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Old 14th Mar 2018, 5:07 pm   #1
dsergeant
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Default Pye 3807 Butterfly Cartridge

This is I understand the export version of the 1005 and is fitted with the rather strange butterfly cartridge. The fault is that although it works the audio output is very low until I put pressure on the cartridge by pressing down on the red knob. Everything seems to be present, cartridge, stylus, spring and red knob, but I am a bit unsure whether the spring is fitted correctly. Or it may be an intermittent contact in the cartridge as the volume suddenly increases as the stylus slides within the cartridge and head unit. Difficult to explain exactly what is happening.

I rather suspect a faulty cartridge (at £50 or so decidedly ouch) but is there anything else I should check?

Dave
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Old 14th Mar 2018, 7:41 pm   #2
Edward Huggins
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Default Re: Pye 3807 Butterfly Cartridge

Have you checked/wiggled the 4 connectors? As you suggest there could be an internal contact problem. As regards the replacement cost, any NOS cartridge is going to cost between £37-£45, even for something far less exotic than the Butterfly.
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Old 14th Mar 2018, 8:13 pm   #3
dalgwcobl
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Default Re: Pye 3807 Butterfly Cartridge

It could be just the stylus isn't seated properly - is the coil spring that holds it all together OK? Have you tried both styli - one may seat better than the other. Before you go down the new cartridge route, replace the stylus assembly and make sure the spring is good and the red cap securely in place.
Hope that helps.
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Old 15th Mar 2018, 6:49 pm   #4
dsergeant
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Default Re: Pye 3807 Butterfly Cartridge

Thanks for the suggestions. Although the spring looks good I am not convinced it is fitted correctly as it doesn't seem to do anything - just fits between the metal base of the stylus and the red knob and the whole lot is free to move up and down within the tone arm. I have not been able to find anything other than external photos which don't tell me much. Maybe something is broken or missing within the cartridge - I saw somewhere mention of a circlip but see no sign of one or where it might go.

Dave
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Old 15th Mar 2018, 9:04 pm   #5
Edward Huggins
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Default Re: Pye 3807 Butterfly Cartridge

The Butterfly cartridge does have a lot of Compliance ("up and down") within tone arm head. It tracks at just 2 grams.
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Old 15th Mar 2018, 11:11 pm   #6
leslie5555
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Default Re: Pye 3807 Butterfly Cartridge

Quote:
Originally Posted by dsergeant View Post
Although the spring looks good I am not convinced it is fitted correctly as it doesn't seem to do anything - just fits between the metal base of the stylus and the red knob and the whole lot is free to move up and down within the tone arm. I have not been able to find anything other than external photos which don't tell me much. Maybe something is broken or missing within the cartridge - I saw somewhere mention of a circlip but see no sign of one or where it might go.
What your describing about what it does is exactly what it is supposed to do and there is no circlip involved.
It is a very unusual design and obviously not one that caught on.
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Old 16th Mar 2018, 8:09 am   #7
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Default Re: Pye 3807 Butterfly Cartridge

there should be a washer between the top of the cartridge and the bottom end of the spring. It sounds to me as if this is missing.there should be spring tension when you push down on the red cap to turn the stylus . I will try to find the instructions I have for changing the stylus and scan it to give a better image than the one I found on the web.
Steve
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Old 16th Mar 2018, 8:16 am   #8
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Default Re: Pye 3807 Butterfly Cartridge

You are right, there is no sign of that washer. Presumably it fits on top of the hole in the cartridge so that the stylus shaft but not the spring goes through it.
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Old 16th Mar 2018, 8:45 am   #9
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Default Re: Pye 3807 Butterfly Cartridge

Exactly. they are very small and easily lost when changing the stylus so presumably that is what has happened to it. Hopefully you will be able to find something suitable
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Old 20th Mar 2018, 7:03 pm   #10
dsergeant
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Default Re: Pye 3807 Butterfly Cartridge

I have identified what the issue is and why I am getting very low audio. The stylus doesn't sit properly down the red slot in the cartridge and hence the needle doesn't contact the little plunger of the cartridge. Push it down flat so it is right in the slot and all is fine. Possibly to do with the tension of the spring or maybe something catching it when it enters the slot. If you manually push the stylus down ('up') each time you change between pickups with the red knob then it is usable.

I had a little disaster with the first stylus and broke its shaft off so had to get a new one..

There is a little uncertainty about whether the washer is required - the carolesneedles one that you posted a pic of is the only one that shows it and it doesn't actually do anything anyway as far as I can see.

Dave
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Old 20th Mar 2018, 8:07 pm   #11
Edward Huggins
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Default Re: Pye 3807 Butterfly Cartridge

Just a quick word about carolesneedles, the lovely lady from Krebs, Oklahoma - who I have dealt with for years (especially for those Varco High Output crystal cartridges) she no longer exports to the UK.
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