Dansette Conquest Auto

[DonaldStott]

Our next contestant is a rather grubby Dansette Conquest Auto acquired recently from a local auction.

Needs a really good clean but I haven't powered it up yet - will do with my lamp limiter first.

I'm hoping that this won't be too different from the Dansette Monarch I successfully restored.

Would welcome any feedback on a few points: -

1. Which BSR auto-changer is this?

2. The deck says Monarch although inside the lid it says Conquest Auto?

3. And of course what would be a suitable replacement cartridge for playing modern stereo records - I'm assuming the existing crystal is beyond saving?

4. Anything in particular to look out for with the Conquest Auto as compared with the Monarch?

[Audio1950]

The deck is a BSR "Monarch" UA15. This deck is a very common one, fitted to thousands of record players in the 1960s. The cartridge is a BSR TC8M, for which a suitable replacement would be the BSR X5M or X6M, both of which are mono, but stereo compatible, which means they are not going to harm stereo discs. Either of these would use the two existing cartridge wires, whereas a full stereo cartridge would have to have the two channels shorted out under the deck. A bit more work!

['LIVEWIRE?']

I recently repaired a Conquest Auto Mk1 which was cosmetically not in as good a state as yours. The amplifier, once you get it out of the cabinet, is easy to work on. In my case, the main requirement was a replacement treble control, the original being too noisy for servisol to cure. As to the cartridge, because the player's owner had provided one, I fitted one of those Ronette Clones, which I know come in for criticism on this forum, but which worked perfectly on a wide range of records from 45 singles as old as the player to later stereo 45s and LPs. The Conquest Auto, as you will have seen, does have sockets for extension speaker, stereo, and o/p to a tape recorder, but they are the old-type switched phono connectors, which modern phono plugs won't properly fit.

[Edward Huggins]

if this uses the ECL82 amplifier, is it eesentially the same type as used in the later Dansette "Monarch". In the case of your 1963 Dansette "Conquest Auto", "Monarch" is the name of the BSR made autochanger. Do beware of those long trailing leads to the switched sockets at the rear of the cabinet. If you don't intend to use any of these, I would disconnect them as they can induce hum. If you use a stereo cartridge, you will need to bridge the LH and RH channels on the tag card under the record deck. Otherwise you will only hear one channel.

[DonaldStott]

Thanks for all the helpful responses.

Just noticed that I have an issue with the size detection arm which is pointing in the vertical down position - if you lift it up and release it simply springs back down!

Hopefully the solution will be obvious when I get underneath?

[electrogram]

This player may have an ecl82 amplifier or one using a 6at6/6aq5 combination, the latter seems to be much more common

['LIVEWIRE?']

IIRC, an ECL82 amplifier is used, at least in the Mark 1 version of the Conquest Auto. As to the size detector lever problem, this may be due, as so many problems with autochangers are, to dried up grease. A read of the 'sticky' thread(s) about servicing autochangers should point you in the right direction, Donald.

[DonaldStott]

Originally Posted by 'LIVEWIRE?'

As to the size detector lever problem, this may be due, as so many problems with autochangers are, to dried up grease. A read of the 'sticky' thread(s) about servicing autochangers should point you in the right direction, Donald.

That's what I'm hoping for but it feels as if one end of a spring or lever has become detached.

The excellent sticky by Darren-UK "Reviving your old record player" was indispensable during my previous Dansette restoration.

[Edward Huggins]

Far more Dansette "Conquest Auto" versions were made with the single ECL82 than the (arguably better) 2 valve version. Costs being the decider of course! The 2 valve version was only made for 12-15 months, whereas the ECL82 version spanned 3+ years.

[DonaldStott]

Originally Posted by Audio1950

The cartridge is a BSR TC8M, for which a suitable replacement would be the BSR X5M or X6M, both of which are mono, but stereo compatible, which means they are not going to harm stereo discs.

Thanks Barry - to help fill (yet another) gap in my knowledge, what's the difference between a BSR X5M and X6M?

I've also come across a BSR SX6M - I'm assuming the "S" is for stereo?

I've also seen Dansettes for sale fitted with a BSR S5H stereo compatible cartridge and a new dual tip stylus (ST8) suitable for LPs/45s and 78s?

Thank goodness for this Forum!

[Edward Huggins]

I think you have the designations wrong. The are no such cartridges as a BSR X6M or a BSR S5H. I think you mean BSR X5H. No wonder you may be confused.
Yes, the BSR SX6M is a full stereo cartridge.
It's important to be aware of the dfference between a Stereo and a Stereo-Compatible cartridge.

[Audio1950]

The size detector can be accessed by gently prising off the rectangular plate on the top of the column that houses the selector. The whole mechanism should just lift out. Clean off the old grease and apply a drop of thin oil to all the joints, and provided there is nothing missing, all should be well.

[Audio1950]

Originally Posted by Edward Huggins

I think you have the designations wrong. The are no such cartridges as a BSR X6M or a BSR S5H.

Edward is quite right, there is no X6M cartridge. Sorry for the wrong information.

Barry

[crackle]

Originally Posted by DonaldStott

Thanks for all the helpful responses.

Just noticed that I have an issue with the size detection arm which is pointing in the vertical down position - if you lift it up and release it simply springs back down!

Hopefully the solution will be obvious when I get underneath?

Is this a feature of normal operation during the record change mechanism cycle?
I am not sure but someone on here will confirm.

Mike

[leslie5555]

Originally Posted by Audio1950

The size detector can be accessed by gently prising off the rectangular plate on the top of the column that houses the selector. The whole mechanism should just lift out. Clean off the old grease and apply a drop of thin oil to all the joints, and provided there is nothing missing, all should be well.

Care is needed when removing the plate, it has a clip which is only held in place by a bit of melted plastic and it is easily broken off , it may already be missing half of the ones I've worked on they are either missing or fallen down into the mechanism .
By gently prising it up a small amount and sliding it off will help unfortunately I can't remember if you slide it towards the center spindle or away from it, trial and error will tell.

[DonaldStott]

The good news is that the rectangular plate on the top of the column that houses the size selector simply came off with the aid of a fingernail: -



This allowed the whole mechanism to just lift out but there is clearly something missing or broken here that is preventing normal operation: -

[Edward Huggins]

From the photos this looks as it should. Hoping that you recorded whch way it was facing when you removed it, re-assemble and test.

[DonaldStott]

Originally Posted by Edward Huggins

From the photos this looks as it should. Hoping that you recorded whch way it was facing when you removed it, re-assemble and test.

Thanks Edward - it was good to know that nothing was missing or broken as I first feared!

Part numbers on the attached drawing refer.

On closer investigation I found that the trip arm assembly (146) was a bit gunged up and stuck - this is held onto the selector column assembly (143) by a small bearing (149) a spring (147) and a circlip (150).

Gave the whole mechanism a spray with PlusGas and left overnight.

Trip arm assembly now moving freely allowing the size selector arm (152) to engage properly with the vertical size selector lever (145) - not sure what that is called.

I'll clean the mechanism with IPA before refitting to remove all traces of oil or grease.

No wonder that BSR called the device a 'Magidisk' selector - I still need to satisfy myself as to how this mechanism connects underneath the chassis!

[DonaldStott]

Finally got underneath the Conquest deck with it's familiar array of wiring including those connections to the rear panel sockets.

I'd forgotten just how simple the main board is: -



I have the schematic so hopefully it will be a few basic checks on valve pin voltages, resistor values etc. I can see/hear no real reason to replace the three capacitors in the big can although the blue electrolytic shown may be suspect? I will of course locate and replace the audio coupling capacitor.

Now here's a question that has me a bit puzzled - when I connect my meter across the + and - tags on the FC.116 rectifier I'm reading 262V D.C. I know from previous advice that this " ...isn't the voltage on the output of the rectifier. It is the DC voltage that is reached after a few cycles when there is a reservoir capacitor after the rectifier." Of course where I'm confused is that the FC.116 only has these two tags, the blue wire (-) comes from the mains transformer while the red wire (+) goes to the large electrolytics can?



Meantime, the Volume, Bass and Treble controls are all a bit scratchy some De-Oxit should fix that.

Of course nothing at all when I scratch the stylus as the crystal will now be gloop but a good response when scratching the cartridge connecting wires with a small metal screwdriver. I've ordered a replacement stereo compatible BSR X5M cartridge.

Most of the work here would appear to be mechanical in nature as we've already discovered with the size detection arm - the usual problems with dried up grease. The motor is working fine and no issues with the jockey wheel - probably just some lubrication needed.

And then we need to focus on the exterior appearance and get that grubby material cleaned along with the "brass" trim, knobs etc.

[Station X]

Originally Posted by DonaldStott

Now here's a question that has me a bit puzzled - when I connect my meter across the + and - tags on the FC.116 rectifier I'm reading 262V D.C. I know from previous advice that this " ...isn't the voltage on the output of the rectifier. It is the DC voltage that is reached after a few cycles when there is a reservoir capacitor after the rectifier." Of course where I'm confused is that the FC.116 only has these two tags, the blue wire (-) comes from the mains transformer while the red wire (+) goes to the large electrolytics can?

This is just a single rectifier with two terminals. Think of it as a diode. A full wave or bridge rectifier will contain four diodes and will have four terminals probably labelled ~, ~ + and -.

You need to measure the DC HT voltage across the reservoir and smoothing capacitors.