Ekco vintage record player problem - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

recordandy · 25th Jun 2008, 8:00 pm

I recently aquired an Ekco record player with a Garrard autoslim deck. The problem is after about 20 minutes the sound becomes distorted (quite fuzzy) and sometimes the volume drops as well. After i switch off and let it cool down it is fine again, until another 15 to 20 minutes and it happens again. I have no idea what the problem is Any ideas?

hondacxrider · 25th Jun 2008, 11:44 pm

Hi,
I had a similar problem see
https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...ad.php?t=23098
maybe this will help you get some idea. I'm at the problem again and I am swapping valves in and out, problem here is you have to wait for the thing to cool before valve removal (otherwise toasty fingers) then wait for it all to go wrong again then start again.
Will post when I have finally fixed it.
Good luck.
Duncan

paulsherwin · 26th Jun 2008, 12:04 am

These symptoms are normally caused by a bad output valve. The valve will gradually draw more and more current as it gets hotter and the sound will become distorted.

All the wax capacitors in an amp of this age are suspect, and it's best to change them. A leaky grid coupling capacitor can sometimes cause these symptoms too.

Paul

Steve_P · 26th Jun 2008, 12:30 am

This tends to be a valve problem caused by capacitors. You will maybe (almost certainly) need a new valve and definitely caps - one in particular! The one to the control grid in particular.

Don't change the valve without changing the caps!

Cheers,

Steve P.

recordandy · 28th Jun 2008, 10:31 pm

Many thanks for you advise guys

recordandy · 13th Jul 2008, 7:55 am

Also the valves on this player are situated underneath the record deck ( where the speed selector is) and the metal base of the deck gets extremely hot after about 20 minutes. In fact there is evidence of melting of the plastic speed selector. Is that right? should the valves get that hot?!

Darren-UK · 13th Jul 2008, 8:41 am

No idea what valves your Ekco contains, but one will be an output valve and the other probably a rectifier. Both these valves run hot, even when everything else (caps etc) are in good order.

There may have been a heat deflector at one time, now missing. This would've been nothing more than a piece of aluminium sheet but, broadly, such refinements weren't used in record-players at or towards the bottom end of the market.

We have to remember that these record-players, as with old radios, were built with an intended life of just a few years. Fifty or so years on they're still going and time will take its toll - which could be what's happened in the Speed Selector v. Heat situation.

hondacxrider · 13th Jul 2008, 11:02 am

Try changing the caps, of all the components, these have the shortest operational life, and if any are wax, then don't even think of doing anything else till these are replaced. Then I would look at the crystal cartridge, these can also cause the symptom you describe (look at other threads)
My turntables get warm on my valve record players so this may be normal, for yours, difficult to say though as I don't know how hot yours gets.
The rubber mats on old turntables detiorate in such a way with age so it looks like they have "melted", and I suspect that is the case with yours, if it was to get hot enough to melt the rubber I would expect the cabinet might start charing too, and I doubt if the valves by themselves could generate that much heat. As far as the records themselves are concerned the heat may harm them during playback so a safely installed heatshield would be a good answerin this case.

hondacxrider · 13th Jul 2008, 11:05 am

Further to my last post, can we have a picture or two to look at, and see what's going on?

25th Jun 2008, 8:00 pm	#1
recordandy Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Nottingham, Notts. UK. Posts: 19	Ekco vintage record player problem I recently aquired an Ekco record player with a Garrard autoslim deck. The problem is after about 20 minutes the sound becomes distorted (quite fuzzy) and sometimes the volume drops as well. After i switch off and let it cool down it is fine again, until another 15 to 20 minutes and it happens again. I have no idea what the problem is Any ideas?

25th Jun 2008, 11:44 pm	#2
hondacxrider Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bicester, Oxfordshire, UK. Posts: 92	Re: Ecko vintage record player problem Hi, I had a similar problem see https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...ad.php?t=23098 maybe this will help you get some idea. I'm at the problem again and I am swapping valves in and out, problem here is you have to wait for the thing to cool before valve removal (otherwise toasty fingers) then wait for it all to go wrong again then start again. Will post when I have finally fixed it. Good luck. Duncan

26th Jun 2008, 12:04 am	#3
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,969	Re: Ecko vintage record player problem These symptoms are normally caused by a bad output valve. The valve will gradually draw more and more current as it gets hotter and the sound will become distorted. All the wax capacitors in an amp of this age are suspect, and it's best to change them. A leaky grid coupling capacitor can sometimes cause these symptoms too. Paul

26th Jun 2008, 12:30 am	#4
Steve_P Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Bolton, Greater Manchester, UK. Posts: 6,644	Re: Ecko vintage record player problem This tends to be a valve problem caused by capacitors. You will maybe (almost certainly) need a new valve and definitely caps - one in particular! The one to the control grid in particular. Don't change the valve without changing the caps! Cheers, Steve P. __________________ If we've always had it, why is the Car Boot open? You're not sneaking another Old TV in are you...?

28th Jun 2008, 10:31 pm	#5
recordandy Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Nottingham, Notts. UK. Posts: 19	Re: Ekco vintage record player problem Many thanks for you advise guys

13th Jul 2008, 7:55 am	#6
recordandy Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Nottingham, Notts. UK. Posts: 19	Re: Ekco vintage record player problem Also the valves on this player are situated underneath the record deck ( where the speed selector is) and the metal base of the deck gets extremely hot after about 20 minutes. In fact there is evidence of melting of the plastic speed selector. Is that right? should the valves get that hot?!

13th Jul 2008, 8:41 am	#7
Darren-UK Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Blackpool, Lancashire, UK. Posts: 4,061	Re: Ekco vintage record player problem No idea what valves your Ekco contains, but one will be an output valve and the other probably a rectifier. Both these valves run hot, even when everything else (caps etc) are in good order. There may have been a heat deflector at one time, now missing. This would've been nothing more than a piece of aluminium sheet but, broadly, such refinements weren't used in record-players at or towards the bottom end of the market. We have to remember that these record-players, as with old radios, were built with an intended life of just a few years. Fifty or so years on they're still going and time will take its toll - which could be what's happened in the Speed Selector v. Heat situation.

13th Jul 2008, 11:02 am	#8
hondacxrider Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bicester, Oxfordshire, UK. Posts: 92	Re: Ekco vintage record player problem Try changing the caps, of all the components, these have the shortest operational life, and if any are wax, then don't even think of doing anything else till these are replaced. Then I would look at the crystal cartridge, these can also cause the symptom you describe (look at other threads) My turntables get warm on my valve record players so this may be normal, for yours, difficult to say though as I don't know how hot yours gets. The rubber mats on old turntables detiorate in such a way with age so it looks like they have "melted", and I suspect that is the case with yours, if it was to get hot enough to melt the rubber I would expect the cabinet might start charing too, and I doubt if the valves by themselves could generate that much heat. As far as the records themselves are concerned the heat may harm them during playback so a safely installed heatshield would be a good answerin this case.

13th Jul 2008, 11:05 am	#9
hondacxrider Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bicester, Oxfordshire, UK. Posts: 92	Re: Ekco vintage record player problem Further to my last post, can we have a picture or two to look at, and see what's going on?