:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Macca
Hey… I get no respect
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:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Macca
Hey… I get no respect
The Primare is more musical than the topping, for sure.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gazjam
It also has better functionality, so what is there not to like?
The robot mower won't be fun, but it will save me two to three hours a week, so I can have more fun. 😉
All worked out best in the end!
Enjoy it when that happens :)
My SL1200 has started to play up recently, and I noticed that the PCB is coloured around one of the transistor through heat. The issue is that the TT does not always start.
I think this is due to the age of the capacitors, so I have ordered a kit of the new electrolytic capacitors required to replace the old ones.
There are 21 capacitors to change.
I have also addressed another issue. When I fitted my external PSU, I bypassed the power switch. In hindsight, this was probably not the best move as the capacitors have probably suffered more than they needed to, being powered on 24/7. So I have just wired the power switch back in.
Hopefully the capacitors will arrive early next week, and I can begin the replacement campaign.
I'm revamping my 1988 SL-1210 at the moment Kevin and was thinking about replacing the caps too. At the moment they appear in good shape, so decided not too. I have however ordered a complete main board assembly from Japan, to have as a drop in replacement should disaster strike.
I'm just about to put a new transformer in as well.
Hope all goes well with the cap replacement :)
A replacement board - that sounds expensive. ;)
I have been looking today, but I am not sure I can find the exact one I need.
It was a weekend deal with 10% off, they are about 130.00 at the moment with the power supply and bearing, but that goes up and down quite a bit.Quote:
Originally Posted by CageyH
Mind you I've never bought anything from Japan on eBay before, so it might turn out to be expensive!
I saw one in the UK for £150, so without import tax it may work out cheaper?
The cheapest one I saw in France was €280. And it has some PCB tracks fixed with solder. :eek:
I'm not expecting to pay any import tax as it was either 118 or 115, can't remember exactly now. I have seen them as low as 90.00 in Japan, but it fluctuates depending on how many are on there.
My understanding, but I'm not sure, is that if it's for personal use and below 130.00 you don't pay anything. . . I guess I'll find out?
Fingers crossed.
Well it arrived from Japan without any import duty to pay. It took 8 days to arrive from the day I ordered it and the total cost was £115.18.
Looks in better shape than my current one, it's certainly newer . . hopefully it works too!
https://i.postimg.cc/rpBwhCWZ/japan.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/8kmJK9C3/PXL-20...-081627327.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/4yPYY7Mh/PXL-20...-082000573.jpg
Good to know.
My capacitor kit turned up today. I just need to plan when I fit them.
I also ordered some new resistors so I can change the ones where there is a visible discolouration on the PCB.
Nice one - keep those old Techies alive I say.
I actually bought a new SL-1200 GR2 but decided to take it back and restore my 1210 instead. I was going to sell it . . . that would have been a big mistake. I didn't like the extra buttons around the pitch fader and those blue lights made my head hurt, really hated those. Can't quite put my finger on it, but it just didn't look right and selling my old one didn't feel like the right thing to do either.
The resistors arrived today, so I took an hour off work, and the SL1200 is back up and running with 21 new capacitors as well as resistors R202 and R213 which I replaced with 1/2W versions, left proud of the board for better airflow, as the board was discoloured in this area.
The Capacitors were mainly Panasonic FM series, except for the six 1uF, which were WIMA Film Capacitors.
The resistors were Vishay Carbon 5% resistors - basically like for like, but going up to 1/2W from 1/4W. They were probably fine, but as they seem to have been getting warm, I changed them.
Good stuff - I used to be good with a soldering iron in my twenties, but now . . . not so much!
Glad to hear the 1200 is back in action.
The printing on both sides makes the job pretty easy, as does having a good soldering iron.
Were the caps and resistors easy to source? Now I have two main boards, I might be brave enough to try this myself, knowing I have a backup available.Quote:
Originally Posted by CageyH
I ordered a kit through eBay for the capacitors.
I only changed the resistors as they were in a hot spot.
If you want the resistors, I have 19 of each left. Send me a PM and I will post a couple of each to you.
They are Vishay 5% Carbon.
Thanks for that, let me have a look for the kits and then if I think I might have a go, I'll get back to you.
:cool:
You can see the discolouration quite clearly.
Attachment 31702
Yup, compared to my board that is quite a difference.
https://i.postimg.cc/nzt6ySV6/Screen...4-21-52-47.png
Do you think that's because you had it wired up to be powered all the time and have you fixed that now?Quote:
Originally Posted by CageyH
Yes, I think so.
The power switch on the TT has been wired into the power circuit now, so it is fixed.
And on your board, I would not change the resistors.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim
:thumbsup:Quote:
Originally Posted by CageyH
It seems in reasonably good shape, I have yet to test the capacitors with a multimeter, only done a visual check.
https://i.postimg.cc/j2C2fjVH/mainboard.jpg
That's the current board, the one from Japan is similar, if not a little cleaner.
I don't think a multimeter will give you an accurate reading with the capacitors still fitted to the board.
The next job on the list is to change the output capacitors on the BB3. I have some JLX aluminium foil capacitors arriving next week. These were recommended by Oli.
While I am in there with my soldering iron, I am tempted to change the diodes in the power supply. Standard parts are UF4007, so I was think SF4007 may bring a minor upgrade, potentially lowering the noise floor, very slightly.
I've no idea if that'll work as I've never done it before, just something I was reading recently - I'm learning on the hoof at the moment :oQuote:
Originally Posted by CageyH
I did wonder if that would work, so I'll give it a miss.
If you Techie is from the 80s, the capacitors are 40 years old, so due a change.
Not necessarily. My 1200 works fine (I don't know exactly how old it is since it is from a 'zero' year so could be 1990 or 2000) but the previous one I had was either 1980 or 1990 and that was also fine.
Although it is widely claimed that capacitors always degrade it's by no means universal. If the deck spins at the correct speed then there's no problem to solve.
My 1210 is from 1988 and I was thinking that myself, but I got some advice from a couple of turntable trade guys and Jez Arkless, who all said to leave it alone if it was running fine, which it is. I'm not competent enough to know which is the best advice, so that's kind of why I bought the other main board from Japan. Not just to have the IC chips AN6680 & AN6675, which are getting expensive now (often more than I paid for the board for just one), but to have a full backup.Quote:
Originally Posted by CageyH
So I won't do anything now until something fails, then I'll swap the board out and fix the one that's faulty, so the deck should always be functional - that's the theory anyway :scratch:
I would listen to the professionals, and not some SL1200 tinkerer. ;)
Much to my dismay, I was still getting occasional and what seems like random hum from my BB3, so last night I swapped the UF4007 out for some Vishay SF4007, as these are supposed to be an upgrade. I was also not sure what UF4007 I had fitted. They may have been generic parts I purchased from Amazon to try and fix the issue.
Listening to my system in my lunch break for the first time, and I am surprised at the difference changing these diodes out has made.
I tidied up the input/output/loading connections whilst I was in there , but I am almost at a point where it sounds too bright.
I am going to have to wait for it to warm up and reassess later.
My new output capacitors should arrive tomorrow, so if I don't like the SF4007, I have some proper UF4007s to drop back in whilst I am changing the output capacitors.
The advantage of the SF4007 from what I have read is that they are supposed to help create a "blacker background" which is probably useful in a phonostage.
Time will tell.
It has warmed up now.
It sounds much better now that it has. I had never really noticed a big difference before.
And part of the difference is down to the Mazda Silver plate 12AX7S that was fitted.
Not the best match with an AT20SS. :doh:
Funny how Mazda were knocking out valves and cars.
Imagine if you could get British Leyland valves.
As you probably alreadyknow, they only share the name. ;)
When looking into where Mazda vacuum tubes (valves) were made, it helps to clear up a common bit of confusion: the "Mazda" brand name was historically shared by completely separate corporate entities across different countries, none of which had anything to do with the Japanese car manufacturer.
Because of complex licensing and trademark agreements tracing back to General Electric (USA) using the name "Mazda" for high-efficiency incandescent lamps named after the Zoroastrian god of light (*Ahura Mazda*), you will find Mazda valves from three primary regions:
1. United Kingdom (British Mazda / Ediswan)
The most common Mazda-branded valves found in classic British hi-fi gear, guitar amplifiers, and radio sets were **made in England**.
The Manufacturer: They were manufactured by Ediswan (The Edison Swan Electric Co.), which later became part of British Thomson-Houston (BTH) and Associated Electrical Industries (AEI).
The Factories: The vast majority of authentic British Mazda valves were produced at the historic Ponders End factory in North London. Later production also came from facilities in Sunderland and Bristol.
Characteristics: True British Mazda valves (like their highly regarded ECC83, 6P15, or UU series rectifiers) are famous for their rugged construction and high-quality internal engineering, often featuring highly distinct anode stitching or unique structural geometry compared to their Mullard counterparts.
2. France (La Compagnie des Lampes / Mazda-Belvu)
If you run across vintage Mazda valves in continental Europe, they are highly likely to be made in France.
The Manufacturer: La Compagnie des Lampes (CdL) owned the Mazda trademark in France. They manufactured lighting and thermionic valves under the MAZDA and Lampe Mazda banners. They also operated under the Mazda-Belvu and CIFTE umbrellas.
The Factories: The primary manufacturing hub was at the historic Ivry-sur-Seine plant just south of Paris, with secondary production coming from workshops like Saint-Pierre-Montlimart near Cholet.
Characteristics: French Mazda silver-box or military-spec tubes (such as French-made 12AX7s, 6V6GTs, and unique pentodes) are highly prized by audiophiles today for their exceptionally clean, detailed sonic performance and incredibly low noise floors.
3. The "Foreign" Stamped Relabeled Valves
As the golden age of vacuum tube production began to wind down in the late 1960s and 1970s, the British and French Mazda entities increasingly sourced valves from other global manufacturers to meet replacement market demands, stamping them with the Mazda logo.
Depending on the production era and specific valve, a "Mazda" stamped tube might actually have been manufactured by:
Mullard (Blackburn, UK) or Philips (Eindhoven, Netherlands)
Tesla (Czechoslovakia) — For example, many Mazda-branded 6X4/EZ90 rectifiers are actually premium-quality Czech Tesla 6Z31 production.
EI (Yugoslavia) or Tungsram (Hungary)
RFT (East Germany)
How to check: If you are trying to verify a specific pair of Mazda valves for a phono stage or preamp, look closely at the glass near the base. Authentic British production often features etched factory codes or structural traits like heavily stitched/folded gray plates, while French-made versions frequently carry specific batch codes or distinct silver internal shield plates.
I didn't know that, I always assumed it was the same company or at least part of the same group. Interesting.Quote:
Originally Posted by CageyH
Every day’s a school day! Thanks for that Kevin, interesting indeed!
One thing I am happy to report with the change to SF4007 diodes in the HV stage of my BB3 is that there is less valve hiss when music is not playing.
I have my system powered on without music playing, to see if my mod has helped cure the hum and there is noticeably less hiss "on idle".
I have not heard any hum today. Too early to claim a victory though.
The JLX aluminium caps have been installed now, and are "burning in".
The BB3 seems to sound less "clinical" at the moment, which was the goal.
Time will tell if this was the right move.
Still no hum heard, so I am feeling happy.
I also think that the JLX Aluminium foil caps are starting to open up a bit more.
Hopefully they will be run in fully sometime during the weekend.
I took Oli's advice on the capacitors, and it seems to have paid off.
:thumbsup:Quote:
Originally Posted by CageyH
I have just finished measuring the capacitors removed from my SL1200.
All were OK, except for C209, which was 37% lower than it should have been.
C209 is the capacitor located in the darkened area of my main board, so realistically, I could have got away with replacing just this one.
That's good to know Kevin . . . how old is your 1200 by the way? Just looked at the C209 location and yeah, it's right in your hot zone.
I'm possibly not going to externalise my new power board and transformer, it's apparently much quieter than the original - the maker claims "Upgraded toroidal transformer for audiophile quality power with a fraction of the electromagnetic noise as the original transformer".
We shall see?
Personally, I would move the PSU to an external case.
It is all about removing a source of vibration and electrical noise away from the platter/cartridge.
As for the year, my SL1200 MK2-A-XA (and I am guessing) it is a April 1991 deck, as the serial number starts GE1DX with quite a low serial number (less than 2000).
Additional info on the changes on my capacitors - C1 was replaced by a 1000uF cap as found on some of the different models, and C2 is a 50V 33uF instead of the 25V originally fitted.
I think I will also a spare board, whilst they are still available at a sensible price.
I think Imshould have done some more research before buying "upgraded" capacitors to replace new ones from the kit.Quote:
Originally Posted by CageyH
If your external power supply has its own internal voltage regulator and sends a clean, steady, flat 21V DC straight into the turntable mainboard, it completely replaces the turntable’s original internal regulation circuitry.
In this case, you can strip the entire onboard power regulation section. Along with C1, you can remove:
C2 (Typically 100\,\mu\text{F} / 25\text{V}): This is the output smoothing capacitor for the onboard regulator. Since the external supply is already delivering regulated, smooth DC, this capacitor is redundant.
C3 (Typically 33\,\mu\text{F} / 25\text{V}): This sits on the base of the main regulation transistor (Q1 / Q2 depending on board revision) to stabilize the reference voltage. If the internal regulator isn't working, C3 does nothing.
The Rectifier Diodes (D1): Usually a 4-diode package or four discrete diodes near C1. Because no AC is entering the deck, these are entirely idle.
The Main Regulator Transistor & Zener Diode: While not capacitors, you can also unsolder the pass transistor (mounted to the small metal bracket/chassis) and its accompanying Zener diode (D2 or D301), as they are completely bypassed.
That is €3.60 down the drain. :lol:
I'm on the fence about this Kevin, I have all the bits from Maplin and it's a simple enough job, but TBH I don't really fancy the extra box. I'm not an audiophile by any stretch of the imagination, I just like playing music. When it's sorted it'll be the best deck I've used anyway, having not had a TT since the 80s. I've only had two before, a Pioneer PL12D then an Ariston Q Deck. I did briefly have a 401 but never used it . . . should have kept that really, but there you go. I had an SL-1200GR2 for 2 days, but took that back wanting to fix mine up instead.Quote:
Originally Posted by CageyH
So I've nothing to judge it against really to say it's not going to be better than what I had before, so good enough for occasional use. I've only got about 300 LPs left and mostly play my FLAC files, but want a half decent turntable available if the fancy takes me.
We'll see, but right now I think it will be more than enough to keep me happy with the new paint job, lid, bearing and a Rega RB330 arm.
Well, play it by ear then.
Personally, when the deck is stripped down, I would do it, and fit a long lead between the power supply and the TT.
Then the PSU can be put on the floor out of the way, and out of sight.