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Vintage Audio (record players, hi-fi etc) Amplifiers, speakers, gramophones and other audio equipment. |
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22nd Apr 2021, 10:07 pm | #1 |
Heptode
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 899
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Ferguson 401 radiogram
I saved this from certain death today .Apart from the missing turntable it appears to be unmolested .The person i got it from told me they had plugged it in and it came to life for a few seconds but then tripped the electrics .this was caused by a dead short in the taped up joint in the mains lead .I removed the add on bit of flex refitted the plug and switched on .after a few second the thing came to life .the radio is not working but there is a healthy buzz from the pick up leads when switched to gram. I would like to keep this gram mainly for playing 78s [ i do have a deck that will drop straight in] so what i want to know is their anyone in the Leeds area who would take a look at the amp and the tuner for me [while i am quite at home fiddling with a box record player this thing is a bit beyond me ]
regards K |
22nd Apr 2021, 10:11 pm | #2 |
Heptode
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 899
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Re: ferguson 401 radiogram
some more photos
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22nd Apr 2021, 10:31 pm | #3 |
Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Wembley, Middlesex
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Re: ferguson 401 radiogram
I can service this for you Gary on my next trip to Leeds, probably in a few weeks time, but it needs a lot of work. It looks like one valve has gone to air.
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23rd Apr 2021, 8:24 pm | #4 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, UK.
Posts: 8,171
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Re: ferguson 401 radiogram
Hi, it looks eminently restorable BUT, do not power up again, then via a lamp limiter as there are quite a few cheap parts that are failing and you do not want to kill anything expensive.
The transformer exuding wax does not look good, but treated with care may be OK Ed |
23rd Apr 2021, 8:38 pm | #5 |
Heptode
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 899
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Re: ferguson 401 radiogram
Thanks for the offer Michael .The valves are just very dirty .The camera flash makes them look white. I have tried the two EL84s in something else and they both work
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23rd Apr 2021, 8:41 pm | #6 | |
Heptode
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 899
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Re: ferguson 401 radiogram
Quote:
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30th Apr 2021, 2:18 pm | #7 |
Heptode
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 899
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Re: Ferguson 401 radiogram
Hi all
decided to have a go at this myself starting with the amplifier .I am part way through replacing the caps [doing one at a time and testing in between] Its now working much better and the transformer is not getting hot just slightly warm .I have a good healthy buzz when on gram and signs of life on all wavebands [nothing much on short] There is a constant hum caused by the three in one smoothing can 32.24.24 uf at 450 volts .I have temporarily put a new 33uf across the 32 and the hum stops .What i want to know is can i replace both 24ufs with 22s or would it be better to replace all three with 33uf. According to the service sheet the 32uf is the HT reservoir the two 24ufs are HT smoothing . cheers K |
30th Apr 2021, 2:54 pm | #8 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Lincolnshire, UK.
Posts: 4,985
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Re: Ferguson 401 radiogram
Quote:
And you should be fine with the capacitors - it's the reservoir that's important. See if you can get a proper all in one replacement and make sure the reservoir has a 'ripple' rating, particularly if you have to source single components. |
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30th Apr 2021, 4:55 pm | #9 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Southwold, Suffolk, UK.
Posts: 8,302
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Re: Ferguson 401 radiogram
The original record deck in this was a Garrard RC75A (or very similar) but I would suggest you not to replace like for like unless the one you source is 100% working OK. These are very difficult to fix. I would add a Garrard "Autoslim" or one from this 1960 Garrard series. You may need to ease the existing motor board cut out to suit, but there should be plenty of leeway. This Radiogram has an excellent specification and is above the average for this period.
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Edward. |
30th Apr 2021, 9:09 pm | #10 |
Heptode
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 899
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Re: Ferguson 401 radiogram
thanks guys for the prompt reply's. As for the record deck i am going to fit a Collaro that i saved from another trashed [younger]Ferguson gram .Being a nice cream colour it will look right at home
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30th Apr 2021, 9:15 pm | #11 | |
Heptode
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 899
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Re: Ferguson 401 radiogram
Quote:
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30th Apr 2021, 9:55 pm | #12 | ||
Heptode
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 899
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Re: Ferguson 401 radiogram
Quote:
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1st May 2021, 9:51 am | #13 |
Moderator
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Location: Wembley, Middlesex
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Re: Ferguson 401 radiogram
I think you'll find the ripple rating is far too low. I would use one of these and a separate 33uF capacitor for the third one, you could use the one pictured provided it is the furthest away (electrically) from the rectifier valve.
PS if the rectifier is an EZ80/81 you can go up to 50uF in which case try ask jan for triple capacitors. |
1st May 2021, 11:57 am | #14 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Southwold, Suffolk, UK.
Posts: 8,302
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Re: Ferguson 401 radiogram
Yes, Fergusons of this period did use Collaro autochangers. Contemporaneous with yours would be the Collaro RC54 3 speed.
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Edward. |
1st May 2021, 12:44 pm | #15 |
Heptode
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 899
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Re: Ferguson 401 radiogram
Hi Michael.
I had thought of fitting one of those dual cans and then hiding the third one underneath somewhere. Which one would you use the separate cap for, one of the 24uF's or the 32uF? This may sound like a silly question but when you say [furthest away from the rectifier] do you mean in the circuit or its position on the chassis. Regard, K. |
1st May 2021, 12:46 pm | #16 | |
Heptode
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 899
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Re: Ferguson 401 radiogram
Quote:
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1st May 2021, 1:00 pm | #17 | |
Heptode
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 899
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Re: Ferguson 401 radiogram
Quote:
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1st May 2021, 4:31 pm | #18 |
Heptode
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 899
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Re: Ferguson 401 radiogram
just been checking a few resistors and up to now i have found 4 that are quite a way off what they should be .One in particular a 4.7 meg is open circuit .On the service sheet it says all resistors are 1/4 watt unless stated otherwise .now i have lots of 1/4 watt resistors but they are so small .Do you think they will be ok or should i go for something a bit beefier ?
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1st May 2021, 5:32 pm | #19 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Cornwall, UK.
Posts: 13,454
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Re: Ferguson 401 radiogram
A general rule of thumb for the ripple current rating for a reservoir capacitor (the one connected directly to the cathode) is that it should be at least twice the DC load current.
The maximum reservoir capacitance given in the GZ32 valve data is 60uF providing the total series resistance is a minimum of 150 Ohms: http://www.r-type.org/pdfs/gz32.pdf Lawrence. |
1st May 2021, 5:34 pm | #20 |
Heptode
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Cornwall, UK.
Posts: 501
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Re: Ferguson 401 radiogram
The problem with modern 1/4 watt resistors is that they are intended for use with low voltages. If you can find a resistor with a suitable voltage rating that would be ideal, otherwise one of about the same physical size as the original should be fine and will look less out of place.
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