Dansette Conquest cartridge.

[simonbridge]

Hi All
My first post... so here goes.
Bought an old dansette conquest to refurbish as a challenge.

Done most of the work on the cabinet and have started to look at the electronics.
i built a light limiter and tentatively switched it on. No issues the valve heated up and i got a nice hum when touching the pickup leads so i know the amp is fine.

connected up the turntable and spun a record but no output. Seems the cartridge is duff.

the cartridge is a tc8h.. I want to update this so i can play stereo records but not sure what my options are..

Help....

[Techman]

Unfortunately there is no equivalent high output cartridge made to replace the TC8H, and hasn't been for several decades.

A stereo compatible medium output cartridge is still available, but the output will be too low to drive the probable single stage amplifier properly and the volume will be lower. That's all there is I'm afraid, unless you want to build a new amplifier or a pre-amp.

[nicam49]

There are some threads on this forum on adding a preamp to valve RPs
Here's one such thread:
https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=128765

['LIVEWIRE?']

If your player is a Conquest Auto Mk1 it has a 2-stage amplifier, using an ECL8x series valve. I have recently repaired one of these players (it needed a very noisy treble control pot. replacing) and fitted a Ronette 105 stereo clone cartridge to ut, wiring the two channels in parallel on the tag strip under the deck. This gave very good results on a range of records from old mono 45s to LPs. The quoted output for this cartridge is 250mV, which is enough to produce plenty of volume from the average 45. I know the Ronnette Clone isn't highly thought of by some forum members, but, on the basis of 2 or 3 hours listening to various records, in my experience it performed well, with no sign of mistracking or any other problems. It's easy to fit to the BSR pickup arm, too, though the tags may need changing(the 105 cartridge has square cross-section pins, whilst the TC8's are round) The only drawback is that Musonic are asking £60.00 for the 105 clone, though it may be available from other sources at a more reasonable price (I haven't checked!). Another option may be to fit one of the cheap Chinese cartridges. A version is available with a flipover stylus, but ensure you get one which comes with a mounting bracket. These sell on e-bay for around £10. In either case the tracking weight (stylus pressure) will need reducing to maybe around 4-6 grams instead of the 8g. needed for the TC8.

[Edward Huggins]

It's just as well you are to replace the cartridge, as the old mono TC8H found in your "Conquest" was the wrong type for this record player anyway. The Chinese cartridges referred to also have a turnover LP/78 stlus version. Other suitable stereo-compatible or full stereo cartridges are the BSR X5M (if there are still any left), BSR SC11M, BSR SC12M or BSR SC12H. All of these have a flipover StereoLP/78 stylus. All will work fine in your player.

[simonbridge]

livewire..
Do you have a link to the ones on ebay please.
Thanks

https://shop.mantra-audio.co.uk/acat...42-MA1342.html
Are these what you are referring to?

Not sure if it mk1 or mk2 i have attached a photo of the turntable

[Techman]

Seeing as this player looks to have a better two stage amplifier than at first thought due to the original high output TC8H cartridge incorrectly fitted, then I agree with Edward regarding the choice of replacement cartridges.

If the OP could confirm the valve type/s used in the player, then this would indicate for sure whether a medium output cartridge would be suitable in this instance.

['LIVEWIRE?']

Simon, the cartridge shown in that Mantra Audio link is the one in question. As supplied they come with one stylus suitable for stereo and one for mono records, though there may be a stylus suitable for 78s available. I'll check if the Chinese Cartridge is still listed and post a link to it if so The Chinese cartridge fitted with a flip over stylus isn't listed on e-bay currently (unless I've missed it), but a search for 'Ceramic Pickup Cartridges',reveals that several sellers stock the type fitted with one stylus, c/w mounting bracket for between £10 & £13 or so.

[Techman]

You don't really want one of those Ronette type cartridges as they're just like the old TC8 with a solid metal stylus shank with the compliance of a gramophone soundbox. I would avoid one of those at all costs if you value your stereo records.

[BRASSBITS]

if these are of interest to you I have a couple of each that's surplus in original box , BSR X5M, BSR SC11M, BSR SC12M All of these are new old stock and never been removed from their box all have a flip over Stereo LP/78 stylus.

pm for more details

[Techman]

Simon, you need to tell us what valve type/s are used. We can't give you proper advice on cartridge types without knowing this.

We think it may now be a two stage amplifier, but who knows, anything's possible.

['LIVEWIRE?']

Techman, I beg to differ. On the basis of several hours listening to a wide variety of records from old mono 45s to later stereo ones, two 7" 33rpm discs, both stereo, and three different LPs, two of which are stereo. I can only repeat that the reproduction of all these was good with no sign of mistracking or any other problems. As I'm 99% certain that the cartridge in question is a Ronette 105 clone-it was provided, without any packaging by the owner of the player I repaired-then, IMHO it performed, and, AFAIK, will continue to perform well. Given that they retail at around £60, they should do. As the Dansette Conquest to which I fitted said cart. isn't my player, and is now back with it's owner, I obviously have no way to monitor the long-term effects of using it, but, given that i have quite a few now over 50 year old record which have been played on players equipped with BSR TC8 & TC8S cartridges, and which still sound fine to my 79 year old ears when played on my TEAC PX300 Turntable, I see no reason to be concerned about using the 105 cloned cartridge.

[Edward Huggins]

Originally Posted by Techman

Simon, you need to tell us what valve type/s are used. We can't give you proper advice on cartridge types without knowing this.

We think it may now be a two stage amplifier, but who knows, anything's possible.

It's most likely to be an ECL82. However from the photo it's an early version, and the very earliest of these (c. 1958) used 2 valves in a 2 stage circuit.

[Techman]

Hi Livewire, while I agree that these cartridges may well play records fine on certain well adjusted decks with tracking at around 5g, it's a fact that an all in one piece metal shank stylus like the ones fitted in the TC8 and the old Ronette can in no way have the compliance needed to not cause extra groove wear on stereo cut records eventually. It may not matter or be important on a well used record collection. Check out the Vaco Luxor stylus to see what I mean about a modified shank for much better compliance of the TC8 style. Whether these would fit a TC8 I'm not sure. There's no equivalent modified stylus of the Ronette type as far as I know.

[Techman]

Hi Edward, so long as it definitely uses the two stage amplifier as you suggest, then the cartridges you, and also Brassbits recommend, should be fine.

It's a shame about the Ronette, as they're a very nice looking vintage style cartridge and should be fine playing 'old' records. I was brought one by a person once a few years ago to fit in a recordplayer for her to replace an old, but still working Garrard GC8, and I can tell you that it was worse on compliance than the GC8 it was replacing. It picks up and decodes the two stereo channels, but that's about all you can say about it. While they use that one piece metal stylus shank, they CAN'T be any better!

[Techman]

Hopefully the Google images link below will show the flexi bit in the shank of the TC8 'style' Vaco Luxor stylus. If the Ronette style stylus had this, then all it's 'percieved' problems would be solved - I think...
https://www.google.com/search?q=vaco...qFo2LVlTyHJPM:

[simonbridge]

Its an ECL82 valve.

[BRASSBITS]

another cartridge in my stash is an eagle products made in japan model tc 902
similar to the ronette 105 but its stereo
and the stylus is held by a small screw like the vaco luxor is and would probably fit this cartridge

[Techman]

Originally Posted by simonbridge

Its an ECL82 valve.

That's a two stage amplifier, as the ECL82 has the equivalent of two valves in one glass bottle. This means that any of the recommended cartridges will work in your player.

All stereo cartridges will have FOUR connections, whereas your pickup arm probably has two, so you've got a connection problem straight away which you'll have to resolve by bridging the two channels together, and remember, you must never apply heat from a soldering iron to the cartridge pins, as it'll destroy the internals of the cartridge.

the odd one out is the BSR X5M which is mono, but is fully stereo compatible, so it can be used to play stereo records without damaging them and has the advantage of only having two connections, whereas all the others have four. The X5M is also the odd one out due to it being a crystal type, the others are all ceramic.

[simonbridge]

Thanks chaps.
This is gonna be a valuable resource in quest to find and refurbish Dansettes.

Some very useful responses... Thanks to all of you.