Phonoland

I have one or more issues with this Rockola 474. It cycles to the point where the record is placed on the turntable. The turntable is spinning, but the tone arm does not advance to the record. The micro switches appear to be adjusted to the cam properly (#1 cams into the notch with the gripper bow over the magazine) but at the point where the process stops, if I lift up and click the #2 or 2A micro switch (the outboard one of the two) the mech continues and places the tone arm on the record properly. Reverse functions properly, too.
The other issue is that the scan switch OFF position does not shut off the mechanism. It appears to operate properly in the ON position, but Scan is spring-loaded to return to the OFF position and moving it to SCAN and releasing puts the mech in motion until it reaches the next selection or the home position before it will stop. If the scan switch is in the OFF position, clicking the wobble plate switch will also put the basket in motion until it return to its home position.
I just bought this machine and did not have an opportunity to see it operate before moving it. I would certainly appreciate any advice on how to solve its issues. I do have a working 474 so I can swap parts to troubleshoot if necessary.
Patrick

Hi Patrick,
Going from my great--but not too long memory--I think RO has a "slow down feature" on the cam motor. It should slow down just prior to setting the record down. The point of slow down is controlled by the position of the cam, and switches. The slow down itself is caused by a resistor in the junction box,
being inserted into the motor circuit, by the cam switch.
Compare the working, with the nonworking mech. Turn the cam motors "by hand", and watch the switch action. You should be able to determine which switch adds the resistor--then check that switch (and "adjustment"), if good, check the resistor.
As for the "service switch problems"--I would guess that either "somethings" fallen into it, causing a short, or one, or more? of the contacts has broken, internally--??
Ron Rich

Micro switch allows the gripper motor circuit to be switched through the 15ohm resistor in the control box and this allows the tone arm to advance slowly to the record, maybe the micro switch needs slight adjustment to ensure it operates during the sequence, or possibly the gripper motor is failing to operate at the reduced speed and may need cleaning, also clean the interlock relay contacts in the control box you could jumper the wires on microswitch no.2 when the cycle reaches that stage to see if the motor runs
clones

You were both right. 15 ohm resistor? I opened the control box and it didn't even have one! Yes, it should have one, and this box had wires twisted together where the standee resistor belongs. A quick swap and that was solved. All sequences operate just fine. Thank you for pointing me in the right direction. About the scan switch not shutting off: Someone had attempted to bypass the dome switch (an issue I've seen before on this forum) but had hot-wired it in the operate position instead. I repaired the connection to the dome switch and now the scan control works as it should. So the two issues were not related other than both resulting from bad alterations. Anyway, I've got a hundred or so plays on it today (snow's too deep to get out) and it looks and sounds real nice. Just like the other one!
Patrick

Patrick,
Glad you found those "Gepetto modifications" ! I oft-times think that the world would be much better off if the Gepetto's stuck to their wood carvings (some of which are stunning !), and stayed the H--- away from everything else !! Ron Rich

Ron: actually, I'm grateful for cobblers. I got most of my jukes after somebody had gotten in a little too deep! You should see what I found on that 474 when I tried to drop quarters in it. I dropped in three and none came out. I removed the slug rejector and found all four pawls at the bottom were taped together, so any coin would supposedly rack up credits like it was a 50-cent piece. It was so gummed up that the whole thing was stuffed full of change. Some kind of rebate, I guess.
Patrick

Oh, well--"to each his own" Ron Rich