Phonoland

Greetings all. I'm looking for some advice. What a mechanical nightmare of gears, relays, switches, levers, etc. I have the instruction manual but have never done anything more than lubricate the mechanism. I am quite handy but I find it difficut to know where to start. Wonder if someone might point me in the right direction?

Lately the unit will place a record on the turntable in a normal fashion. The tone arm will move to the record's outside edge and lower as normal but then immediately the arm will pick up and the record is returned to the record holder (magazine) without playing the record. This might not be related but at that point the magazine just continues to rotate.

Anyone offer suggestions?

Gary,
Couple of "suggestions"--I do not recall which "system" was used for "scan control"--but look at the "Pulled pin" --
When the mech stops to pick up the record, is the pin "hammered" back to the non-selected state ? If not, this would account for the scan not stopping, as I am assuming that the older "washer" type scan control is used. Is either the "end of record trip-off switch" or the rear cabinet, "reject switch" ,closed-?---this would account for it not hammering the pin, the non play, and for the continual scan problem-- If this model uses the "newer" type "scan control unit", check that the unit is not "gummed up", thus holding the scan control points closed.
HTH, Ron Rich

Ron .. I appreciate your reply and suggestions. I'm out of town right now but will look into your suggestions when I return. Gary

Gary, check the end-of-record trip switch under the tines arm. You have to remove the dress cap (mech cover). These are just two metal leaves that get pushed together by a cam on the tonearm assembly.

The R-O trip switch is excellent in that it produces very little loading on the tone arm to start the trip action. However in actual use the contacts are prone to welding together as they get tarnished and start to spark.

If you find then stuck together, file them lightly after separating and see that they are as close as possible w/out actually touching.

Rob/NYC

Thank you Rob and Ron for the help. I did check the end of record trip switch and the reject switch but all was fine. While looking for the "Pulled Pin" I noticed a rod hanging loose. The lock ring was missing on the Drive Rod identified on Figure 1 Mech-O-Matic instruction page and the rod end dropped off. I can't tell you what the rod does but reattaching it fixed the problem. I guess I had some luck. The 1493 is running fine now. I need to find a suitable locking ring for the rod though.
Thank you both for giving me a starting point to begin troubleshooting. Gary