Phonoland

hello

i need some help with this record changer its working as it should except its setting the arm down too far into the record.
im not familiar with these foreign changers and dont see a set down adjustment? can anyone help me?




joe

Because this is a system that scans the record size with the arm tip, the adjustment is on the change cycle cam. You can get to it by removing the turntable. There is a little tag on the outside of the groove track that must be moved toward or away from the center of the cam to change the setdown position.

Before you make the adjustment, check for the following:

- Is the cartridge mounted improperly?

- Is the stylus bent?

- Is the feeler bar on the arm damaged?

- Is the arm landing in the correct place on the rest post when the changer shuts off?

- Is the arm lifting too high? That can make it set down wrong.

- Did the feeler bar actually contact the record? If it did not, the slipclutch might be loose, or the record might be too small. I could not get a PE Rex A to set properly on a 6" record.

thanks for the reply,i apreciate it! i have zero knowledge of these european changers was at a loss trying to figure it out.
i was given a grundig console with this changer and i am unable to take it out due to it being hardwired to the amp.
i did the best i could cleaning and lubing it but maybe i didnt do it good enough? the arm is NOT landing in the correct place when it shuts off.
it comes just shy of where is supposed to. when it is searching the record size it does touch the record the goes back and when it sets down it
just goes in enough to miss the beginning,whether 33 45 or 78. btw this is a grundig s/o 205 us.i wish i could find some documentation,users manual
etc but no luck. i may have to cut the wires to remove the changer since i see no connections that arent soldered to the chassis/amp?
joe

Record-changer wrote:Because this is a system that scans the record size with the arm tip, the adjustment is on the change cycle cam. You can get to it by removing the turntable. There is a little tag on the outside of the groove track that must be moved toward or away from the center of the cam to change the setdown position.

Before you make the adjustment, check for the following:

- Is the cartridge mounted improperly?

- Is the stylus bent?

- Is the feeler bar on the arm damaged?

- Is the arm landing in the correct place on the rest post when the changer shuts off?

- Is the arm lifting too high? That can make it set down wrong.

- Did the feeler bar actually contact the record? If it did not, the slipclutch might be loose, or the record might be too small. I could not get a PE Rex A to set properly on a 6" record.

Is there a plug on the bottom of the changer?

If not, it is better to unsolder wires, rather than cut them. The pickup wiring might be a shielded cable.

Make a diagram of the wires before you disconnect anything.

Further information:

The tag (what PE calls it) is a metal fitting on the outside edge of the groove track on the change cycle cam. Adjusting it changes the width of the track at that point. It sets the difference between the position of the arm when the feeler touches the record and the position of the arm when it sets down in the record.

The first drawing of a change cycle cam on the following website has a similar device. It is a Collaro changer, not a PE, but it also senses the record size by touching the record with the arm tip:

http://geocities.com/midimagic@sbcglobal.net/collaro.htm

Look for where it says "Eccentric setdown adjustment screw" on the drawing. The white object around that screw is moved by turning the screw, changing the width of the test track. The groove track on the Collaro has a different shape, because the Collaro moves the arm away from the record after touching it, so the record will fall flat when it is dropped. PE does not do this, so the groove track is closer to egg shaped.

Another reason the groove track is different is that the PE disengages the friction clutch when he arm sets down. Collaro does not disengage the clutch in the pickup positioning assembly, so the groove track becomes wide when the changer is out of cycle, where the arm must be free to track the record.

But the setdown adjustment works the same. Adjusting the width of the test track changes the distance between the position of the arm when the tip touches the record and the setdown position. On both changers, make the test track narrower to move the setdown away from the spindle, and make it wider to move the setdown point closer to the spindle.



Note that if the tag is loose, the setdown will be erratic. A loose or lubricated friction clutch in the arm drive can cause the same thing. Also note that the friction disc in the arm clutch may have deteriorated.

thanks again for all the help
i enjoyed your site very much too and learned quite a bit there!



joe