'm going to put the new tube in from where I took the other, for the fitting which wasn't working.

DoghouseRiley · by **DoghouseRiley** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 11:54 pm

I've sorted out the "top end" of this machine and it looks quite good now, as my new "record jacket insert" has arrived. I'm going to make a better job of that "Freeplay" notice I made using "Excel."

Just the lower half to get sorted, I'm still waiting for my T12 25w 28" tubes which I should get on Monday or Tuesday from a wholesaler. They were less than £5 each which I thought quite reasonable, considering the average price of similar sized tubes at DIY outlests here, are getting on for £10 each.
I got some new 110v starters from Leon Reader. http://www.jukeboxparts.co.uk/
They were only 85p each.

I'll swap the two T8s that are working for the new T12s when they arrive.

Once again, thanks everyone for your help.

DoghouseRiley · by **DoghouseRiley** » Tue Jan 26, 2010 6:35 pm

I've swapped all the tubes, interestingly enough, they've "Made in Canada" on them.

I think it's sounding good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHi-Kpc9xsY

by **ami-man** » Tue Jan 26, 2010 6:49 pm

Hi Bob,

It sounds good, but I am not too sure about your choice of record.

It looks like you have put some hours in on that jukebox.
Glad to hear the end caps were ok .
There seems to be loads of Rock Ola jukeboxes on Ebay at the moment, have you been checking them out?

Regards
Alan

Alan Hood
ami-man
UK

DoghouseRiley · by **DoghouseRiley** » Tue Jan 26, 2010 7:40 pm

Hi Alan,

Music is always going to be subjective.

I've a few versions of that song on LP, CD, mp3, or YouTube clip, as I like it.
I've this one (my favourite) on CD but no chance of getting that on a single.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecrE80rnjhw

As I've now got Motown and classic 50s,60s pop on my 468. I'm putting some 70s 80s favourites (MOR stuff), Doo-Wop, (I've just bought the Mills Brothers "Paper Doll" and "Till Then"), some classic standards and a few "big band" number on this 443.
I buy quite a few "mint" copies from this guy. They work out at around £5 each because the airmail postage from the US represents half the cost, but I think it's worth it.

http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/complete- ... QQ_armrsZ1

There's always a lot of Rock-Olas on eBay, but more Wurlitzers which is natural as there are so many more of them. The German made Lyrics seem to be the most advertised, but I've never been tempted, they don't seem to be "substantial."

There's a 443 closing out tonight. The vendor has added a note to say there's 25 watchers.

Hmm..

Regards,

Bob.

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Rock-Ola 443

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