RCA Stereo VJT 50W

Hi. I received this stereo from my grandmother. We always listened to it as kids, and it still works pretty well. I'd like to get some more information about this particular model or one similar to it, but I have no idea where to look. So far, all of my web searches have not been very useful. If you know anything about this model or where I might find some information about it, please let me know! My e-mail is abdecker@comcast.net. Thanks!

Amy

i see a lot of people have viewed this thread, but i have gotten no response. i may possibly decide to sell it. can anyone give me information about how to price it? i don't expect a lot of money; i just want to be sure i'm not under-/overpricing it.

thanks!

Amy, you stereo console dates to 1967/68. Regardless how well it plays or how good it looks it's just not worth very much. Test the waters where you live with an ad, ask for $50.00. If you get that much be thankful. If you get any offers from $10.00 up you might ought to consider if you want to get it out of the way. I personally don't pay for solid state stereo consoles where I live. Too many and folks want them hauled off. They just aren't the thing.

I bought a 1972 Admiral console (mint) at auction fo $0.50 several years ago and a early 70s Zenith console for my son for twice the price, also mint. If it plays well and looks good why get rid of it? Those RCAs had good tone and powerful amps. I'm not sure of your model but if it has a tape input or aux input you could connect your IPOD or other device to it. If you have records to play on it by all means keep it and enjoy it. Regards,

Thank you, shedradios, about the narrowing down of the date. I have an RCA Victor model VJT-41-W, and had always figured it was at least mid-60's. And, made right here in Indianapolis (at the corner of Michigan St. and Sherman Dr., just down the road from the first Indianapolis RCA Victor record pressing plant in Indy, 501 N. LaSalle St.). Unfortunately, I've had to change the changer out of mine with another RCA Victor one, though the changer I pulled out of it had a date stamp of 1964 underneath it.

Hey stereo, is your RCA changer the model with the lightning bolt logo on the tone arm? I always loved that design.

A good way to find the date is to look under the record changer, either stamped on the motor, or the baseplate. It gives a good indication as to when the set was built. VJT models are around 1967-1969 vintage.

I guess RCA could've use surplus changers that they already had on hand for some of the later models....mine had a stamp of 1964 underneath it. It also has the old zone code stamped on the back in the address ("Radio Corporation of America, Home Instruments Division, Indianapolis 1, Ind."). That could probably be using extra copies of a "desing stamp," too, I guess.

My tonearm is of the more slender design.

Dewey70 wrote:Hey stereo, is your RCA changer the model with the lightning bolt logo on the tone arm? I always loved that design.

Yes, those series of record changers were quite stylish. I have I one pulled from a 1964 console that I built into an 1957 RCA portable record player.
If it's the RP217-218 series, with the black tonearm, possibly chrome vaporized trim, it will have either the round RCA logo/lightning bolt, OR the blue "feather touch" feather emblem (floating cartridge).
In the early 60s the RCA designers seemed to style their products with that trademark "oval" design on radios, phonos, etc. Even their speakers in some consoles were oval (the "Diaphonic" series).
Notice on these changers the same style of the record stabilizer arm, the control knob, all had that "()" style... their radios also had that "()" design on the tuning dial windows. It's sad that style and detail has become cheap or non-existent anymore.

I have a very heavy "portable" RCA unit with the "feather action" tone arm from around 1967. A very attractive, chromed out turntable which unfortunately is missing the clip that holds the cartridge in place. The cartridge just hangs there. I can find replacement cartridges on the net, but have had no luck finding just the "feather" clip. Any ideas??

Thanks,
Troy

troy b wrote:I have a very heavy "portable" RCA unit with the "feather action" tone arm from around 1967. A very attractive, chromed out turntable which unfortunately is missing the clip that holds the cartridge in place. The cartridge just hangs there. I can find replacement cartridges on the net, but have had no luck finding just the "feather" clip. Any ideas??

Thanks,
Troy

Good luck finding the original piece.
The part you're decribing is a friction-fit plastic "pointer" at the tip of the arm designed to "show" where to put the stylus on a certain groove. It also has a small felt pad underneath that rides on the record as part of a "cleaner" to remove dust and retain the cartridge. It's basically an "L" shaped affair.

Your best bet is to fashion a small piece of aluminum into an "L" shape 10mm wide, 15mm high, 2mm thick with the bottom of the "L" holding the cartridge bracket from dropping past it. And gluing a tiny piece of felt on the bottom of the "L"... Bottom of the "L" should be about 5-6mm long to retain the cartridge bracket. You want this to be a semi-tight friction fit, tight enough not to fall out, yet removable in the future. Patience, filing, smoothing and care in shaping is the key.

Since this style arm is designed with a floating cartridge, the whole weight of the arm is heavier against the record, the cartridge assembly floats at about 5 grams pressure. The additional drag from the felt pad is compensated by using a slightly higher rotational speed/bigger motor shaft in these models.

In the other version arm with the round RCA emblem the total arm weight is lighter since the cartridge is fixed with two screws. Also tracking at about 5 grams. And the counterbalance spring is different as is the motor shaft.

I did notice the other day a seller on ebay has one of those RCA cartridge clips listed in his store. Seller is 'Needledaddy.' I believe it's listed under 'Phonograph Parts' in his store.