Bush SRP51

[kirstyd]

I picked this up yesterday for a few quid. Only problem was the weight from the back of the arm missing. I needn't have worried, as soon as I stood the thing on end there was the tell tale rattle. It was inside along with six pencils, one stylus cleaner and wait for it, A TOOTH, yes a tooth from someone's mouth. I am always amused by what I find in old record players, but enough of that. What I really want to know is this. There is a large red capacitor attached to the amplifier [not the one on the power supply] Now I have read so much stuff here about those yellow caps [TCCsupermold] in Hacker record players, well this red one is a TCC supermold. Should I change it or leave well alone. I should just say that apart from the gummed up turntable the thing is working. The second photo is what I found when I opened the plug, every screw was loose, and a good tug on the flex resulted in the plug coming off.

[Radio_Dave]

I haven't met them that many times but when I have they've been no good.

Low voltage electrolytics are so cheap anyhow it's not worth going to the bother of testing them.

David

['LIVEWIRE?']

That 13Amp fuse should be replaced with a 3Amp, or, perhaps even better, with a 1 or 2 Amp plug fuse.

[Refugee]

I would go for a new capacitor too. They cost under £1 and you have all the hassle of opening the set up again if it starts humming or oscillating. Just use 470uf.

That plug is correctly fitted with a 13 amp fuse for the benefit of the hard of hearing. 3 amp will not go bang loud enough if the hearing aid battery is getting a bit flat.
De-lux badly wired plugs come with the earth wire squeezed between the fuse and the fixing screw for the top.

[kirstyd]

Thanks guys I will change the cap while it's opened up and fit the plug properly.

[dazzlevision]

Hello,

The red plastic cased "TCC" electrolytic capacitors referred to above were actually branded as "Elkomold" rather than "Supamold". The latter trade name was used
for TCC's plastic encapsulated paper dielectric capacitors.

Elkomolds tended to lose capacitance with time. Especially in TV sets, which ran warm/hot internally.

['LIVEWIRE?']

Am I missing something? What has a hearing aid to do with correctly fusing the mains plug to a record player, radio, or any other low-current device. Weren't we all taught that it's bad pracice to leave 13 Amp fuses in mains plugs fitted to such equipment, particularly as quite a lot of these items have no internal fuses?

[paulsherwin]

It was a joke.

[Nuvistor]

My dad many years ago taught me to always leave the earth wire a little longer than the live and neutral in whatever plug was used, 5amp, 15amp, 13amp etc.

Then if some fool pulls the plug out by the cable the item will stop working if a wire disconnects but hopefully still have the earth wire connected.

Greif that must have been in the 1950's.

Frank

[Refugee]

The capacitor is in a position where it is easy to change while the set is opened up and plastic cased capacitors never did have a very good reputation anyway.

We are right about the joke. A blowing fuse has an audio output that to some extent is dependent on the rating so higher is louder.
Power cables on appliances used to have there cables stripped with equal length conductors and whom would go and get the cutters and strippers and fit a plug properly in those by gone times. Bang!

[kirstyd]

Well i have changed the cap and cleaned the pots and spent a couple of hours cleaning and lubricating the turntable .I have just played a few records and it sounds fine however i do have another one of these that seems to perform slightly better .I set both machines controls to the same settings volume being on NO 6 and played the same record result was my own machine was noticeably louder Hmmm cartridge i thought so i swapped them over .Same result my own was still louder .back when this machine was brand new i was always astounded by the sound it made .Now is it time playing tricks on me [or just my old ears ]the old Bush just sounds very ordinary or is it just that technology has moved on and we are all so used to things sounding good

[Edward Huggins]

It depends on how you rate the sound coming out of fairly early transistor record players in those days. They certainly did sound different to the equivalent price range valve amps of the time.

[kirstyd]

I know what you mean Edward .compared to the only other audio equipment in our house back in 1969 [a sobell transistor .a 50s radiogram and our old Black and white telly that sounded like its speaker was immersed in custard ] the Bush sounded great

[Stylo N M]

The loud speakers can all sound slightly different, even within the same types, some are just quieter than others for no apparent reason.

It also could be a transistor going a bit leaky, have you checked all the relevant resistors and capacitors?

Paul.

[kirstyd]

Problem solved guys .After doing all the usual checks and finding everything ok i gave up thinking thats just the way it is but then i was playing a record [a Motown Chartbusters LP about the same age as the machine] when i noticed the sound wasn't quite right and then it hit me .The record was stereo but the machine was only playing one channel Squirting some switch cleaner into the socket and wiggling a darning needle in the switch brought the missing channel back and bingo full power and excellent sound .job done .Thanks everyone

[Nickthedentist]

Originally Posted by kirstyd

It was inside along with six pencils, one stylus cleaner and wait for it, A TOOTH, yes a tooth from someone's mouth.

Go on, let's have a pic, I could give you my professional opinion about it

[Radio Wrangler]

Perhaps someone bit off that arm counterbalance weight?

David

[kirstyd]

ok you asked for it

[Nickthedentist]

Blimey, an adult's upper molar! That's really weird!

[dinker11]

Dare I suggest a 7" copy of Queen, Another one bites the dust....lol...

Had the same problem myself on a BSR UA12 and stereo cart where the left channel at the cart pins had become loose and not connected.

Again, it was a Motown "hits" album that revealed the problem before any dmm was started.

I'm going to keep a Motown stereo album handy as a test aid.