Newbie questions with portable record player

Hi all, I am just registered, glad to meet you all,
I am just a collage student and collected some records. Most of them are came from my neighbour or my friend's parents. They are not disco or pop songs but classical, works conducted by Toscanini, violin played Heifetz, piano music played by Horowitz and some opera sing by or Luisa Tetrazzini. It is strange for a similar aged 'kid' to love this 'old' works, isn' t it? But I really like them all, because I've heard a radio broadcasting an opera work conducted by Toscanini and sing by Caruso at night. It is so perfect that I can forget it, although I can hear the song name clearly. So then I started to collect their records.
Some of the records are came in different sizes and speed, 7-inch 45rpm, 10-inch 33rpm, 12-inch 33rpm 78rpm. It is so difficult for me to buy a Hi-Fi record play which can play them all because I have very little income and my room do not have much space for me. So I want to buy a 2nd hand compact portable record player which allows me to use it outside or at home. I know very little about the players...I want some advice from you

Thank you,

What kind of budget are you working with? For under about $100 you can buy a brand new, portable record player designed to play all speeds, such as the Vestax Handy Trax -- http://www.audiolines.com/product.php?productid=9201 (one of many vendors.)

The built in monaural speaker isn't anything to write home about, but the Vestax can hook up to your PC, or to external (PC-type) speakers, and provides very good stereo sound. It comes with a standard LP type stylus, but for playing 78s, you can get a 3 mil stylus. The best feature is the pitch control, which allows you to slow down or speed up the turntable by about 10%. This is useful for playing early 78s, most of which were really not recorded exactly at the 78 rpm speed.

The Vestax Handy Trax runs on batteries or via the included AC adapter. Hooked up to battery amplified speakers, it works great outside.

Similar to the Vestax is the Numark PT-01 -- http://www.thetwistergroup.com/store/cu ... &source=fr

Other options would be to find a used 3 speed record player such as a Califone. These come up for sale all the time on eBay, and prices range from $25-$50 for working models. (Most are set speed, which means that the turntable spins exactly at 33, 45 or 78 rpm.)

Along this line, Crosley makes a variety of portable three speed record players, which you can find by doing a Google search for Crosley Record Player, but I don't recommend this. I bought one earlier this year, but found that the turn table, in addition to being rather cheaply constructed, did not spin at the correct speeds--about 10 percent too fast on all speeds. Since there was no way to adjust this setting, I returned it.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

I agree with Joe_ DS except I would opt for a Caliphone or similar school record player if only because these will sound much better. Their amplifiers are more powerful and the speakers are larger, therefore the tone is more pleasing. They are sturdily built and can take rough handling, Dorm Life. While pitch control is useful , especially for serious work, pitch is relative if you simply want to listen to these great works. As you become a serious listener and your budget increases you will want to get something better and with pitch control because as Joe explained some of the old 78 recordings are not 78s at all but run at various speeds up to near 100rpm. You're safe with 45s and LPs as those speeds were standardized. If you decide on a school record player I would suggest you immediatly replace the needle (probably a powerpoint) and we can help you with that. Keep your records and needle clean and you'll have no trouble. As far as a young person enjoying these great works, it's not as unusual as you might suppose. My son and his wife who are in their early 20's and some of their friends are discovering this music also. Good Luck. Thom

Thank you!
I am curious to know why Califone is known as school record player? And Is that nearly all portable record players need AC to operate? Is there any that could be operated by DC or applied by two at the same time?
And does the needle interchangeable? I afraid my poor hand can break the needle....

And just one more question....Why there are Mono and Stereo records being manufactured at the same time?

Kevin

kl122002 wrote:Thank you!
I am curious to know why Califone is known as school record player? AndKevin

Hi Kevin:

The Califone record player, which was produced by Califone International was one of several ruggedly built portable phonographs specifically produced for--and marketed to--institutions such as schools, libraries, etc. (SEE http://www.califone.com/ ) These were commonly referred to as "School phonographs" or "School Record Players."

In spite of the fact that conventional LPs and other "records" were replaced by CDs and MP3s, Califone record players are still being produced. The latest model is the Califone 1005AV -- http://salestores.com/califo03.html

Many earlier models, such as the 1030AV, come up for sale on eBay. (Do a search for Califone Phonograph or Califone Record Player.)
These were equipped with a flip-over needle. There were actually two styluses mounted on the cartridge shank. To change from LP to 78, you simply flipped a lever on the cartridge, itself. (The new 1005AV seems to use a single, universal type stylus designed to play all types of records.)

I think that the main reason more portable phonographs were not battery or AC/DC powered was because the power consumption required for both the turntable and the amplifier was too great, and the batteries would drain quickly. There were some portable phonographs produced, starting in the 1930s, that used a wind-up motor for the turntable and batteries for the electrically amplified speaker/cartridge, such as the famous RCA Special models:

kl122002 wrote:Is there any that could be operated by DC or applied by two at the same time?
Kevin

The Vestax model, I mentioned above, does operate on either batteries or AC power. The one I had would operate about 70 hours on six D-Cell batteries, when I listened to the records using stereo headphones. Changing from the LP to 78 needle was relatively simple. It was simply a matter of pulling out one "cartridge" and inserting another. (The needle was mounted in the center of the cartridge and my fingers never come into contact with it.)

Unless you need something that will operate out doors, I'd also recommend a good condition used Califone. Make sure that the seller guarantees that it is in complete working condition, and will allow you to return it if you find out otherwise. I bought one a few years ago, for $79.00, from a seller who claimed it was in restored condition. As it turned out, he was a crook. Not only was the needle shot, but the wires running through the tone arm were loose, and the inside--including the speaker--was full of dust, indicating that it had never been opened or serviced. When I pointed all of this out to him, he insisted that this was sold "AS IS." (The phrase, "as is" did appear in his add, but then, so did "fully reconditioned.") After cleaning it out, and buying a new needle, it lasted me about a year before the amplifier went out completely.

Good Luck.

Search for this item number on ebay; 330279201883 . He does play it for you if you click the u-tube link. Here's another one; 170271991048. Do a general search for phonograph>collectible in ebay and you may find around a dozen school phonographs (they don't have to be Caliphone brand). Audiotronics is one I have and I am very pleased with it. Joe_DS is right about ebay. It is definitely "buyer beware". Ask someone familiar with ebay to help if you are new to it. Also, sometimes those school units go high. It just depends on how bad somebody wants it. I would also check out yard sales, and thrift shops or ask a school or church if they are looking to get rid of one. If you plan on using it where there is no 110v power you will need to get a battery operated one. Keep us posted. We want to encourage the younger set to take up the vinyl mantle. Best. Thom