Sears Silvertone Hi Fi problem

Thanks, troydog, I was looking for that term "potentiometer" (sp). I have a Marantz turntable with two pots that just go to Hell anytime I touch them. There are "dead" spots in the controls as you turn them, sometimes the turntable will come to a complete stop until you start tweaking them back and forth.

If you examine the pot itself, there may be an open slot where the wires are attached, No need for disassembly, spray some Deoxit in there and rotate back and forth. It probably looks like your everyday volume/tone control.--BB


Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

A "switch" and a "pot" are two different things. The switch is like a light switch--turns power on/off. A pot sorta does the same thing only slowly, in response to the speed it is turned (like the dimmer on the light). Various style "pots" are available. Generally, anything used as a speed control will look something like the one shown on the Atari link above. Yours may or may not look like that, as some are linear, at least in appearance. I would suggest that once the pot is located, you not attempt the job shown on that site, unless the pot is very similar to the one shown, as they vary quite a bit. I would suggest that you see if you can spray DeOxIt into the pot and work it in--there is about a 75 chance that will cure your problem--if the pot is causing it. The other thing that may be the cause of your problem is lack of, or improper lubrication. Ron Rich

Okay, sorry for the misuse of terminology. So, we're talking about some type of "rotary" pot. I tried to take a pic on my cellphone so you can see the underside with a wide, horizontal open slot just above that shiny solder connection in the center of the pic. That's where you would spray the Deoxit. This is just a control on a Maggie chassis.--BB


Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

I highly doubt a 1960's mass-produced Sears console would even have anything like a sophisticated electronic speed control on their record changers.
I could possibly be wrong, but as a longtime experienced electronic technician, I doubt it's that fancy.

Could be a common mechanical arrangement and y'all are yakking up the wrong tree.

Let's all see a photo of the underside of this changer... with good lighting, and in focus.

Maybe he doesn't have a "mass produced" 60's model, and it could be a mid- to late- 70's unit. There was alot of activity going on in the 70's, and no telling what they could have thrown into some of these big boxes to make them more desirable. They still had to compete with the separate component systems out there. --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

I was thinking someone might have swap the deck out for another high end one. Or it was a special order item from sears.

Also reading this link. I found out 1972 would be the last of silvertone. It was used for high end tv's and stereos at the time.
http://www.searsarchives.com/brands/silvertone.htm

I can't speak specifically to your set, but typically, the speed controls on record changers were mechanical linkages that moved the position of the idler wheel on a conical motor pulley. The wider the cross section of the motor pulley contacted by the idler, the faster the revolution of the turntable. Unstable speed could be due to gumming of lubricants in the associated mechanism, or to hardened rubber on the idler wheel.

So can anyone tell me how to get this turntable out of the cabinet with causing any damage to it? I tried pulling it straight out of the cabinet, but it didnt seem to want to come out and I didnt want to force it. It also has 1 screw on each side of it. I tried loosening the screws but oddly enough it made the turntable harder to move. The screws didnt not seem to want to come all the way out and once again I refrained from using force. Its these types of questions which make me want the owners manual, but its not available through Sears. So if anyone knows how to get the turntable out of the cabinet or where I might find a manual that would be awesome. Im anxious to get this beast in proper working order.

Boy, I hope Matt is on vacation.

To remove the turn table.

Pull console from wall
remove the back of console. Most use bolt type screws some use screws,
you well see the two screwed on the under side of turntable
there well be a black bar you have to flip on both screws.
unplug rca cables if it has them if not unsolder the wires
pull the power cable wire on the table and lift it straight out of the console.

Make sure the console is unplug when you do this. You would probably not get shocked. But some consoles or most had auto off this is the turntable would shut of the console on the last recored.

Also is the time to check out the rest of the console clean remove dead bug so on.

Also re-grease the turntable and oil the parts that need oil under it. You should clean off the old grease.

I thought that would be the chase. I just didnt want to do extra work if unnecessary. Thank you for the info though. If I get a chance in the near future (hopefully tomorrow), and I can come up with the tools I need, I will give it a whirl. But keep your eyes peeled for more questions though because once Im in there Im sure I will come across something that I will be curious about. Remember I am brand new at this (repairs that is).

Yep, with those older turntables like that, you have to remove the back and flip those black clips vertically so you can pull the turntable straight up.

On the newer Maggie W714-W716 turntables, the latches are on top and if you turn the them 90 degrees, and you cant lift the turntable right out. These are also the lock down latches used to secure the turntable in transit. Sort of a 3-position thingy...all the way down, the turntable is bolted, slide them toward the opposite direction, the turntable now floats on its springs, turn the latches and the under parts line up with the holes and pull the turntable straight up.

I heard you, Bill...LOL. --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

MattTech wrote:Could be a common mechanical arrangement and y'all are yakking up the wrong tree.
Let's all see a photo of the underside of this changer... with good lighting, and in focus.

Matt, don't pass judgement so quickly. Could you explain the common mechanical arrangement thing? Brian gave a good example of a conical shaped mechanism. I kinda have a problem with that because something has to raise and lower along the motor shaft to adjust the speed, and I don't visualize a rod stretching beneath the underside from that control. Would the idler wheel be tapered, or the motor shaft? Then there's that strobe light.

I was thinking (which could be dangerous) that, for example, in the Maggie brochures, they're sporting the same turntable in consoles, portables and component systems. Could this turntable possibly be something on the same order, taking something from their higher-end component series and throwing it into a console? These big boxes can be full of surprises. --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

Here is a picture of the underside of the turntable. I have no idea what anything is, but hopefully someone here might know what Im dealing with. The pitch/speed control knob is the round silver circle in the bottom left hand corner. As you can see it has some wires coming out of it going into the larger mechanism with the red wire coiled around it. Any ideas?

Someone else might have know more on this then me.

But buy the photo looks likt the pitch knob very's the speed of the motor. The red wire runs right to the motor. So this knob must or might work like a light switch dimmer. I am not sre how to clean that type of knob from look at the photo but someone on here should no how.

But I could be wrong about that also. Doesthis switch have a light bulb in it or around it anyplace. the wires might be for the light bulb.

Also not sure who built this deck but does not look like a bsr to me. Wonder what other brands sears was using at the time for there stereos.