So I needed another vintage console HiFi, right?

[turquoisedude]

Of course I did... LOL   Phil actually saved this one for me when a furniture and appliance dealer in a former mining boom town here in La Belle Province closed late last year.    It looked as if it had been a showroom display model, but when I tried it out, the turntable wouldn't budge and all the amp did was buzz.  I'm going to guess it'll need some fairly major work like recapping...  

Unfortunately I'm not exactly the handy type when it comes to replacing electronic components.  And I have a list of other washer projects for the summer....  I'll keep it stored safely until the winter and with any luck I may just be able to figure out what to do to get it working again!

 

In the meantime, I'll just imagine one of my RCA 'new orthoponic' hi-fi records playing on it... 

 

[dartman]

The turntable probably uses a rim drive rubber wheel and maybe the wheel has hardened, got a flat spot or the motor has locked up from sitting. It looks brand new but that's a long time to sit idle so a lot of things may have locked up or gone bad. I'd fix it up seeing how it's a nice time capsule of the way things used to be.

 

[supersuds]

Imagine, there was still a possibility of plugging it into a DC outlet back then! I never remember seeing such a tag.

It's an elegant design, glad you saved it, Paul.

 

[ken]

Very nice. Nothing says Mid Century like those spindle legs.

 

[tolivac]

Like the instruction card on the TT platter-yes,go along with another poster-the TT idler wheel will need replacing,the motor will need to be taken apart and fresh lube put in the bearings.The amp will need recapping-hence the hum when it was turned on.Nice little unit!It won't shake the rafters-but would sound OK nonetheless.

 

[lordkenmore]

Nice console!

 

As for the idler wheel, I think there are services that can rebuild an existing wheel, which gives an additional option (attractive if a replacement wheel can't be found). Some wheel designs apparently age better than others, too, and thus (with those designs) there is a better chance the wheel will still work (or need only minor attention).

 

As for lubing, that's a good idea. I saw one turntable that had frozen platter that I later learned was likely frozen lubricant in the platter bearings. I also know of at least one turntable motor that wouldn't run--even when fully disconnected from the platter--that worked again once it was cleaned/lubed.

 

Hum can also be caused by issues other than capacitors, such as wiring. But at this age, recapping is a good idea no matter what. At least if one wants to use the console at all.

[this post was last edited: 5/2/2017-05:27]

 

[tolivac]

Hum CAN be caused by "open" filter capacitors.-IE those in the power supply after the rectifier.At least they aren't shorted-this happens too,with old power supply caps-if there isn't a fuse in the primary of the supply can take out the transformer and rectifier tube or solid state devices if this has them.If you can get a idler wheel with sysnthetic rubber-so much the better.or have the old wheel rebuilt with the synthetic rubber.Most new idler wheels and even tape machine pinch rollers use it.Good point on the frozen platter bearing-forgot those-yes-the grease dries up in that,too.-or the oil evaporates and stiffens.

 

[frigilux]

Correct me if I'm wrong, experts, but isn't this turntable the same one Collaro made for (pre-1958) Magnavox?  The tone arm & lock, record stabilizing system, and speed/reject controls look very familiar. Did Collaro also make changers for RCA at some point?

 

[turquoisedude]

Good eye, Eugene!  The Canadian RCA turntables (as well as another Canadian brand - Fleetwood) were made by Collaro.  I'm pretty sure that the Fleetwoods were not rebadged as the RCA models were.  

 

So I did a little late night 'net surfing yesterday and found that the Collaro RC456 record changers like this one have a bad rep for seizing up.  However, I was also pure dumb lucky to stumble on service manual for it and the technical specs for the RCA amplifier.  I also found that these models seemed to have been built between 1956 and 1959.  And the finish on this one was 'mahogany'.   Now, if only a manual for a Youngstown dishwasher or Dominion washer could be found so readily... LOL 

 

I'm going to have to be disciplined and stick to my restoration plans for this summer:  '57 GE washer, '57 GE dryer, and hopefully the '53 GE washer (all plans subject to change and veto by Hubby...LOL)

 

 

[twintubdexter]

<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #008000;">So comforting to know there are others with vintage "projects" waiting in line. With the Magnavox Windsor and "Spirit of 1776 Secretary" covered up in my garage as well as the Canadian Westinghouse tall clock stereo, my truck and 65 Wildcat are a tight squeeze. Bad enough the Magnavox Concert Grand is on a piano dolly in the house that gets moved around to accommodate guests. The Barzilay audio and speaker cabinets are in my kitchen. "House Beautiful" this is not. Nothing's gonna get done until I have my back surgery. </span>

 

<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #008000;">Here in the Southern California Desert you work on your projects in the winter unless you have room indoors. Obviously I've pretty much missed the main window of opportunity for this year. Today's temp is supposed to be around 105...for the beginning of May!</span>

 

<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #008000;">I didn't think it it was worth mentioning the Haunted House pinball that's sitting in the middle of my dining room. One day I'll be able to move it to my pinball room where it belongs, back permitting. </span>

 

[brucelucenta]

Wow, you learn something new everyday. I would never have guess that RCA would have the same kind of changer as Magnavox.

 

[firedome]

cute RCA!

I believe the same "guts" were also to be found in a smaller semi-portable wood case model w/o legs. This is a tube model, probably 6V6GT output tubes - is there a tube diagram? Sometimes tube #s will be found directly on the chassis. The "Orthophonic" models were around 1957-9. They also had some super high-end tube components that were actually made in England and are ultra-rare, real McIntosh type quality stuff... I'd love to find and afford a set of these, they sell for in the thousands - see the pic!

Here's a place that I'm told does a good job on TT idler wheels, you can always have this done while waiting for the time to get to it! Paul I can show you /help you with re-capping. I prefer the yellow Illinois polypropylene caps to preserve the vintage sound.

http://turntablebasics.com/idlerwheels.html

 

[turquoisedude]

Tube diagram

I tried to get a photo of the tube diagram, Roger but I didn't capture the tube layout very well at all... However, according to the tech specs I found, the output tubes are 50C5's.  I'll have to confirm that when I get back down to Ogden on the weekend.  But it's truly not Macintosh... LOL 

 

I'd definitely appreciate your help and guidance with recapping.  More reasons for you to visit the Ogden Appliance Museuem again soon (official season opening May 13th.... LOL)!!

 

 

 

[circlew]

Nice find, Paul. Reminds me a lot of the ones a couple of my neighbors had when I was a kid. Hope you'll get it back in working order soon.

 

[tolivac]

That's interesting about the3 Collaro TT being used by RCA.The TT did sort of look familiar-See pictures of Collaro TTs in a 1958 Allied catalog-what a treasure trove for early Hi-Fi fans-McIntosh,Scott,Fisher-goes on Like those RCA English built amps-those have the same tube lineup a pair of Quad amps I used to have had.Have see EF 86 tubes in some console TT preamps and line amps.Also in console mic preamps.And some Ampex PB amps used those in their head preamps.The tubes I meet in broadcast gear!

 

[firedome]

tubes...

Paul, I'm sure I have a 50C5 or two in the inventory if you need some. Looks like a single ended amp, ie: one output tube per channel, and now that I look more carefully at the pics I can see those tall skinny 50C5s. RCA tube manual says 1.9 watt output, they were very popular for use in mono AM table radios, with a series-connected heater string and no power transformer.

Glad to help out getting her back on the road, PhilR has a cool tube receiver that needs some re-cap work too, and I have Heathkit stereo amp that needs work, so maybe we need to hold a joint resto-session, I have a big dining room table, I'll bring the soldering iron!

EF86s were a super low noise tube used in only a few of the very best of the best audio equipment, including recording studio compressors, (usually cheaper 12ax/u/t7 were used in most amps, pre-amps and receivers), including Fairchild 245 pre-amps... (had one once, and really wish now that I'd kept it)!

 

[firedome]

now that I look again...

this must be a mono unit so those 50C5s are in push-pull for a whopping 3.8 watts total output! More than enough to drive those modest but nice AlNiCo (ALuminium, NIckel, CObalt) magnet speakers... they don't make them like that anymore!

 

[tolivac]

Oh yes,EF86 also showed up in some "G-Fiddle" amps.Also similar 5879 low noise tubes used in Gates consoles.They are used as the 1st audio amp in our 250Kw GE transmitters in the modulator.Also found 5879 in some audio DA's.Those used 6V6 tubes in their outputs.Langetiven-used in Gates higher end studio consoles and stand alone DA's Had those at the transmitter at one time-went thru all of them replced old electrolytics and tubes.In the Gates consoles-custom built for VOA-these had 6SN7 as the input amp tubes-6V6 in the output.The mic and TT preamps used 6J7 tubes.Most that went wrong in these modules were electrolytic caps and sometimes tubes.Some of those modules-the date codes marked on the tubes-they were running for close to 30yrs!Similar moduels were used in the mainframe master control switcher.The tubed modules often held up BETTER than the solid state replacements-OpAmp labs.When I see those old tube#'s here sparks my memory.50C5 amp-not enough power for REAL listening.for background music-they would be OK.Have seen those in many larger table radios and amps in low cost consoles.

 

[thespiritof76]

Thats very nice!

The first time I saw a Canadian RCA with a Collaro I was all kinds of confuzzled! LOL....

I have found with the older Collaro changers (made approximately between 194?-1961), the motors have a bad habit of seizing up for some reason. I don't know why a VM motor will still be free, but not a Collaro. So perhaps that is the culprit of the non movement. I know I have encountered that twice, once with my '59 Westinghouse with a Collaro, then again with my '59 Magnavox.