It's been a long hot summer, but the Motorola sings!

At the end of the long cold winter, I was left with these questions:
Now, the 1966 turntable might have a cartridge which was built for a different amplifier.  Does this mean I might need a whole new tonearm assembly, and will it be worth it to replace?

Now, at the end of this long hot summer, I can say that the answers are YES and YES!

The parts weren't THAT bad and the labor was basic.  I got paranoid about soldering the tonearm wires, but the Stereo Doctor had sympathy on me and charged me next-to-nothing.

So now it looks good.  It sounds good-enough.  It's running!  By gum, it's running!

Actually, gum had nothing to do with it - just don't ask me about the silly putty!

As I posted last Winter, the 1958 1210A Voice of Music record changer - branded as a Motorola Golden Voice - didn't work out.  Although I thought the styling would be good, there were too many retrofitting issues involved to use it in the Motorola console.  The spindle was too high, the power coupling was not compatible, and in the end - the styling wasn't "right".

So my Plan A is now a stand-alone unit in my home office.

Plan B started with advice from Gary (from the Voice of Music website)  who confirmed for me that the original model of turntable in the Motorola SK-519 was the VoM 1297.  Of course, all the times working with him on the 1210A, I never thought to ask if he knew what model of turntable was supposed to be in this console!  Only after surrendering on the 1210A retrofit, and moving towards making it a stand-alone unit, did the topic of the console and it's original turntable come up!  If there is ever a next time, I'll ask this question first!  But what fun is "Plan B" if you can't have a "Plan A"!  :)

So Plan B (a 1966 Voice of Music 1297-A70 branded as Motorola pictured above) is fitted into the console.  Now, dear ole Dad, at some point in time, had the console mounting board cut-to-fit whatever other table he put in there.  The other table is MIA, but once I had the original VoM for this console in my hands - I had to modify his modifications.  It was a pretty easy fix actually and I was able to mount the new VoM in there.

The tonearm had to be filed back to retrofit the cartridge, but Gary provided me instructions - complete with pictures - on how to do this.  It was pretty easy.  Modern day cartridges are harder to install and align.  :)

Wiring the tonearm was a simple process of routing the wires to the RCA board and soldering the ends.  I'm still paranoid about soldering small parts, so the good folks at The Stereo Doctor in Augusta Maine did in the final solder.  They did a great job - charged me next to nothing - and did it while I waited in less than 5 minutes (or so).

Bringing it home, I dropped it back into the console, plugged it up, and let Alice's Restaurant spin.  The sound is a bit crackly, but the album is rough and I didn't even measure VTA to see if it's in range - I assume it is because these old turntables are spring-loaded and it's not really a fine-tuning type of system.  But I'll double check and perhaps spin some of my newer albums on it to see how she responds.

For now, I'm just stoked that the original turntable is back in the console, and it's sounding as good as I can really expect it to sound.  My basement, vintage, hand-me-down, party room is starting to shape up!

From here my next steps are to:
1) Add up the money spent on both Plan A and Plan B
2) Give the turntable a full check-up and fine-tune set-up
3) Start to make a plan for fixing the chips/dings in the Motorola cabinet.
4) Repair the external Reel-to-Reel and patch it in through the Motorola console.

It's been a long cold winter.

I abandoned my attempt at getting the 1958 Golden Voice turntable to be compatible with the console.  So I turned it into a stand-alone turntable, and I have it in my office, and it sounds good!

It tracks a bit heavy, but sounds good!  I won't use it except on occasion, with less-than-perfect albums.  Unless I get over my fear of an 8g tracking force....

My uncle made the base for it, it's oak.  I got the mounting pattern to cut the top out and allow the turntable to sit down onto it's springs.  I actually really like this piece, but I'm not completely sure where it'll end up.

So...back to the Motorola SK-519CW!

I found another Motorola Turntable, this time it's a 1966 1297-A70.

It was a $25 purchase that I couldn't pass up.  However, no sound comes out of it.  I'm currently diagnosing this issue.

With the turntable hooked up to the console power (at least this model had the right power coupling) but with the RCA's left disconnected, I turned on the turntable which switched the amplifier over to the turntable "source".  I tapped the RCA's and verified that feedback came from each side of the console.  I conclude that this means the signal from the RCA to the amplifier is fine.

So my problem is between the RCA and the needle.  Well - the easiest place to start with this problem is the needle itself!  Easy to replace and cheap!  So I contact my favorite part suppliers.

It's tricky ordering parts for these things.  You find a reliable seller, and you get their recommendations for replacement parts - but nothing is 100% certain.  My first attempt to get a new needle for this turntable led me down the path to thinking I needed a whole new cartridge.  However, as I was about to order the new, recommended cartridge, I noticed that the pin-arrangement was not the same.  So I contacted the seller again and we determined that he made an incorrect recommendation.  Below is an image of the headshell, the cartridge, and the needle from the 1297-A70:

Here is what I've been told about this set-up:

This is a Euphonics solid state cartridge.  It by itself does not have any output, it is a transistor, and is designed to only work with an amplifier designed for it.   

I'm not qualified to argue with that assessment, but I'll be doing a bit more research.  Hopefully this doesn't turn out to be too big of an issue, but it's certainly not just a simple process to find the right turntable for these old consoles.

First, the 1958 turntable didn't have the right power coupling.  I can, by the way, run the stand-alone unit into the TAPE-IN on the console, but I have to use external phono amplifiers.

Now, the 1966 turntable might have a cartridge which was built for a different amplifier.  Does this mean I might need a whole new tonearm assembly, and will it be worth it to replace?

Time will tell.....

I've not yet begun to surrender!

I have finally gotten the Golden Voice to sing through the Motorola Console!

This image shows a Sony Reel-to-Reel on the left and the stand-alone Golden Voice on the right.  I'm currently connecting these through the TAPE input on the back of the Motorola Console.  A simple RCA switch lets me switch between the two devices.

Here is a close-up of the Golden Voice and it's (very) temporary plinth:

This blog was supposed to be about the Motorola Console, but the beginning of this project has been dominated by getting a replacement turntable.  I will admit that I should have grabbed a turntable that was closer to the age of the console.  I'm still dealing with interface issues; I'm still unable to mount this in the Motorola cabinet and use it as "stock" - in fact, I'll never be able to use it as stock due to the height of the record changing spindle - it just doesn't fit!  So I've spent all my time and energy on this turntable without doing much to the console itself.

Here is a break-down on what I've done to this Voice of Music 1210 Turntable:
 * Ordered and re-wired the Stereo Cartridge
 * Installed the Amp-Lock kit so that it can be plugged directly into a wall outlet.
 * Minor Lube job
 * Purchased the mounting board cut-out pattern.

Here is what's left to do:
 * Complete mounting board and stand-alone base.
 * Diagnose motor hum/noise
 * Diagnose "thin" bass sound.
 * Install mounting board into Console (dropped lower than original due to taller spindle)
 * Add up all the little expenses I've incurred!  (funny how things pile up!)

When completed, I'll have a console with a functioning TT through which I can still plug the Reel-to-Reel.  At that point the plan is to switch to cabinet restoration.  After the cabinet is as good as I can get it, I'll re-visit the sound quality of the turntable and consider where I want to go from there.

At this point, I'm still very happy with, and excited about, this project.  This console holds sentimental and nostalgic value for me and I'm happy every time I hear it play.  Purchased in Spain by my father around 1967, he has also handed-down some of the home decorations and trinkets he purchased during the same time period.

So here the console sits, in my unfinished basement, but surrounded by some of the friends it made way back in the late 60's:

And the beat goes on!

Catch you next time!

Round Peg; Square Hole

This image sums up my current problem:

On the left you see my Round Peg; this is the power coupling from the 1958 turntable.  On the right you see my square hole; this is the female molex connector for the 1966 console.  It looks like I need to dig into the schematics, or hand this off to someone who can make sense out of it all.

But, functionality aside, it does look pretty good in there:

So, I've purchased the restoration guide, and a ceramic stereo cartridge for this turntable.  I also have to contend with a spindle that is too tall for the console.  I may be faced with doing some cabinet modifications.

It snowballs into a dark spiral quickly.  How many modifications to this cabinet do I want to make for a 1958 Ceramic Cartridge record changer?  I always figured that if I was going to modify the cabinet, then I'd put modern hi-fi components into it.

If I would have asked for a picture of that power coupling, I might not have purchased the '58 table, but I have it now - I have to do something with it.  I could potentially build a plinith for it and run it as a stand-alone, it seems I may have to modify the power coupling anyway.  Not sure what I could use for amplification for it if I did this though.  Hum, maybe.........use the console amp, but create a plinith for it and run it stand-alone - using dedicate power source, but console phono connection?

I have time to figure it out; I'm not in a rush.  I need to restore my vinyl collection so that I have something to play before I get too excited about it all.  My low-budget Pioneer PL-512 will get the vinyl spinning as I revive the old collection and decide what to do about this console.

Here is a tally of the financial damage so far:
 * Console: Free (thanks Dad!)
 * '58 Turntable: $71
 * '58 Turntable service manual, restoration guide and stereo cartridge w/needle: $37
Total: $108

Here is the console in it's new "resting spot" until the "next phase":

And the beat goes on.....

1958 Motorola Golden Voice Turntable Ordered!

I don't know if it will work with my existing phono RCA and power connections, but it's on the way just the same!  I was wooed by it's shiny luster....

 I've been in contact with Gary at "thevoiceofmusic.com" and will be getting a new cart for it.  I'm crossing my fingers that this all comes together because I really like "the look"!

Basement Sound Check

Decided to do a Basement Sound Check.  All I did before this test was re-attach the antenna connections.

Not sure if the video does it justice, but it sounded pretty good (and loud) to me!

My YouTube Video

Also Uploaded a few more pics.  These are some accessories that were in the console.

 The Realistic Nova 10 headphones pictured above are bulky but sound pretty decent still.

 The Robins Deluxe Care Kit is not complete.  I tried to put things back into the original case, but am missing some pieces, like the "Stylus Microscope".

The amplifier is labled with Motorola 100, Solid State.  Sorry to you Tube Lovers out there.  ;)

Console Arrives

Well, it's here!

But what is it!?

Luckily, dear ole dad kept the original manual, and pretty much all labels are present.  So I know it's a model # SK-519CW.  It was purchased in Spain, and 1966 seems to be about the general time frame.  I've not been able to confirm that it's indeed a 1966 model, but I'm going with that for now.  "The Golden Voice" is stamped on the speakers, and research turned up that a company called "The Voice of Music" manufactured many components for these old consoles.

So, one of the first questions that presented itself, was "now what!?"

In this case, I felt that answer was self-evident when I plugged it in and got acceptable sound out of the FM tuner.  At this time, the console was moved into my basement, where I didn't expect any FM reception to exist!  I could not tune it in perfectly, but the sound was acceptable and I listened to the local Pop station as I went about re-organizing my basement.

By "acceptable", I mean it wasn't as good sounding as my new Marantz AVR/Wharfedale Diamond combo, but it was clear-enough - detailed enough.  Adjustments to the treble and bass settings inside the console produced some distortion - but this went away once the dial was set.  So it seemed present only as you moved the dial.  This might indicate some cleaning necessary - dirty contacts?

And this would seem to be a good time to preface this blog, and this whole project, with the admission that I am a complete novice in the realm of electronics.  I am a computer programmer who has always loved to take things apart.....
...the putting-back-together-again hasn't always gone so well for me.  I remember a doomed pair of ColecoVision "Super Action" controllers that perhaps could have been saved, if they were dismantled by someone with a bit more experience than I at the time.  I believe they remained in pieces, in the bottom of a drawer, well after I graduated high school and left that old bedroom behind.  I faintly remember giving the "Green Light" for my patient parents to finally ditch them.  I was probably in my late 20's.  However, I had my fair share of good luck repairing early CD players, until they got all fancy with "multi-disc changers" and all.  I could rip apart a car dash board to install new components in the days when the car stereo was 3x the worth of the car itself!  I think I put a fancy Alpine in an old Buick Regal Station Wagon.....

...and I was tempted to do that to this old console.  I thought, originally, that I would take everything out of it, and fill it with new components - using it only as a fancy cabinet for modern Hi-Fi.  I actually have some spare pieces around that I was going to dedicate to this purpose.  I saw another blog where the cover was removed from a modern AVR, and then a custom structure was made to support the AVR in a vertical position where it could be mounted under the cover of the console unit!  Brilliant!  Right?  I really like that idea, and variations of it that I think of in the wee hours of the day.

But when I plugged it in, and heard that vintage gear kick out modern pop with "acceptable" sound....
...I couldn't rip it apart.

It was brought back from Spain by my Parents.
It sat in every house I grew up in, and was our main music source until (perhaps) my high school years.
I learned to dance in front of that console.  Which makes me suddenly thankful that Consoles cannot talk.

So the decision was made.

I would try to restore this unit.

First Mission: Replace Turntable.

And again, my first impulse was to buy a modern turntable that I could just drop into the console and plug into the on-board phono jacks.  However, this was short lived when I measured the available size inside the console.  It seems that few turntables will fit inside; the only ones I found were the linear tracking turntables from Technics - like the DL5.  These have a unique cover design that doesn't fit well for mounting inside a console unit.

So, to "restore" this will mean to go vintage.  And E-Bay came through with an older (1958) Motorola Golden Voice turntable which I purchased and am waiting for as I type this.  Processing and shipping - it'll be a few more days before it arrives.  This turntable comes with a mono cartridge, but I should be able to get a stereo cartridge for under $30.  This is still TBD though, I have an e-mail into the good folks at thevoiceofmusic.com regarding proper cartridge choice.  I have a feeling I'll spend a lot of time over there.

So it has begun.  For my own sanity, I'll track my investments and although I don't have a clear "budget" for this project there will be a potential breaking point where further ROI is too limited to continue.  For now, I'm still good to go:

Console Unit - $0 (thanks Dad!)
Replacement Turntable: $71 (shipped)

~*~