Need help with a Magnavox Record Player!

I'm with Matt. I like a good Mono or stereo Hi FI. Those 4 channel set just seemed like so much window dressing. Use it as a stereo and you won't miss a thing.

My 1961 tube type maggie model 2ST655S has new wheels, idler and drive. Motor has been cleaned and lubed, Using the 33rpm mostly and it running at 31rpms consistantly,any ideas how to increase speed??

hoffies2 wrote:My 1961 tube type maggie model 2ST655S has new wheels, idler and drive. Motor has been cleaned and lubed, Using the 33rpm mostly and it running at 31rpms consistantly,any ideas how to increase speed??

Hoffies, I know those Micromatic changers pretty well.
Set the speed at 33...
Turn ON the changer without a record on it, let it cycle and shut off.
Watch carefully the platter - it should spin for a minute to a very slow halt.
I mean it should actually crawl towards the end of its inertia - this means the main bearings are in great shape.
No measurable friction.
If it does not - and spins for only a few seconds, or stops rather abruptly, the bearings and platter shaft have gunk in them and need to be cleaned and lightly re-lubed.
On a lot of these changers, the ball bearing retaining ring is inserted with the open side down.
I lightly pack the ring with light grease and install it open-end up to contain the grease.
Also clean both polished thrust washers perfectly clean and re-install them with the "worn" side facing the ball bearings.
You'll see a slight "polished" ring-effect on each washer, caused by the balls from use.

Make sure the idlers and inside rim of the platter are cleaned with alcohol - as well as the stepped motor shaft.
Do it even if they appear clean. - it doesn't hurt.
Also shove an alcohol-wettened rag or paper towel through the platter center opening to wipe and remove any contaminents or dirt.
then oil it lightly with lightweight oil.
Add a drop to the top motor shaft bearing under the fan (if it's got one)
A drop to the idler shaft doesn't hurt either - right on the retaining screw.

When re-assembled, place a finger on the platter rim as it's running, and it should have substantial "torque" - you'll know if it's got "good grab".

Other than that, I can't give you any more ideas.

-M

A few little tidbits to add:

1. The changer uses the tapping of the stack to determine size. You can play multiple sizes of the same speed in a stack if you stack them with the large records on the bottom, and small ones on top of them.

2. The changer can not play a single record automatically unless you put it up on the spindle.

3. That four channel unit they provided on the Magnavox was not really so bad. In fact, I have used it to play Dolby Surround. It doesn't have the Pro Logic, but it does send the Dolby Surround sounds to the proper speakers. Hook a VCR or a DVD to it and find out.

A small history of 4-channel sound (AKA quadraphonics):

- They could not call it "Quad" because a British speaker company already had that trademarked.

- The first quadraphonic recordings were reel-to-reel tapes.

- RCA came up with a way to make 4-channel 8-track tapes.

- Peter Scheiber invented the matrix system of encoding 4 channels onto a 2-channel medium.

- At least 20 different matrix systems were invented. Seven of them actually entered production:
-- Electro-Voice Stereo-4 was optimized for classical music.
-- Dynaquad was designed for lowest cost to the consumer, but mimics Stereo-4. Magnavox used it.
-- CBS/Columbia SQ was optimized for popular music.
-- Sansui QS was designed for equal sound in the round.
-- Denon UMX was designed for mono compatibility, but the stereo play suffered.
-- BBC Matrix H was a compromise between QS and UMX.
-- Ambisonics is a compromise between QS and H that gets rid of the stereo playback problem.

- There were also a few fake quadraphonic systems. Most of them used reverb or delays. One, the Utah Studio-4 was a matrix decoder, but placed the speakers in locations that failed to give locations.

- Most of the quadraphonic add-on adaptors were versions of Dynaquad. They do work with the Stereo-4 and QS recordings.

- Electro-Voice created a decoder that plays QS, EV-4, and SQ without changing switch positions for each record.

- Sales of the 4-track open reel systems outpaced all of the other systems, even outselling the 4-channel amplifiers. This mystified the marketing experts. It turned out that musicians were using the 4-track recorders for homebrew recording studio multitrack recorders, not quadraphonics.

- In 1977, a new system came out that blew all of the other systems out of the market. Dolby Surround (AKA Dolby Stereo on film) provided clear localization, and image placement to the sides that the listener actually hears to the sides. It debuted with Star Wars. Within 5 years, home equipment was available, and the first really good surround sound was a reality.

- Dolby surround can play the QS, Stereo-4, and Dynaquad records, because the coding is the same for all of these. Likewise, the Stereo-4, QS, and Dynaquad players can play Dolby Surround.