New Vista RCA Questions, speaker, tone arm

Hello guys, I have had a good time the past 4 hours reading all your posts and there are some very knowledgeable fellas on this site that is for sure. If any one is in the Upstate New York area, I live in Rochester/Syracuse and am looking to connect with other vintage radio/tv/phono enthusiasts. There is clearly a wave of interest in these machines from the 50s and 60s, so now is time to find, fix em and get them back out there! I had a couple of awesome consoles that bit the dust a few years ago and I just discarded them like an idiot.

Well now I am back in the game with RCA Victorola New Vista, Model Number VGT32W, serial number 5513171.

I bought it off a nice fella for $60 and if I can't get it working properly he will take it back. So I am under pressure here to get it going, it fits in beautifully with my house and my GF/roomate just loves it -- if I can get it working. Well enough of the introduction.

The two main problems, are that the tone arm is stiff, it does not move across the record as it should, it does not automatically go on the record and when I put it manually on there it sounds good though it just stays in the same groove over and over, so this prevents it from automatically moving the arm in place, and also playing more than one groove if I manually put it on there.

Second problem is that the right speaker does not work, I took off the back panel and swapped the left speaker wires with the right that plug into a something that had a bunch of wires going into it (see photo) and then the left work and the right did not. Do I just need to try and replace the thing that all the wires plug into? Again check out the picture.

Hi Chetek!

I have no advice to offer, but WELCOME TO THE BOARD!!! That's amazing that you spent several hours going through the old posts. There are some incredible posts here from many knowledgeable folks, including techs and amateurs. For the most part, we respectfully agree to disagree, and I do need to make an apology to someone out there for something I said many months ago, which was not called for.

It sorta sounds like you may have narrowed down the culprit as far as left/right channels go. I don't know what that thing is in your last pic, but it seems like that channel issue is there. It's blurry, maybe pan back alittle bit and maybe show exactly where that thing plugs in. I'm just guessing, but it could be a continuity issue/broken wire, and a meter will confirm that...dead spot between point A and B. It's a beautiful unit though.

Turntables are mechanical beasts and sometimes need a thorough cleaning and lubricating. Check for dried up, crusty grease and cartridge wires have enough lenght to allow the arm to move freely. The idler wheel under the platter should be checked also so it still makes proper contact on the inside rim and is not hard and brittle. There are many more issues when dealing with a turntable. Matt and the other folks can chime in for the specifics.

Again, Welcome to the board. I'm not the official spokesperson/administrator here, but it's nice to know that more folks are into these relics. My house is busting at the seams with them, and I think they are so cool. LONG LIVE THE LP's, 45's AND 78's. --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

The blurry photo is nothing more then a "toggle switch". These are prone to get "dirty contacts". If you know how to use a meter, read the contacts with it. if there is a bad contact, or you do not know how to use a meter--you might try this trick, which sometimes works: "Toggle" it very quickly ( with the power OFF), about 100 times. Ron Rich

Thanks guys! I am at work but I will try this when I get home. . .

I had to take the photos with a video camera, so they do not do it justice.

The toggle switch is what the bottom pic is. It seems like someone modified the wiring so that they could plug in an external tape deck or something like that. The back panel and instruction book (yes it came with the original!!) talk about that spot being for wiring external speakers but those connections are gone, and its place is this toggle switch with four of the spots connected to new outlets to attach a tape deck. I am confident I can fix that, as I mentioned when I switched the speaker wire connections, then the right did work and the left stopped so it must be the connecitons there.

As for the tone arm, I am going to try to follow your suggestions as best I can. I am not so confident in my abilities, I am not mechanically inclined, but I am determined!

Pete

Pete,

I was pleased to see your post. For the past 15 years I have been waiting to take possession of the very same Victrola New Vista Stereo that you have pictured. My grandmother bought hers brand new and gave it to me since I enjoyed playing records on it as a little boy. I would like to ask you if you could please scan the owner's manual and email it to me since I don't have the original that came with my grandmother's stereo and I would like a copy of one. I will be working on restoring this great sounding machine in the new few months so if you find any interesting facts or places to get parts please let me know. The one that I have is in working order but I do know that the turn table needs to be cleaned along with replacing the needle. It has had some issues for years with the speaks cutting out but I think that issue is in the volume knob and selector knob. The sound that this stereo puts out is just amazing...it would rattle the china in the cabinet in the kitchen which shared a wall with the living room where it lived. She paid $460.00 in either 1966 or 1967.

--Billy
shagnguy@yahoo.com

If you can find a professional in your area to refurbish the changer (turntable) that's what I would suggest if only because you expressed a lack of confidence concerning things mechanical. The switch looks homade and I would reccomend abandoning it.

Wow this is the third time I am trying to post a reply, I am not going to try and re-write it again! Not sure what I am doing wrong. Any way, here is my update:

1) I have not had any success repairing the turntable, I am so lame, I cannot even get the platter up to do the suggested repairs here.
2) Via Craigslist I found someone that does repairs and he is coming over Sunday night, I will keep you posted
3) here is the manual, I scanned and PDFed it! But I am not able to attach PDFs here, so if you want a copy, please email me at chetek65@yahoo.com

Pete