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Old 4th Nov 2015, 11:40 pm   #41
thejazzageuk
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Default Re: Restore a Beau Decca

Thank you- I will pass on the decola tuner then and look for one with a wooden surround as you suggest.
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Old 5th Nov 2015, 1:26 pm   #42
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Default Re: Restore a Beau Decca

Gosh I'm shattered just reading through all of the various permutation of options on this! I've 3 points to make 1: Just how much do you want to spend? There are some really, really cheap options here. 2: You must fit a sprung chassis turntable into this given the inevitable high level acoustic feedback. 3: There has been much talk as to Stereo, but with 2 speakers and with the centre cut out blanked off - and by using a good mono amp - I bet you would hardly be able to tell the difference to the sound stage. Edward
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Old 6th Nov 2015, 10:23 pm   #43
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Default Re: Restore a Beau Decca

Thanks Edward Huggins- and in particular for your advice about a sprung chassis turntable- can anyone suggest if the RC80 has a sprung chassis?

I'm still looking for a Beau Decca tuner- if anyone can suggest alternative ways (other than eBay) of finding one I would be very grateful.
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Old 10th Nov 2015, 5:34 am   #44
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Default Re: Restore a Beau Decca

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Originally Posted by thejazzageuk View Post
if anyone can suggest alternative ways (other than eBay) of finding one I would be very grateful.
Audiojumble sale in Kent or BVWS auctions. BVWS website will probably have details
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Old 10th Nov 2015, 5:01 pm   #45
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Default Re: Restore a Beau Decca

Yes, the Garrard RC80 does have a 3 point suspended chassis (deck plate). A Beau Decca tuner is only likely to be Mono AM type needing an external aerial. Edward.
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Old 10th Nov 2015, 10:55 pm   #46
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Default Re: Restore a Beau Decca

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I'm still looking for a Beau Decca tuner- if anyone can suggest alternative ways (other than eBay) of finding one I would be very grateful.
I have noticed there is one for sale on a classified ads site if you Google for it, doesn,t appear to have its connecting cable though. The tuners do seem to turn up fairly often. It would certainly look the best with an original Tuner in my opinion but with the added complication of providing a power supply for it perhaps a self powered one would be easier. If you got the Rogers amplifier for it is there a matching Rogers Tuner that would look OK?

Steve.
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Old 10th Nov 2015, 11:29 pm   #47
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Default Re: Restore a Beau Decca

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Yes, the Garrard RC80 does have a 3 point suspended chassis (deck plate).
The Garrard RC80 has a 4 point mounting and not a 3 point.

The chances are that your cabinet may take an RC80 as a virtual drop-in.

Your cabinet may still have the 4 sprung mounts left over from the original deck.

If you don’t have the original Garrard type sprung mounting wells fitted, then you need to make sure that any deck you buy comes complete with ALL its mounting springs and fitments, as it’ll be absolutely no use whatsoever without them. Deck plunderers tend to pull these decks out by removing the nuts from below and leaving the springs in place rather than removing them afterwards and re-fitting them back onto the deck. If it comes without its springs you’ll not be able to find any, as they’re super rare! Also, Garrard changed the sprung devices slightly during production, particularly with the ‘M’ version.

My personal opinion is that I think you’ve got quite a task on with this project, as I get the impression that you don’t really have a high enough level of technical skill to be able to do all the necessary work to make it all come together – but I could be wrong, and this is only a personal observation.
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Old 11th Nov 2015, 5:42 pm   #48
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Default Re: Restore a Beau Decca

Thanks for correcting me on the Garrard suspension mounts! I also share some concerns about the required skill level/experience needed for this project, but felt reluctant to say! Edward
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Old 14th Nov 2015, 8:19 pm   #49
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Default Re: Restore a Beau Decca

Thanks guys.

Very useful advice regarding the deck sprung mounts- I will take care what I buy! Thanks for pointing out the tuner.

I also share your concerns about my own skill level- I'm still working through chas miller's book. I'm OK with practical stuff (rig making and soldering) but all my experience has been in 12 volts! However I've always believed if you don't have a go you'll never learn. I do have 2 things in my favour. ONE. I have lots of time and am in no rush to get any quick fixes. TWO this forum appears to have some of the best experts I could hope to learn from- so hopefully will make it work out somehow. Will proceed with caution though.....
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Old 15th Nov 2015, 12:24 pm   #50
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Default Re: Restore a Beau Decca

A quick question on the sprung mounts- does anyone know if the RC10, RC75 and RC80 have the same mounting positions and can be interchanged. Thanks
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Old 19th Nov 2015, 12:54 pm   #51
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Default Re: Restore a Beau Decca

I've managed to acquire some more bits, which may make me re-consider my original options. They came in the form of another 'butchered beau decca' -again the amp removed unfortunately.

ONE- garrard deck- This does come with mounting springs so will hopefully enable me to 'drop in' a 33rmp garrard deck when found. Deck is labelled 'automatic record change model 70'. If anyone has more info on this I'd be grateful (is it an RC10- I assume it plays only 78s?)
TWO: Radio. Looks in good condition, but no connector!
THREE: Speakers

So am now wondering if I should build around these and use original speakers.
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Old 19th Nov 2015, 1:02 pm   #52
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Default Re: Restore a Beau Decca

Go for it in that superb cabinet.
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Old 19th Nov 2015, 1:49 pm   #53
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Default Re: Restore a Beau Decca

Gets my vote too
I have one with a very wormy cabinet on the go
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Old 19th Nov 2015, 7:00 pm   #54
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Default Re: Restore a Beau Decca

Well done! You’ve now got nearly everything you need to complete the job and you could always pass on the cabinet remains that you don’t need to help ‘FIXITNOW’ to help him replace his worm eaten cabinet.

Obviously, this has the original RC70 deck fitted, an RC10 is a different deck altogether. An RC72, 75 or 80 will drop straight in on the mounts, but you’ll have to cut some wood away on the left of the mounting board for the ‘clunky’ bit of the speed change mechanism on the later deck.

You’ve got the cabinet, you’ve got the deck mounts, you’ve got the correct tuner, you’ve got all the correct speakers and I think you said you’ve got a Rogers amplifier, so all you need to do is work out how you’re going to power the tuner and mount the amplifier controls, find an RC72 or 80, and you’re away!
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Old 19th Nov 2015, 7:15 pm   #55
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Default Re: Restore a Beau Decca

Your RC70 has a nice Decca type D head - the one specially designed to get the best out of FFRR 78s and fitted to the first Decola and the Beau Decca, so it's absolutely in period.

The type D head internals are the same as the later XMS. It's reasonably light on records and is still regarded as one of the best ways to hear 78s. So if you have some 78s or want to start collecting them, you'll have a fully genuine Beau Decca to play them on.

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Old 19th Nov 2015, 8:36 pm   #56
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Default Re: Restore a Beau Decca

The amplifier is where the silly money is, so the chances of finding one at an affordable price are not good.

You could build a valve amp of a comparable nature and dodge the parts that are also hyped out of reach. The Williamson design with 807s would be a possibility.

Howerver, it may be heretical to say it, but there isn't really anything magical about valves. Very good results really can be achieved with transistors. It's just not as easy and any attempts at cutting corners are usually more devastating. The differences really become audible when amplifiers are driven hard, into compression or clipping, and the valves normally win.

The solution is to use what looks like a ludicrously over-powered transistor amp, so that it is used a long way below clipping levels. With any decent design, this will give you a clean sound. If you want a bit of mellowness, fiddle with the tone controls.

You could find any one of a number of decent amps which would do the job for you as a stand-in until the right decca amp shows up.

To cheer yourself up, just think that whoever now has the amplifier which was ripped out of your unit is probably one of the fools who worries about listening to his equipment and is condemned like the flying dutchman to roam eternally, never being content, never finding happiness. Always having to scrape money together for the next hyer-expensive thing. He probably has ulcers.

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Old 20th Nov 2015, 12:26 pm   #57
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Default Re: Restore a Beau Decca

My mum has one of those-fully working(except the deck makes a funny clicking noise when it rotates), which came from my grandparents house. They lived in Wolverhampton. Weren't these made somewhere up there in those days? (Wallsall?)
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Old 21st Nov 2015, 1:42 pm   #58
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Default Re: Restore a Beau Decca

That's excellent finding the other one for parts, I think its much nicer to get it back to as original as possible now you can.I am sure a lead can be made up to connect to the Tuner, the plug on it could be the same as an Octal valve base.
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Old 21st Nov 2015, 1:57 pm   #59
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Default Re: Restore a Beau Decca

It may not be that simple. I don’t know off hand what valves are used in this particular tuner but they’re often 4 volt heaters and there may be a few of them, so a lot of current required. A Rogers amplifier would be unlikely to cope with something like that as it’s from the later date of FM tuners with possibly lower heater current and higher heater voltage – then there’s the HT to think about. As I said before, a bit of a task if you don’t already have the ‘know-how’!
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Old 23rd Nov 2015, 1:43 pm   #60
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Default Re: Restore a Beau Decca

Thanks all for the useful advice- particularly to Radio Wrangler for one of the most entertaining posts I've received, I certainly feel much better after reading it.

Also for Techman for advice on the radio integration. However, this is probably a Phase 3 job- before adding the radio I would like to get the amp and speakers working (Phase 1), the add a turntable (Phase 2).

For the first phase, I now have the 3 original BD speakers installed in the cabinet, and a Rogers Cadet amp. The amp is stereo and the speakers are all wired to a single mono connector. So- can anyone advise one the preferred way to connect? I guess it would damage the amp to just connect to one channel- so I could add a dummy load, or locate another speaker, or even re-wire the speakers to put 2 into the LH channel and the other into RH channel? I've attached a photo of the speaker connections on the back of the amp. The speakers have about 7 ohms resistance measured by a multi meter on DC setting.
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