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Old 22nd Jul 2019, 10:44 am   #21
Peter Rabbit
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Default Re: Fidelity HF12 - worth doing anything?

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Old 22nd Jul 2019, 10:48 am   #22
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Default Re: Fidelity HF12 - worth doing anything?

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I would replace the on/off volume control, the grey and red lump is as said earlier, the rectifier's surge limiter, 82 Ohms.

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Old 22nd Jul 2019, 11:23 am   #23
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Default Re: Fidelity HF12 - worth doing anything?

Indeed. It's a right mess. I assume that picture was taken before the broken off tag feeding the surge limiter was soldered back on to the switch?
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Old 22nd Jul 2019, 11:49 am   #24
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Default Re: Fidelity HF12 - worth doing anything?

Your mains lead is original lamp flex type, probably just not twisted.

You need to get a test meter (DMM), they're cheap enough and once you've got one you'll wonder how you ever managed without one, regardless of the use it may get sorting this record player.

You need a meter to determine the correct polarity of the non coded mains lead in the mains plug, unless due to it not being twisted you can follow the neutral back to the plug, but then without a meter you won't necessarily be able to follow the connection back through the on/off switch back to the chassis.

Your record player is very likely to have a dud cartridge and exact replacements are unobtainable and near equivalents are very expensive, so you need to confirm the cartridge state before spending on anything else. An original cartridge will spoil modern records anyway, but if you're only using it to play old 45s, then it won't matter - have you done that 'buzz' test'?

A photo of the cartridge is needed. If it's one where the whole body of the cartridge rotates with a turn over flag sticking out of the front, then it's likely to be an old BSR TC8 type or similar and won't be suitable for stereo pressings.

Photo resolution doesn't matter as the forum software sorts all that out for you and you can post up to five at a time.

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Old 22nd Jul 2019, 12:06 pm   #25
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Default Re: Fidelity HF12 - worth doing anything?

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Probably safest to forget it and just use as display item!
If you're careful and observe the SAFETY advice being given, then the player itself will be a very easy fix.

The BIG problem with these old players is nearly always the cartridge, as if it's never been replaced with a more modern stereo compatible type, the original is nearly always likely to be duff by now and would spoil modern stereo records even if it was working. You really need a high output type, such as the BSR X5H type, but you may only to be able to obtain the medium output BSR X5M type, which will work, but may need the player to be at full volume setting for average listening of LP records. You could try fitting one of the cheap Chinese black and red types at no more than a couple of quid, but these may be too low to drive the amplifier properly, although they're likely to work to an extent with old highly modulated 45 singles.

Once the record player is all boxed up it'll be as safe to use as your mobile phone charger - and probably safer than some of the rubbish that's out there!
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Old 22nd Jul 2019, 12:26 pm   #26
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Default Re: Fidelity HF12 - worth doing anything?

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I would replace the on/off volume control
It's a mess round the control I agree, but I don't see why he needs to replace it other than just tidy things up.

This chap has minimal tools and experience and needs to do the very bare minimum to this player, otherwise he's going to mess up big time and possibly make it more dangerous than it was before, particularly where it involves the mains connections.
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Old 22nd Jul 2019, 1:28 pm   #27
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Default Re: Fidelity HF12 - worth doing anything?

In the photo it looks like the tag has snapped off, if it has I would advise to replace the control, if it hasn't then just solder back to the existing tag.

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Old 22nd Jul 2019, 1:42 pm   #28
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Default Re: Fidelity HF12 - worth doing anything?

Yes, I was looking closely at the picture to see if that was the case. If the tag was good and he'd been able to solder back onto it, then all's good.
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Old 22nd Jul 2019, 5:41 pm   #29
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Default Re: Fidelity HF12 - worth doing anything?

Yes, photo was taken before re-soldering and since board returned to case seem to have lost power again so may have come adrift and back to square 1 - hence buzz test not done. Including picture of cartridge.
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Old 22nd Jul 2019, 5:45 pm   #30
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Default Re: Fidelity HF12 - worth doing anything?

Just a PS, don't intend using this for Lps, possibly some 45's but more likely 78's (if get anywhere with it!)
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Old 22nd Jul 2019, 9:28 pm   #31
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Default Re: Fidelity HF12 - worth doing anything?

It's an old mono BSR TC8 cartridge and very likely to be dud by now, but you won't know for sure until you have the amplifier working. At least the insulation on the connections looks good so you won't get a shock as you place the pickup on a record. You can do that 'buzz' test at the volume control where the wires terminate under the deck, but make sure volume is set to full. There won't be a lot of 'buzz' on one of these with just a screwdriver blade. Normally you'd touch the blade with your finger to maximize the buzz pickup, but doing that with this particular player would be very dangerous due to the live chassis and no isolation, so expect just a low 'hum'. It could be that your chassis is already connected to neutral, but you can't check it as you don't have a meter. Not having a meter would be exactly the same as me telling you that I was going to dig a hole in the garden to plant a tree, but that I don't have a spade and have no intention of getting one, what would you say to me? I just checked and digital multimeters are £4.99 delivered on ebay!

I can tell you that these little players perform a lot better than you might think, and better than some that are in better made cases. I tried one of these HF12 players the other year with a BSR X5M medium output cartridge fitted, out in the garden spinning 78s and it belted out the tunes a lot louder than you might think! Also not bad on 45s, but not so loud on LPs.

BTW, you could have checked the fuse you replaced with a multimeter if you'd had one. I hope you didn't fit a 13 amp fuse - should be no more than 3 amp for safety.
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Old 22nd Jul 2019, 10:20 pm   #32
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Default Re: Fidelity HF12 - worth doing anything?

Thanks for all this. Going to get a meter as suggested and come back on when I get chance to spend so more time on it, which will be limited this week.
Got a couple more pics of other components which I'm attaching for completeness.
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Old 22nd Jul 2019, 10:48 pm   #33
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Default Re: Fidelity HF12 - worth doing anything?

This was the one I was looking at, cheap and cheerful but should do the job. There may be others, so have a look. Ask members on here if you're unsure of how to use it so you don't blow it up on the first use.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Digital-M...cAAOSwC8ZcasDO

Edit to say - your player doesn't look to be in bad condition overall, judging by those pictures. Let's hope that the reason for the amplifier not working is not due to the output speaker transformer having an o/c primary - that's the worst that can be wrong with it, other than the cartridge of course. Meter will confirm!
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Old 23rd Jul 2019, 7:07 am   #34
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Default Re: Fidelity HF12 - worth doing anything?

Peter,
Please can you show a photo of a close up of the connections to the on/off switch on your record player.

So that we can see what is going on at the switch here is a close up of the one I repaired a while ago, taken before I did any work on it, so that we can compare.
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I have to say I was not happy with the possibility of the grey and red 82 ohm resistor making contact with the chassis, which is one of the reasons why I changed it to a ceramic type.

Mike

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Old 23rd Jul 2019, 12:59 pm   #35
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Default Re: Fidelity HF12 - worth doing anything?

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Peter,
Please can you show a photo of a close up of the connections to the on/off switch on your record player.
Mike
Looking closely at his original picture again I reckon that the tag is actually broken off as Lawrence thought, and he's tried to solder to what's left and possibly a rivet head and it hasn't taken and come off again - it's a different style of pot and switch to yours. It's also possible that due to a very short lead on the resistor that it's melted the solder due to its own heat. These are all issues that he'll have to address when he gets his test meter. For the time being and to just get it working, I would advise him to forget the switch and make both connections to the input side of the switch, making sure he's got the chassis connection to the neutral, which he won't be able to check until he has his meter. Of course the player will be 'on' as soon as it's plugged in. He's talking about not spending much on it and just keeping it as a display item if it turns out to have more serious faults, for a start, the correct cartridge if one is needed is going to possibly make it not worth repairing. So get it basically working first and then go from there. It may even work to an extent with one of the Chinese £1.29 cartridges, at that price it's worth a shot, although I've never tried one of those with a single stage valve amp myself.
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Old 23rd Jul 2019, 1:44 pm   #36
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Default Re: Fidelity HF12 - worth doing anything?

're #34, there is a picture of on off switch at #21 above.
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Old 23rd Jul 2019, 9:03 pm   #37
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Default Re: Fidelity HF12 - worth doing anything?

I think it is the same type of switch but the fibre insulation washer fitted to prevent accidental shorting of the wires to the switch metal body has been removed.

That picture in post #21 was taken with the red and grey resistor and the green wire disconnected from the switch. The photo in post #32 also looks like the resistor is floating above the switch terminals.

Was the switch connection broken off as Lawrence thought?
Looking at an enlarged image from post #21 it looks like there is some really suspect, bordering on dangerous, soldering on the switch.

So lets now have a close up photo showing the wires and connections on the on/off switch now that you soldered them back on so we can check to see if it all looks correct and can advise further.

Mike

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Old 24th Jul 2019, 8:31 pm   #38
Peter Rabbit
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Default Re: Fidelity HF12 - worth doing anything?

Not re-soldered yet but board removed ready. Now also find black lead from cartridge is also adrift from previously soldered point on chassis where it connected to another black cable going to amplifier. May explain no sound !
Now got meter - never used one before but quick test on mains fuse ok (3 amp but original in it was 13 which I changed).
If I've used meter correctly switch seems ok. Used "continuity" setting and putting probes either side reading, which was 1. goes down to 00.0 and "under 50ohm" buzzer sounds.
Think I now know how to trace mains connections from plug to switch - just to confirm , should neutral end up at chassis (which in this model seems to be a metal plate bolted to the motor board (sorry, but my only experience of a chassis is in old cars where I would expect a frame of some sort).
What other meter tests are worth doing (and how, for idiots, before I do anything else 're reconnection ( won't be before weekend now).
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Old 25th Jul 2019, 10:11 am   #39
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Default Re: Fidelity HF12 - worth doing anything?

Yes, neutral must be connected to chassis as previouly advised. Also, you will get no sound at all if one of the 2 cartridge wires is not corectly connected.
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Old 25th Jul 2019, 1:08 pm   #40
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Default Re: Fidelity HF12 - worth doing anything?

Have established that neutral from plug terminates at the right hand tab of the two white wires in this photo. To the right of that a bare wire is soldered to the switch, goes to a tab at the base of the switch and then to the chassis.

There is continuity from the main plug wire termination to the chassis when the on/off switch is in the on position but not when in the off position. So switching the unit establishes the neutral to chassis connection , correct ?
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