1200's RCA replacement + general maintenance

mr.brett

Yesterday I went to a store to get my RCA cables replaced and they told me it would cost $100 per turntable. Right. The tech went on and on about how he does a ???complete overhaul,??? oiling the motor, cleaning the tonearm connections, etc. It got me thinking, do you all do any regular maintenance on your turntables? What???s the best way to clean out a tonearm connection?Is there a manual that describes how to do regular maintenance or special repairs on Technics? I???ve found a service manual, but it???s all parts diagrams.I???ve been looking online and was wondering if anyone here has ever grounded the turntable through their RCA cables. It seems reasonable and have heard two people recommend it, but makes wonder why Technics just didn???t do it the first place. Here's a video for that mod and RCA replacement.

Thanks.

JimBeam

What???s the best way to clean out a tonearm connection?

detoxit pen (radio shack has them in stock) and a q-tip

Is there a manual that describes how to do regular maintenance or special repairs on Technics? I???ve found a service manual, but it???s all parts diagrams.

not really.
as long as you keep connections clean, keep the decks clean and they are in good working order, they're essentially maintenance free.

I???ve been looking online and was wondering if anyone here has ever grounded the turntable through their RCA cables. It seems reasonable and have heard two people recommend it, but makes wonder why Technics just didn???t do it the first place.

if you ever plan on using s.erato, don't do the ground mod-- it can easily screw up how the computer reads the signal record.
generally, turntables are not grounded through the RCA because it's a sound cable, and in an effort to eliminate sound interference (like ground hum w/ car stereos) it's wise to keep the leads separate.

casbah

I just opened up both my 1200s today, because they had both stopped working. In the past, I've always taken them to get serviced whenever there's been a problem, but I don't take these out to gigs anymore, so the whole service/overhaul thing isn't such a big deal to me. Before doing anything I watched someone on youtube demonstrating the "I'm opening up the case, careful with the magnets" thing, then I jumped right in and in no time had located the inside fuses. Five minutes later they're both up and running, and I'm not several hundred $ short*. woohoo!

*because when you take them in to get them serviced, no matter what the problem is, no matter how tiny, the bill is always huge and a whole raft of things are supposedly done "because it was essential".

Horseleech

It's best to keep the ground separate, there are times you won't want it to be grounded.

jaysus

Kenny at the needle doctor says to attach alligator clips to the ends of your leads, quick on and off a ground.

LokoOne

It's best to keep the ground separate, there are times you won't want it to be grounded.

Anyone know how to replace the ground on a 1200? I ripped one out recently and dont want to spend $$$ but I cant do anything with the deck atm.

calkuta

http://music.hyperreal.org/dj/sl1200.html

techincs 1200 FAQ

LokoOne

Thanks for the link.....

DJ_WubWub

I have a mate who fixed my rca cables for me and I would go for the heaviest duty (thickest)you can find as they will last longer.
I had the lamps replaced too on the little light the pops up. i had forgotten how useful the little light was in low level situations.
or You could buy yourself a cheap soldering tool and do it yourself.

JimBeam

I have a mate who fixed my rca cables for me and I would go for the heaviest duty (thickest)you can find as they will last longer.
I had the lamps replaced too on the little light the pops up. i had forgotten how useful the little light was in low level situations.
or You could buy yourself a cheap soldering tool and do it yourself.

while it's true that heavier duty cables will last longer at the actual connector (a common failure point due to constant push/pull as you connect components), you have to be careful to not go too large.
I often replace RCA's for people that go with a huge cable, and they fail prematurely due to the cable pulling away from the pcb inside the tonearm housing, a direct result of the cable not fitting through the 2 piece cable clamp on the tonearm bottom housing. Unfortunately with the large cables, people either use one side of or discard the clamp entirely... a horrible look since it is the main thing holding the RCA in place-- the cable soldering pulls away from the pcb board and it's a nightmare to fix if anything other than the cable is damaged.

Unherd

Damn every Technics thread, Jim_Beam always comes through to ensure that there's

Your contributions are appreciated dude, expect a PM if anything ever gets fusked with mine!