E.A.R Bantam Reproducer
 

Hello all.

I have an E.A.R Bantam reproducer marked Nov 57 which I picked up for $10.00 at a local auction house 12 years back. It recently fell on my foot when I was rearranging the garage and so I thought I would take a look at it.

It will only play audio for say 2 minutes tops, sometimes less. The sound just dies, but the motor keeps running.
Two valves, one wax capacitor, one metal can and two resistors is all there is. Can anyone give me a heads up as to what may be the issue please.

All comments gratefully received.

Cheers,

David.

Re: E.A.R Bantam Reproducer
 

The wax capacitor is a prime suspect(I regard them as 'change on sight' components) especially in a two-stage circuit where it couples the anode of the first stage to the control grid of the next (output) stage. Other possible causes are the metal rectifier, if one is used, and the reservoir & Smoothing capacitors (in the metal can). What valves are used UY85/UL84? (This is the typical 'one-valve'- so called because the UY85 is a rectifier)

Re: E.A.R Bantam Reproducer
 

Corroded cartridge connectors? A faulty EZ80 rectifier? The Collaro Studio "T" cartridge on these are usually good survivors.

Re: E.A.R Bantam Reproducer
 

Thanks Gents.

Valves are EZ80 and EL84. I don't see a metal rectifier.

I had a “brand new” cartridge , which I tried first but that made no difference.

I’ll go for the wax capacitor as a first stop.

Is there anywhere specific for audio stuff that you guys go to or is one cap as good as another?

Thanks again.

David

Re: E.A.R Bantam Reproducer
 

Apologies, David. I wasn't sure what circuit was used in the Bantam Player. Is the other valve an ECL8X i.e. a triode-pentode? If so that wax cap. is almost certainly the one commonly called 'that cap', which connects the triode anode to the pentode control grid. If so it must be changed as it will almost certainly be electrically leaky. I, and many other forum members use the yellow axial capacitors rated at 400, 630, or 1000v. to replace waxies. These are available from several suppliers in a wide range of capacitances. Use the nearest available value to that of the original.

Re: E.A.R Bantam Reproducer
 

Ez80/EL84 version has live chassis, the mains transformer is for heaters only, paralleled ez80 anodes

Re: E.A.R Bantam Reproducer
 

So... the wax cap presumably isn't a grid coupler. Screen grid decoupler perhaps or more likely top cut tone control. Either could cause mayhem but not necessarily.

No EL84 / EZ80 version in Paul's CD, perhaps you could post it up?

Re: E.A.R Bantam Reproducer
 

The wax capacitor is just for the tone control. It uses a simple single-stage EL84/EZ80 circuit.

Re: E.A.R Bantam Reproducer
 

I don't have a circuit for it, I have repaired a few of them. I currently have one that's been sitting in the dining room for three years waiting for an output transformer to turn up, I now have a couple which might do. I've got an idea that the tone cap goes to chassis, not ht+, which probably caused my problem. I'll have a look at it later.

Re: E.A.R Bantam Reproducer
 

Thanks Gents.
So are we saying that the wax capacitor in this instance would not be the cause of the sound dying? And if so, what would be an alternative please.
Cheers,

David.

Re: E.A.R Bantam Reproducer
 

If it is wired between the EL84 anode and chassis it could be the cause of the sound dying away, as a leaky capacitor here will drag the anode voltage down. As I noted earlier, I'd replace the waxie anyway!

Re: E.A.R Bantam Reproducer
 

If it is wired to chassis from anode (via tone control pot) and is leaky it could burn out the output transformer primary which could be difficult/expensive to replace

Re: E.A.R Bantam Reproducer
 

Never mind the record player, how's the foot? :-)

Re: E.A.R Bantam Reproducer
 

Thanks again.

Foot is doing well, luckily, it only fell from a shelf underneath a counter, maybe 2 foot. I once went to the tip with an old tv unit, was walking over to the recycle part and a shelf slid out and caught me fair on the top of the foot. It hurt that bad I had trouble driving back home!

Cheers,

D

Re: E.A.R Bantam Reproducer
 

Bantam circuit, my player has a correctly wired three core mains lead. You need to be certain the amplifier chassis in your player is connected to mains neutral.

Re: E.A.R Bantam Reproducer
 

Thanks. Will look into it.

D

Re: E.A.R Bantam Reproducer
 

Finally got around to putting a new capacitor in the machine. All good and now the sound does not cut out. Irritatingly, I cannot seem to adjust the tone arm so that it allows it enough travel towards the centre of the record to enable the motor to switch off, its better than it was so I know where to adjust the two screws under the tone arm, but I seem to have run out of adjustment and its still not perfect. The motor sometimes seems to need to warm up before it reaches playing speed. It is what it is. Thanks for all the help.

Cheers,

D.

Re: E.A.R Bantam Reproducer
 

It's not the position of the tonearm that signals the end of the record, but the speed with which it is moving. Make sure there is no grease on the trip mechanism; it relies on metal-to-metal friction.

Re: E.A.R Bantam Reproducer
 

Interesting. Before I adjusted it, it would only go to say 3/4 of the way through the record before it met resistance and wanted to stop. Now it goes almost all of the way through most records. I’ll have a clean up and see if it makes a difference.
Thanks,

D

Re: E.A.R Bantam Reproducer
 

There are some sticky topics at the head of this sub-forum with descriptions of how the velocity trip works and various specific changers. Have a read first - if you are not familiar with autochangers some of the mechanisms are not intuitive to a first inspection.

Speed too low when cold indicates congealed oil / grease (or slipping idler) and like the trip mechanism should be fine after a careful clean and relube.