Meritone with a Garrard Gramophone Auto Brake - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Morayfirthaudio · 21st Mar 2018, 12:48 pm

Hi there, Ive been gifted a Meritone Gramophone with a Garrard Turntable, I was gifted it

A. because it doesn't work
B. He's into that kind of thing

So after a bit of tinkering I discovered that this is one beautiful piece of equipment and despite countless years in a shed, once I got all the bits freed off its works perfectly... except for this Auto Brake thing.

It's meant to stop the turntable when the music comes to the end but for the life of me I can make it work if I fiddle with it but I can't get it to work on its own, if you have any advice I'd be grateful as this will now take pride of place in the sitting room (Dont tell the Wife)

Cheers Glen

ben · 21st Mar 2018, 2:43 pm

Hi and welcome.
I'm assuming this is an electric 78 rpm deck. Model nº?
Presumably this brake kicks in when the arm reaches the eccentric 'run out groove'. In my experience there's usually a lever or linkage attached to the arm which is 'captured' by a sort of arc shaped piece. Make sure these move freely and are not bent or have hardened grease on.
Pictures would help here.
Preusmably there is a switch attached, check (with deck unplugged and with multimeter) this is not shorted shut or has a bad suppressor cap which is doing the shorting.

Audio1950 · 21st Mar 2018, 4:22 pm

There were at least four different autobrake made by Garrard, and literally dozens of other different brands that could be fitted. If you could post a photo of the brake, it would help a great deal.

Barry

Morayfirthaudio · 21st Mar 2018, 5:27 pm

Thanks Guys, Much appreciated, This is a wind up Deck, If my Memory serves me right it had Number 33 written underneath, But Once I get home Ill get a couple of pics and pop it on.
I can make the brake work with my finger but not any other way, Im totally baffled to see how this works, but... Ill let the Brains have a look and you might tell me different

Cheers
Glen

Morayfirthaudio · 22nd Mar 2018, 11:37 pm

Here is a pic of the Brake, there might be bits missing but I wouldn’t know. So all the bits seem to work but not as it should

Audio1950 · 23rd Mar 2018, 3:14 pm

Well. there doesn't seem to be anything missing. What should happen is that as the upper lever is moved across the record by the pickup arm, the two long arms should move in parallel, and push the lever attached to the left hand end of those arms towards the centre spindle. As it gets nearer the spindle the attachment screwed to the centre spindle knocks it back with every revolution. However, when the needle reaches the run out groove at the end of the record and starts to run in more rapidly, that in turn causes the lever to move in too rapidly for the spindle attachment to knock it back, so the attachment strikes it, and moves it to the right, which releases the brake. If you can tell us what your brake is not doing, we'll try to help.

Barry

Morayfirthaudio · 23rd Mar 2018, 5:33 pm

Thanks Barry, What I think I might need to do is shoot a little video to show how it works, that might give you a better idea. When the Top Lever swings over to the left, nothing happens, but it does when you push it to the right??
I'll do the wee video, and then you can tell me I'm doing it all wrong

Morayfirthaudio · 26th Mar 2018, 1:23 pm

I think... I may have the problem fixed. It looks like when locking the arm in place it was in the wrong position and a couple of times it has worked! So ill leave things as they are and tinker a little more, and hopefully I have if fixed

But thanks for all the help so far its certainly appreciated
Cheers
Glen

21st Mar 2018, 12:48 pm	#1
Morayfirthaudio Triode Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Durham, County Durham, UK. Posts: 38	Meritone with a Garrard Gramophone Auto Brake Hi there, Ive been gifted a Meritone Gramophone with a Garrard Turntable, I was gifted it A. because it doesn't work B. He's into that kind of thing So after a bit of tinkering I discovered that this is one beautiful piece of equipment and despite countless years in a shed, once I got all the bits freed off its works perfectly... except for this Auto Brake thing. It's meant to stop the turntable when the music comes to the end but for the life of me I can make it work if I fiddle with it but I can't get it to work on its own, if you have any advice I'd be grateful as this will now take pride of place in the sitting room (Dont tell the Wife) Cheers Glen

21st Mar 2018, 2:43 pm	#2
ben Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Madrid, Spain / Wirral, UK Posts: 7,498	Re: Meritone with a Garrard Gramophone Auto Brake Hi and welcome. I'm assuming this is an electric 78 rpm deck. Model nº? Presumably this brake kicks in when the arm reaches the eccentric 'run out groove'. In my experience there's usually a lever or linkage attached to the arm which is 'captured' by a sort of arc shaped piece. Make sure these move freely and are not bent or have hardened grease on. Pictures would help here. Preusmably there is a switch attached, check (with deck unplugged and with multimeter) this is not shorted shut or has a bad suppressor cap which is doing the shorting. __________________ Regards, Ben.

21st Mar 2018, 4:22 pm	#3
Audio1950 Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Whittlesey, near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 3,761	Re: Meritone with a Garrard Gramophone Auto Brake There were at least four different autobrake made by Garrard, and literally dozens of other different brands that could be fitted. If you could post a photo of the brake, it would help a great deal. Barry

21st Mar 2018, 5:27 pm	#4
Morayfirthaudio Triode Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Durham, County Durham, UK. Posts: 38	Re: Meritone with a Garrard Gramophone Auto Brake Thanks Guys, Much appreciated, This is a wind up Deck, If my Memory serves me right it had Number 33 written underneath, But Once I get home Ill get a couple of pics and pop it on. I can make the brake work with my finger but not any other way, Im totally baffled to see how this works, but... Ill let the Brains have a look and you might tell me different Cheers Glen

22nd Mar 2018, 11:37 pm	#5
Morayfirthaudio Triode Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Durham, County Durham, UK. Posts: 38	Re: Meritone with a Garrard Gramophone Auto Brake Here is a pic of the Brake, there might be bits missing but I wouldn’t know. So all the bits seem to work but not as it should Attached Thumbnails

23rd Mar 2018, 3:14 pm	#6
Audio1950 Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Whittlesey, near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 3,761	Re: Meritone with a Garrard Gramophone Auto Brake Well. there doesn't seem to be anything missing. What should happen is that as the upper lever is moved across the record by the pickup arm, the two long arms should move in parallel, and push the lever attached to the left hand end of those arms towards the centre spindle. As it gets nearer the spindle the attachment screwed to the centre spindle knocks it back with every revolution. However, when the needle reaches the run out groove at the end of the record and starts to run in more rapidly, that in turn causes the lever to move in too rapidly for the spindle attachment to knock it back, so the attachment strikes it, and moves it to the right, which releases the brake. If you can tell us what your brake is not doing, we'll try to help. Barry

23rd Mar 2018, 5:33 pm	#7
Morayfirthaudio Triode Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Durham, County Durham, UK. Posts: 38	Re: Meritone with a Garrard Gramophone Auto Brake Thanks Barry, What I think I might need to do is shoot a little video to show how it works, that might give you a better idea. When the Top Lever swings over to the left, nothing happens, but it does when you push it to the right?? I'll do the wee video, and then you can tell me I'm doing it all wrong

26th Mar 2018, 1:23 pm	#8
Morayfirthaudio Triode Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Durham, County Durham, UK. Posts: 38	Re: Meritone with a Garrard Gramophone Auto Brake I think... I may have the problem fixed. It looks like when locking the arm in place it was in the wrong position and a couple of times it has worked! So ill leave things as they are and tinker a little more, and hopefully I have if fixed But thanks for all the help so far its certainly appreciated Cheers Glen