Tellux record player

[ChrisChilton]

It’s working at the moment!

[ChrisChilton]

OK, so I do have sound now, it crackles every now and again and it doesn't seem particularly loud, but to be honest I have no recollection or idea of how loud these things would be anyway.

[Michael Maurice]

Do you have to put the volume to full to get a reasonable listening level? Those amplifiers were never that powerful.

You might find that replacing some capacitors would help, that depends on your skill level, also as another poster has said, replacing the half wave rectifier with a bridge rectifier will help.

If you feel confident, then we can guide you through it.

[ChrisChilton]

It’s really quiet even at maximum volume, I could have knocked the tape off slightly, I’ll have to take it apart again when I get chance.

It certainly sounded louder when I first tested it.

[Techman]

It could be the tape insulation slightly damaged as you slid the transistors back into the heatsinks - you need to open them up very slightly. However, I suspect the cartridge - do the buzz test again on full volume and if it seems a LOT louder than the music does through the cartridge, then that's your answer. If this test proves inconclusive, I would advise measuring the voltage across the large silver capacitor and reporting back. If this capacitor is leaky it will drag the supply voltage down and if it is, you'll also notice that it runs warm to the touch. Usually failure of this large capacitor causes an increase in general hum from the speaker, regardless of volume control setting, but check out the cartridge first.

[ChrisChilton]

Originally Posted by Techman

It could be the tape insulation slightly damaged as you slid the transistors back into the heatsinks - you need to open them up very slightly. However, I suspect the cartridge - do the buzz test again on full volume and if it seems a LOT louder than the music does through the cartridge, then that's your answer. If this test proves inconclusive, I would advise measuring the voltage across the large silver capacitor and reporting back. If this capacitor is leaky it will drag the supply voltage down and if it is, you'll also notice that it runs warm to the touch. Usually failure of this large capacitor causes an increase in general hum from the speaker, regardless of volume control setting, but check out the cartridge first.

I have a meter but as you know I’m a complete amateur, please tell me, how to measure across that capacitor.

[Techman]

Always start with the highest DC voltage range and work down, but highest (600 volt?) range will do, but check the audio with another buzz test first. You've had the cartridge tags off and probably put stress on the pins of the cartridge. These tags being often tight, causes a problem with the connections inside with these old cartridges, as they're not soldered internally and are just a 'touch' connection - a VERY common problem with the X5 cartridge. I always advise people to avoid touching the cartridge pins unless it's absolutely unavoidable, as in your case. Never get a soldering iron anywhere near the cartridge pins, as the heat will kill a cartridge in seconds.

[ChrisChilton]

Originally Posted by Techman

It could be the tape insulation slightly damaged as you slid the transistors back into the heatsinks - you need to open them up very slightly. However, I suspect the cartridge - do the buzz test again on full volume and if it seems a LOT louder than the music does through the cartridge, then that's your answer. If this test proves inconclusive, I would advise measuring the voltage across the large silver capacitor and reporting back. If this capacitor is leaky it will drag the supply voltage down and if it is, you'll also notice that it runs warm to the touch. Usually failure of this large capacitor causes an increase in general hum from the speaker, regardless of volume control setting, but check out the cartridge first.

There was a definite buzz from the speaker this time when I took the cartridge out and touched one of the cables.

[ChrisChilton]

Just put the cartridge back in, it’s much louder but the sound keeps dipping in and out (loud and quiet).

[Techman]

Yes, but was it a speaker rattler or just 'low level' like your record sound output - you can touch the connection with your finger for maximum buzz! If you had the means to do it, a proper test would be to supply the input from another music source.

[Techman]

Originally Posted by ChrisChilton

Just put the cartridge back in, it’s much louder but the sound keeps dipping in and out (loud and quiet).

Definitely the cartridge - like I suspected.

[ChrisChilton]

Originally Posted by Techman

Definitely the cartridge - like I suspected.

Seems to have sorted itself out now.

Can go really loud but too scared to with my wife asleep downstairs.

Can you recommend a replacement cartridge please?

[ChrisChilton]

Sound is fine sometimes, then goes quiet/crackly, give the cartridge a tap and it’s back to normal.

[Techman]

It may be the connection to just one of the pins on the inside of the cartridge, but it could be a combination of both of them. If you can identify which pin it is, you can flex the pin with a pair of long nose pliers, which sometimes makes the internal contact good again, but can also break the contact altogether - the risk is yours.

A replacement (if you can find one) could cost up to £40 and will be 'old stock' so could go the same way as yours. If you don't play 78s, then the Chinese red/black ones for £1.50 are excellent and won't spoil your records, but you'll need to make a spacer to fit it and also get a tracking weight gauge to reset the head weight to prevent record damage - they're cheap enough, so get one anyway while they're still available on Ebay. You'll have to spend a lot more to get one with a mounting clip like your original one, so be 'adaptive' and make something yourself. You can stick it in temporarily with Blu-tack, but don't forget the extra weight that you'll have to adjust out with the use of a balance.

[ChrisChilton]

Originally Posted by Techman

It may be the connection to just one of the pins on the inside of the cartridge, but it could be a combination of both of them. If you can identify which pin it is, you can flex the pin with a pair of long nose pliers, which sometimes makes the internal contact good again, but can also break the contact altogether - the risk is yours.

A replacement (if you can find one) could cost up to £40 and will be 'old stock' so could go the same way as yours. If you don't play 78s, then the Chinese red/black ones for £1.50 are excellent and won't spoil your records, but you'll need to make a spacer to fit it and also get a tracking weight gauge to reset the head weight to prevent record damage - they're cheap enough, so get one anyway while they're still available on Ebay. You'll have to spend a lot more to get one with a mounting clip like your original one, so be 'adaptive' and make something yourself. You can stick it in temporarily with Blu-tack, but don't forget the extra weight that you'll have to adjust out with the use of a balance.

The problem is that there is no weight to counter-balance on this tone arm.

[Techman]

Originally Posted by ChrisChilton

The problem is that there is no weight to counter-balance on this tone arm.

Yes there is, it's a BSR deck and there's a spring under the back of the arm.

Read the 'sticky' threads on your deck at the top of this page.

[ChrisChilton]

So any of the cheap red/black carts will be fine? Do they need to be mono as this one only has two pins.

[AC/HL]

If you look under the arm, you'll find the other two wires tucked up underneath. They can be joined to produce mono at the tag strip under the turntable chassis.

Edit: https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...34&postcount=1
Join the black to the green and white to the red.

[ChrisChilton]

Originally Posted by AC/HL

If you look under the arm, you'll find the other two wires tucked up underneath. They can be joined to produce mono at the tag strip under the turntable chassis.

Edit: https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...34&postcount=1
Join the black to the green and white to the red.

Sorry, you’ve really confused me.

Are you saying that I’d need to use the two wires that are unused under the tone arm on the other two pins of the cartridge?

[Michael Maurice]

Yes that's correct.

I tend to favour these cartridges the should fit the bracket you have.