Dansette Bermuda 1966 Stereo help (Mark 2)
 

Hello all,
I recently came across my grandmothers old Dansette Bermuda and I have never even heard a record before and as a lover of the Beatles I thought what a good time to get into listening to vinyl records. The player itself functions well from what I know and I think its from 1966 but please correct me if i'm wrong. Since I've been listening I think the age of the speakers is letting the player down a bit and for this reason i'd like to set it up with a stereo speaker system however I really do not know how. I have some simple trust speakers which include 2 speakers and a subwoofer and when I plug the aux into the "ext. ls / tape" hole the players speaker stops and the sound only comes through one speaker and sounds pretty poor at high volumes. When plugged into the stereo jack it does exactly the same however the players speaker plays aswell with what I assume is the right channel but i'm not too certain since the speaker quality on that is pretty poor. the one speaker on my trust speaker that works sounds decent but v quiet and I really don't know what to do about it. If someone could help me out and tell me how to get it working in both speakers (trust) and at a decent volume that would be great since this player is very sentimental. Any further questions or pics please do ask :)

Also if any people could suggest what cartridge I would need to buy to replace the current one that would be very useful. I've bought the exact same model stylus and that is coming soon but i'm hesitant to change cartridge as I don't know how to calibrate it

Re: Dansette Bermuda 1966 Stereo help
 

Hello there and welcome to the forum.

Your record player would have had an optional stereo add on unit available at the time which looked very like the front of the player cabinet. It contained the same amplifier and speaker as in the player itself. It was plugged into the stereo socket and an internal switch turned off one channel to the player's speaker and connected that channel to the add on unit. The two were sort of matched as they contained the same components although the differences in the cabinets themselves didn't help with the matching.

Connecting your powered speaker to the stereo socket is doing the same thing as you suspect, but the matching between the two units is about as bad as you could get. The modern unit will have lots of electronics to boost the bass and will make the original speaker and amp sound weedy and thin, again as you have seen. It isn't easy to send the two channels to external speakers as the record player was never intended to be used like that. It is possible but would mean taking it apart and soldering in connections which would bypass the original amplifier.

I think it would be best simply to enjoy the Dansette as intended, accepting that it is 50 years old and listening to it as your grandmother would have done when she bought it.

A new stylus is a good idea but you probably don't need a new cartridge. See how you get on with the new stylus before replacing the cartridge.

If you want to hear records played with hi-fi quality then you really need a completely new set up.

Re: Dansette Bermuda 1966 Stereo help
 

If the Bermuda still has the original cartridge, it will be a BSR TC8. Do not use this to play stereo records, it will ruin them.

Re: Dansette Bermuda 1966 Stereo help
 

I was assuming in my last post that the amplifier in your record player was solid state, i.e. used transistors. I now wonder whether it uses valves. If so you should not use it again before certain components are replaced or you may do severe damage to it.

Does it work at once when you switch it on or does it need time to warm up?

Re: Dansette Bermuda 1966 Stereo help
 

Looking at the photograph it appears to have a ceramic stereo cartridge fitted

Re: Dansette Bermuda 1966 Stereo help
 

It is a 2 valve (UCL82/UY85) unit and has just one speaker - not "speakers". It benefits from having a stereo-compatible mono cartridge so is ideal for Beatles LPs. Be aware this is a live chassis unit and would advise against making any connections to it. It's possible that the Dansette is not working as it should and may benefit from someone looking over it over to establish what needs doing.

Re: Dansette Bermuda 1966 Stereo help
 

My sister bought one of those new at the end of 1968. It played stereo records, in mono, very well. Good luck with it.

Aub

Re: Dansette Bermuda 1966 Stereo help
 

That'll teach me to look properly at the pictures before posting! I saw the name "Bermuda" and just saw in my mind the original Dansette Bermuda with the sloping front from circa 1964.

Re: Dansette Bermuda 1966 Stereo help
 

Hi, from what I recall of the Bermuda Mark 2 (which is the machine shown in the original OP's picture) that passed through my hands recently is that the stereo socket is not one with an internal switch that parallels the left and right hand channels, as has been suggested, however just has one channel of the fitted stereo cartridge wired directly to the socket - the other channel going to the internal amplifier which is indeed of "live chassis" design.
This means that any stereo record played on the player will only reproduce one of the two stereo channels.

Admittedly it did seem rather an odd thing for the manufacturer to do although there may have been models fitted with a stereo compatible cartridge with an option to upgrade to a stereo cartridge when the additional "add on" amplifier was purchased.

If you only require full mono playback you could disconnect the stereo socket from the tag board on the underside of the autochanger and link the left and right channels at that point - if you do decide to do this the stereo socket must be disconnected for safety reasons

Regards

Andrew

Re: Dansette Bermuda 1966 Stereo help
 

The Dynatron GR8 was similar. Oddly it uses the type of plugs more usually seen on car radios to connect the add on amp with no switch. In order to get mono reproduction you had to use a short jumper lead between the stereo out and radio in sockets to connect the other channel.

Re: Dansette Bermuda 1966 Stereo help
 

My circuit diagram for the Dansette Bermuda shows a single EL84 with a mains Transformer.
John

Re: Dansette Bermuda 1966 Stereo help
 

Yes, that's for the Dansette "Bermuda" Mk 1.

Re: Dansette Bermuda 1966 Stereo help
 

Nice find, my family had the exact same model in the late sixties. We didnt buy the stereo add on though. Wish i could help, but i would respectfully suggest it is best preserved as a record player. If you can afford to, a better way into LP’s would be to buy a secondhand, amp, turntable and speakers. (It neednt cost a lot, with careful consideration). The sound would definitely be much better.

Patrick

Re: Dansette Bermuda 1966 Stereo help
 

Thank you Edward, I didn’t know the Mk2 used a different amp.
John