The Technics SL 10 is a very nice linear tracker. There is a switch on the back to change from MC to MM cartridges. I put a Ortofon Super OM 30 phono cartridge on mine. It sounded great. Great video as always! Thank you. ( written before I watched the full video )
The SL7 is another nice linear tracker by Technics however there is always at least one of the lid nibs broken that fit in the lid latch to lock it down. I always press the Open button first, put the lid down then release the Open button to relieve any striking stress on whatever is left of the nibs.
I love the SL-5 and have 2 of them. Yeah, I’m gentle with all my vintage audio equipment. Since they are vintage already, I don’t want to the one to break it or cosmetically damage. I also don’t want to be the last person to own these machines and hopefully pass on to someone else when I no longer need it,
I have one of these turntables and I took very good care of it, but of course the clear styrene plastic still got a bit scratched up, but found a plastic polish/wax that I used to buff out the scratches, got them out pretty well used a microfiber rag though, no paper towels!
The killer of these from what I understand is the ribbon cable that connects the tonearm to the top board. It's glued in place somewhere if I remember correctly. The constant back and forth eventually causes a stress point at the glue and snaps the wires in the ribbon cable. Very difficult to replace. I've pulled mine from the glue so It rides more freely in the top case. When I first put mine back together I made the same mistake you did with the plastic tonearm slide cover. It's correct now but still gets jammed halfway every once in a while. Maybe a burr on the plastic or something. I also replaced the rice grain cuing bulb with an LED . I used two resistors on the legs to get the bulb to Dim while playing instead of shut off completely, kinda cool. Cant remember the values 270 or 470ohm, something around there. Nice little machine when they work!
My favorite is SL DL1 turntables. Got 4 and if I see any for under 80 not working I'll buy it. All these Technics linear trackers are bulletproof. I even fixed one that had the bump. Great video!
I had two of these not a technics but pioneer made it! Now one worked great the other so so they Both worked ok but one was completely manual sort of it would start OK and drop down on the record but playing program tracks on one didn't work and the other did! I gave them away! I have a pretty nice one now I have the Fluance RT82T Reference Series with the Ortofon OM 10 cartridge! I like this one! I still have my Audio Technica LP-120 fully manual of course and very dang heavy 25 LBS! It's my backup just in case! Thanks for sharing this! I like when you do Turntables!
@@evertdewit4037 well I guess if i put down SL-1200 people would also think Like you, thinking the one previous to the MK2, however the MK2 - MK5 was a good series of turntable depending on your needs which is what I meant!
I love linear tracking turntables. It's the styling. And the buttons. And the fact I had a JVC one growing up. Now I have a Sansui, which has an issue with it's auto muting/unmuting when it moves to a track you selected (it sometimes doesn't detect the start of the next tracks audio and so doesn't unmute). If however you manually move it to the track (via the buttons) it doesn't have that problem, only when it moves to the track itself and puts down the stylus.
I heard many people call this kind of turntable a close and play. When it first came out, I saw the dealer pick up the whole turntable and stand it up vertical, then upside down and on each end , then shaken very hard and the stylus never skipped Mitsubishi had one that was on a stand that made the turntable vertical.
Nice demo, and I guess another happy customer with a potentially functioning material Most of these linear tracking turntable share the same linear tracking arm technology, and it was generally considered as a substandard gadget for non audiophiles. You can easily recognize the short arm with a switch limited displacement. Cheaper ones had a belt drive platter. Some of the most expensive had a direct drive platter, a skip or track memory system and these famous moving coil T4p cartridges. The linear arm system was mostly the same manufactured by Mitsubishi and sold as a Technics or Sharp or Pioneer or Sony and so on. With this technology, the cartridge type is considered as a substandard and is limited to a few models with no weight adjustment, a limited trackability, and these carts are dramatically fewer now than then! I highly doubt someone could find now a high quality T4p MC cartridge, so the question of retipping could be interesting. Most manufacturers have ceased offering such service, and talented specialized service men are dramatically few. And if you want something not too expensive, a cartridge cleaning with a cantilever replacement with a Shibata diamond tip will cost you around 500$... First thing first, you could measure the coils to get an idea of the damage extend: when open or shorted, it's a very bad indication and won't worth the sending. It's obvious it could be more interesting to get some decent T4P MM cartridge with an elliptical shaped diamond from Ortofon or Audio Technica to have something at least functioning with a decent audio quality for a reasonable price, and have something practical for those who are not accustomed to the joys of manual only turntables (do you still let your kids play their records on your Thorens with a SME arm and 400$ cartridge?). If you definitively want some advanced linear tracking turntable, some made by Sony, Pioneer or B&O, used their own specific technology, like linear motor drives, optical arm sensors and so on. Some still compete in the high price range in the aftermarket with high end classic turntables, but as most high end full automatic are sometimes as difficult to service as these little "disc eating" critters. Curiously, I've seen some of the newest linear arms available in the audiophile "high end" corner, as an option for the magnetic floating 100.000$ turntable, and I can't tell if the price and technology were more impressive than the sound!
Thanks for the great video! I’m always amazed with ppl. that know what to take apart and the problem can be. When I take things apart, I’m hoping I can figure out the issue and what needs to be tighten or replaced and hopefully I didn’t make it worse. So you say the cartridge is rare on these and good to know bc I always wanted the SL 10 but had no idea it took a different cartridge that’s hard to find. I have 2 SL 5 and those p mount cartridges were common and easy to find on eBay and just looking for one, I ended up buying like 5 to 6 used cartridges and 2 new stylus’. So for the Ty’s that take p mount cartridges that many of the compact linear technics take, they are easy to find and common. Yeah sometimes you do need a 3rd. hand and recently I got this poster from 1985 from eBay and it was tightly rolled into a small mailing tube and when I tried to get it out, it was rough. When I unrolled it holding the center, the poster was made of this thick paper and bend back and made creases while holding from the center. So the trick was to hold from the corners with 2 hands and unroll with the 3rd. hands or have someone help. So the cartridge that was on there was rare, but you can put a regular p mount like you have? At first I thought this unit required the rare cartridge and good to know. Also, that’s the part I hate about doing repairs, to fix one thing and take apart to find it still doesn’t work and have take apart again. Bc each time I feel you take apart, you risk damaging the unit. When these jam or don’t glide smoothly, I think the bar needs to be cleaned and re lubricant. Anyway, thanks for the video and hope you got working and fixed, I’m typing as I watch your video.
Oh and it helps to have a lot of tools and a work bench. I don’t have either and could be a pain bc midway, I find I don’t have this and that and hope that’s it. Nice repair and how did you get the arm to move all the way. Nice to know even this abuse example still holds up and working. Nice to know about the arm lock switch and I guess it’s not the cartridge that rare, but another part when you were explaining how it was damaged in shipping?
The only thing that was rare about that cartridge was it was a p mount moving coil. P mount moving magnet are a dime a dozen. All MC cartridges are rare and expensive. Personally I wouldn't bother with one myself.sonically they're very little difference is that most people would never pick out and would only be able to pick out the moving coil of someone actually told you which one it was. I also would never have a linear turntable. I treat my records like radio stations did. Cue them up and then turn back 1/4 turn for mixing when making a mix tape. I was not and still am not the type that puts on a record and listens beginning to end with few exceptions. Jazz, DSOTM and anything by JMJ. Those need to be listened to start to finish. Everything else I am listening to the 1 or 2 tracks that were cut in with a bunch of crap.
Well done, they can be a picky devil to fix. I watched a guy repair one of those and it had a lot of problems. A real nightmare to get it to repeat. The optical sensors were ill as well. Every time he thought it was ok it would play up. (sods law) I would rather have a standard deck.
I have one of the original sound quality reports on this deck when they came out, considered to be good, the price for the SL10 was £400.00 / 658 Canadian dollars.
MC carts are usually better because they feature smaller coils whose lower inductance doesn't interfere with the cable capacitance as much as the larger coils in an MM would. MM carts and the phono interconnects essentially can create a 2nd order lowpass filter within the audible frequency range which might introduce uneven frequency response and phase shifting. Therefore, it's important to have a variable input capacitance on a phono preamp to match up the MM cartridges' inductance.
Nice timing, a guy asked me just the other day if i could take a look at his SL10. Now i know some of the pitfalls of servicing one of these. He said that it had some physical damage to the tonearm/pickup (or something...), and after that the sound got bad. He claims that the S-sounds are too sharp or loud. You know that thing they call Sibilance. I just don't understand how a physical damage on the deck, not even a bent cantilever, could result in that.
If it is an aftermarket stylus, the problem is with the vertical tracking force, as these require higher VTF to track properly, due to the quality of their suspension rubber. Tracking under the recommended VTF causes sibilance.
Hi? You really do knock out the content. Your always in my list of "To Watch Videos" over anyone else, ha ha ha 2.04......"Fuhbar!!" i've never heard anyone use that word for a long time,apart from myself. lol
I would think that a P mount cartridge can be found, probably new old stock on eBay or somewhere else. These were nice lower mid priced turntables from the early 1980's. Nice for the time, but if you are going to do analog, there is so much better without the complex issues that this unit presents.
1. Audio Technica still makes new p-mount cartridges, for example the at85ep. 2. Grado Prestige still makes new p-mount versions of their GP blue/red line of cartridges (note that those will not work on some models, like the SL-J300r, because those cartridges have 'wings' which make it too large. This is however not a problem on for example an SL-5/7/10) 3. While the Ortofon OMP and OMT carts are no longer in production, the current standard stylus 10/20/30/40 fit those cartridges 4. JICO makes expensive but very good replacement styli for the Technics/National line of cartridges As to complexity, it is different than your typical turntable, but in general, its not very complex to repair. I have a whole bunch of different units, and a pile of spare components and boards for the most common models. I've never needed a replacement board, the only replacement parts I have needed so far are the rubber feet. Most common issues relate to the original repair the owner of this SL-10 tried to do. While the cleaning and lubrication is really easy to do on the SL-10, SL-7 and all the 'non programmable' variations, it is also very easy to do it wrong and mess things up. First thing to realize there is that you only have to open the tracking mechanism, and should totally avoid trying to remove the lid. A second thing is... dismantling the tracking mechanism for cleaning is almost always less work than trying to clean it 'in-place'. Btw, if you deal with this kind of turntable often, there exists a special device for holding the turntable while working on it, which makes life a lot easier. Another thing is... get the service manual, and have a scope at hand. After a repair involving the tracking mechanism, you often need to recalibrate it. This is very easy to do by just following the service manual. You will also want a proper test record for that tho (especially when having to re-adjust the sensor triggering tonearm movement) Last but not least... SL-10 tracking mechanism is the first version of that mechanism, and it kinda sucks compared to the ones coming after it. Unless you really really really have a reason for wanting an SL-10, I'd really suggest using an SL-7 instead. It is just a generation newer, and fixes many of the mistakes of the SL-10 mechanism. Its more reliable, and more quiet. The SL-10 is known for its tonearm movement being audible, even with a new very quiet dc motor (which isn't very difficult to replace)
@MN Mitchell Yeah, if I remember correctly - wasn't the marketing gimmick claimed that a linear tracking system was supposed to track the same way that the vinyl was cut and better than s-shaped tonearms?
Hello 12Volt, Hope all is well with you and family. All of your videos are AWESOME!! I have a question? I have a JVC -- RC-838L boombox that was giving to me as a gift little over 3yrs ago. I noticed it had some issues, 1. When trying to play a cassette tape, its barley turns the reels but does play sound but slowww. Another issues i came across was only one channel will play when i switch to one of the features called Biphonic , it will play both channels. When sliding volume, or balance, it intermits with NO sound. I would love to get this repaired or fixed. I checked everywhere withing my radius for old electronic repair shop but couldnt find ANY. Do you do this on the side? Ill be happy to compensate you for your time! Thank you
I much prefer the Sony PS-LX series of Linear Trackers, never could get past the goofy tonearm combined with the door on the Technics. The key to a good cartridge (on a moderate budget) these days is to get a Microline stylus; Audio Technica offers microline styli on both MM and MC carts. That being said, I really noticed an improvement on inner groove distortion w/ the MC (33PTG) versus the same type stylus on the MM (VM540) model by Audio Technica. I don't ascribe to the supposed magical qualities attributed to MCs--for me they just have a cleaner, less grating sound. I do believe there are MMs that are as good as MCs but they are few and far between. Of course this is all academic if you are limited to P-mount, there's just not much choice for new P-mounts unless you find a lightly used or NOS cartridge from the 80s. Such a shame about that Technics MC cantilever (I haven't tried Technics MC but the best MM cartridge I've ever heard bar none is a Technics EPC-205 MKII, and it has an elliptical stylus).
Have you ever tried to add 78 rpm to a more modern Technics? I have a SL-BD3 here and saw some videos on YT about modding a Technics by just adding a resistor and a switch for 78 rpm.
I did it on a little cheap combo unit change the resistor and monitor the cartridge even put a speaker inside the cabinet so it's an all-in-one unit and it plays 78 beautifully. I might mod one of the either JVC or akai direct drive units for 78. The main reason I haven't is because unless you get a 78 cartridge a modern cartridge is not going to sound very good playing 78s but this cheap Panasonic with the ceramic cartridge sounds really good playing 78s. I don't have a huge 78 collection I'm starting to collect a few more mainly because I have a real Edison photograph I'll wind up that I can play them on no power required it sounds pretty good for what it is I got some big band records and they sound pretty cool on this relic from 1916
@@12voltvids Well, I have quite some 78s here, some dating back to the early 1920s. Replacing the needle by just switching the whole cartridge with a 78s-needle isn't that hard to do, but a suitable stylus for a T4P cartridge is hard to find, and changing to audio-technica isn't that cheap either, Ortofon doesn't make any T4P anymore, so well.. hmm.. ATM I try to get a rare Ortofon OMP 10/20/30/40 T4P cartridge on eBay.
Hi, maybe you know. I have a problem with my sl 10. The arm stops 5mm before touching the return switch. The cord is right, averything is right. So if I play a record that ends near the center groove, the arm return before song ends I repeat, it stops before activate the return switch.
i just popped a record in my Technics SL-6 linear tracking programmable turntable ....the arm when quing is steady mostly a little slower in spots but no issues...is there an easy way to lube this to prevent issues? ive been using it for a bout a year now and its cartridge is about a year old...so far its been dialed in and playing most records fine. the warped records won't play because the arm has limited vertical travel. it was about $98 plus the needle so all in i have about $130 into it. Im wondering who services these locally ....if and when i need it. i dont have the steady hands needed to work on this haha!
Service people are few and far between and every year there are fewer of us left. There will come a day when even I won't be doing this any longer. For me now it is a hobby and an excuse to fire up my camera and make UA-cam videos. When i left the business in 2003 i lied to myself and said i wouldn't work on this stuff and managed to stay away for about 9 years, bit today it is just a hobby like it is for many old techs. It's fun to keep this d vihtage stuff going, as I have zero interest in attempting an of the modern stuff.
Will this turntable ( -other Technics linear models and/or other brand linears ) accept "standard" cartridges or does the linear topology require non-standard cartridge dimensions ... perhaps Technics proprietary?
Tp4 was a standard that all the manufactures adopted in the 80s just before vinyl went south for a long vacation. Technics was one of the big companies to push the system. It was good because it gave perfect alignment between tone arm and stylus. My slm1 also uses it.
Where in CA. are u located. Could u repair my Panasonic SL-J33, if I sent it to you? It's in mint condition but has been in storage 30 years and the tonearm gets stuck when playing the LP33 record and it makes a clicking noise like the tracking arm is sticking but the belt is trying to move it after playing the 2nd or third track .
It's so cool about the moving coil, but the turntable is so cheaply constructed with such a light and crummy platter that why would you invest in an expensive retip, unless you are just trying to restore it to OG condition?
The builtin 'pre-amp' is not really a pre-amp, its a transformer, and that comes with is own distinct advantages and disadvantages. If using an MC cartridge, I totally prefer using a pre-amp which can be configured for MC cartridges. In all fairness, the audio quality of most pre-amps which lack such configuration options is going to be a serious limitation on sound quality. See, even for MM type cartridges there are things which really need to be configurable, specifically impedance and capacitance. Many pre-amps do not allow configuring capacitance, and the ones that do almost always also support MC cartridges, including low and high signal level ones (which is something you really should be able to configure on a pre-amp accepting MC cartridges). Rather, many 'lower spec' pre-amps won't allow you to configure capacitance, but will support at least low signal level MC carts. Pre-ampa with such capabilities are still being made (for example the project tube box in all its variations), and many more up-market classic pre-amps, even when integrated in more up-market integrated amplifiers allow for at least some configuration of this. So, that 'you do not need an MC capable pre-amp' thing is a gimmic, I'd rather invest in a capable pre-amp.
The Technics SL10 does have a real MC to MM-level _preamplifier_, built from discrete transistors connected up in a circuit resembling a discrete operational amplifier. It does _not_ have a step up transformer! Check the circuit diagram in the service manual if you are unsure. The preamplifier is matched to the original Technics MC cartridge. The preamplifier in the SL10 steps up the signal by about 20dB to match the level of an MM cartridge, and can thus be connected to the MM phono input of an amplifier or a dedicated MM phono preamplifier.
really a shame, you'd think everybody would know you have to secure the stylus when shipping. maybe he thought since it wasn't on an arm it would be ok?
What's so special about the SL10 that they are fetching such a high price used? Seems like more of a novelty item. I have an Onkyo linear tracking turntable. Based on just seeing this video, I'd say the quality is about the same. The Onkyo is decent, but my other non-linear tables are much better and the cost new is less than a used SL10. The Onkyo is sibilant at times even with a new stylus so I have I have my doubts about the improved tracking with a linear vs non-linear tracking arm.
What is a replacement head for this unit? Also, I have one and it plays slower than where it should be. Original cartridge and stylus. Anyone know common problems for this?
Yes probably but VCRs really are not worth fixing unless it is a special type. Svhs, beta, 8mm of multi system. run of the mill V8 chests are typically not worth fixing because used ones can be found pretty cheap
@@12voltvids it’s a Sony SLV-575UC and cosmetically it’s in mint condition. I even have the original box, manual and remote! It would be a shame for it to go in the trash, I’m sure it’s just a simple fix. What happens is when a tape is played, the audio plays but there is no picture on the screen, it’s just a blue screen. If you tap the top of the VCR a few times, the picture comes back on.
So much time wasted! It must've took Dave around 10 secs from attempting to switch the unit on to realising that it was unplugged, simplest of mistakes. How long did it take you to write that comment and Unsubscribe?
The Technics SL 10 is a very nice linear tracker. There is a switch on the back to change from MC to MM cartridges. I put a Ortofon Super OM 30 phono cartridge on mine. It sounded great. Great video as always! Thank you. ( written before I watched the full video )
I've managed to find 2 of these Technics Linear turntables at the flea market. Really cool looking pieces. Shame about the cartridge.
The SL7 is another nice linear tracker by Technics however there is always at least one of the lid nibs broken that fit in the lid latch to lock it down. I always press the Open button first, put the lid down then release the Open button to relieve any striking stress on whatever is left of the nibs.
i like my SL-6
I love the SL-5 and have 2 of them. Yeah, I’m gentle with all my vintage audio equipment. Since they are vintage already, I don’t want to the one to break it or cosmetically damage. I also don’t want to be the last person to own these machines and hopefully pass on to someone else when I no longer need it,
Imagine when these were new and the japanese putting the together quickly and shipping them to stores.
I have one of these turntables and I took very good care of it, but of course the clear styrene plastic still got a bit scratched up, but found a plastic polish/wax that I used to buff out the scratches, got them out pretty well used a microfiber rag though, no paper towels!
I used an automotive buffing machine on an older decksaver once with high-gloss polish and a soft polishing pad. Worked pretty well.
The killer of these from what I understand is the ribbon cable that connects the tonearm to the top board. It's glued in place somewhere if I remember correctly. The constant back and forth eventually causes a stress point at the glue and snaps the wires in the ribbon cable. Very difficult to replace. I've pulled mine from the glue so It rides more freely in the top case.
When I first put mine back together I made the same mistake you did with the plastic tonearm slide cover. It's correct now but still gets jammed halfway every once in a while. Maybe a burr on the plastic or something. I also replaced the rice grain cuing bulb with an LED . I used two resistors on the legs to get the bulb to Dim while playing instead of shut off completely, kinda cool. Cant remember the values 270 or 470ohm, something around there.
Nice little machine when they work!
My favorite is SL DL1 turntables. Got 4 and if I see any for under 80 not working I'll buy it. All these Technics linear trackers are bulletproof. I even fixed one that had the bump. Great video!
I'm quite sure if you put a bullet through one it wouldn't work.
Ah linear tracking and moving magnet beautiful oldies
Them were the days when stylie were a good price
I had two of these not a technics but pioneer made it! Now one worked great the other so so they Both worked ok but one was completely manual sort of it would start OK and drop down on the record but playing program tracks on one didn't work and the other did! I gave them away! I have a pretty nice one now I have the Fluance RT82T Reference Series with the Ortofon OM 10 cartridge! I like this one! I still have my Audio Technica LP-120 fully manual of course and very dang heavy 25 LBS! It's my backup just in case! Thanks for sharing this! I like when you do Turntables!
Technics really made some great quality turntables. I like the conventional arm versions as they're not complicated.
nothing beats a sl1200!
@@Hi-Tech-Ray wrong ! SL-1200mk2 !!!
@@evertdewit4037 well I guess if i put down SL-1200 people would also think Like you, thinking the one previous to the MK2, however the MK2 - MK5 was a good series of turntable depending on your needs which is what I meant!
I love linear tracking turntables. It's the styling. And the buttons. And the fact I had a JVC one growing up. Now I have a Sansui, which has an issue with it's auto muting/unmuting when it moves to a track you selected (it sometimes doesn't detect the start of the next tracks audio and so doesn't unmute). If however you manually move it to the track (via the buttons) it doesn't have that problem, only when it moves to the track itself and puts down the stylus.
I heard many people call this kind of turntable a close and play. When it first came out, I saw the dealer pick up the whole turntable and stand it up vertical, then upside down and on each end , then shaken very hard and the stylus never skipped Mitsubishi had one that was on a stand that made the turntable vertical.
Thanks Dave for saving this old linear turntable from technics, good job 👍
Nice demo, and I guess another happy customer with a potentially functioning material
Most of these linear tracking turntable share the same linear tracking arm technology, and it was generally considered as a substandard gadget for non audiophiles. You can easily recognize the short arm with a switch limited displacement. Cheaper ones had a belt drive platter. Some of the most expensive had a direct drive platter, a skip or track memory system and these famous moving coil T4p cartridges. The linear arm system was mostly the same manufactured by Mitsubishi and sold as a Technics or Sharp or Pioneer or Sony and so on. With this technology, the cartridge type is considered as a substandard and is limited to a few models with no weight adjustment, a limited trackability, and these carts are dramatically fewer now than then! I highly doubt someone could find now a high quality T4p MC cartridge, so the question of retipping could be interesting. Most manufacturers have ceased offering such service, and talented specialized service men are dramatically few. And if you want something not too expensive, a cartridge cleaning with a cantilever replacement with a Shibata diamond tip will cost you around 500$... First thing first, you could measure the coils to get an idea of the damage extend: when open or shorted, it's a very bad indication and won't worth the sending. It's obvious it could be more interesting to get some decent T4P MM cartridge with an elliptical shaped diamond from Ortofon or Audio Technica to have something at least functioning with a decent audio quality for a reasonable price, and have something practical for those who are not accustomed to the joys of manual only turntables (do you still let your kids play their records on your Thorens with a SME arm and 400$ cartridge?).
If you definitively want some advanced linear tracking turntable, some made by Sony, Pioneer or B&O, used their own specific technology, like linear motor drives, optical arm sensors and so on. Some still compete in the high price range in the aftermarket with high end classic turntables, but as most high end full automatic are sometimes as difficult to service as these little "disc eating" critters. Curiously, I've seen some of the newest linear arms available in the audiophile "high end" corner, as an option for the magnetic floating 100.000$ turntable, and I can't tell if the price and technology were more impressive than the sound!
Thanks for the great video! I’m always amazed with ppl. that know what to take apart and the problem can be. When I take things apart, I’m hoping I can figure out the issue and what needs to be tighten or replaced and hopefully I didn’t make it worse.
So you say the cartridge is rare on these and good to know bc I always wanted the SL 10 but had no idea it took a different cartridge that’s hard to find. I have 2 SL 5 and those p mount cartridges were common and easy to find on eBay and just looking for one, I ended up buying like 5 to 6 used cartridges and 2 new stylus’. So for the Ty’s that take p mount cartridges that many of the compact linear technics take, they are easy to find and common.
Yeah sometimes you do need a 3rd. hand and recently I got this poster from 1985 from eBay and it was tightly rolled into a small mailing tube and when I tried to get it out, it was rough. When I unrolled it holding the center, the poster was made of this thick paper and bend back and made creases while holding from the center. So the trick was to hold from the corners with 2 hands and unroll with the 3rd. hands or have someone help.
So the cartridge that was on there was rare, but you can put a regular p mount like you have? At first I thought this unit required the rare cartridge and good to know.
Also, that’s the part I hate about doing repairs, to fix one thing and take apart to find it still doesn’t work and have take apart again. Bc each time I feel you take apart, you risk damaging the unit. When these jam or don’t glide smoothly, I think the bar needs to be cleaned and re lubricant.
Anyway, thanks for the video and hope you got working and fixed, I’m typing as I watch your video.
Oh and it helps to have a lot of tools and a work bench. I don’t have either and could be a pain bc midway, I find I don’t have this and that and hope that’s it.
Nice repair and how did you get the arm to move all the way. Nice to know even this abuse example still holds up and working.
Nice to know about the arm lock switch and I guess it’s not the cartridge that rare, but another part when you were explaining how it was damaged in shipping?
The only thing that was rare about that cartridge was it was a p mount moving coil. P mount moving magnet are a dime a dozen. All MC cartridges are rare and expensive. Personally I wouldn't bother with one myself.sonically they're very little difference is that most people would never pick out and would only be able to pick out the moving coil of someone actually told you which one it was. I also would never have a linear turntable. I treat my records like radio stations did. Cue them up and then turn back 1/4 turn for mixing when making a mix tape. I was not and still am not the type that puts on a record and listens beginning to end with few exceptions. Jazz, DSOTM and anything by JMJ. Those need to be listened to start to finish. Everything else I am listening to the 1 or 2 tracks that were cut in with a bunch of crap.
Well done, they can be a picky devil to fix.
I watched a guy repair one of those and it had a lot of problems.
A real nightmare to get it to repeat.
The optical sensors were ill as well.
Every time he thought it was ok it would play up. (sods law)
I would rather have a standard deck.
I have one of the original sound quality reports on this deck when they came out, considered to be good, the price for the SL10 was £400.00 / 658 Canadian dollars.
Great job. Nice unit, but complicated.
MC carts are usually better because they feature smaller coils whose lower inductance doesn't interfere with the cable capacitance as much as the larger coils in an MM would. MM carts and the phono interconnects essentially can create a 2nd order lowpass filter within the audible frequency range which might introduce uneven frequency response and phase shifting. Therefore, it's important to have a variable input capacitance on a phono preamp to match up the MM cartridges' inductance.
Depends, love my ortofon 2m bue MM In my musoc hall mmf5.3 turntable. I dont notice any ofbwhat you are saying
Nice timing, a guy asked me just the other day if i could take a look at his SL10.
Now i know some of the pitfalls of servicing one of these.
He said that it had some physical damage to the tonearm/pickup (or something...),
and after that the sound got bad. He claims that the S-sounds are too sharp or loud.
You know that thing they call Sibilance.
I just don't understand how a physical damage on the deck, not even a bent cantilever,
could result in that.
If it is an aftermarket stylus, the problem is with the vertical tracking force, as these require higher VTF to track properly, due to the quality of their suspension rubber. Tracking under the recommended VTF causes sibilance.
Hi? You really do knock out the content. Your always in my list of "To Watch Videos" over anyone else, ha ha ha
2.04......"Fuhbar!!" i've never heard anyone use that word for a long time,apart from myself. lol
FUBAR.... F...ed up beyond any repair.
@@12voltvids Ohh nice 1 ha ha, now i know what the hell it means, ha ha, thanks
I would think that a P mount cartridge can be found, probably new old stock on eBay or somewhere else. These were nice lower mid priced turntables from the early 1980's. Nice for the time, but if you are going to do analog, there is so much better without the complex issues that this unit presents.
1. Audio Technica still makes new p-mount cartridges, for example the at85ep.
2. Grado Prestige still makes new p-mount versions of their GP blue/red line of cartridges (note that those will not work on some models, like the SL-J300r, because those cartridges have 'wings' which make it too large. This is however not a problem on for example an SL-5/7/10)
3. While the Ortofon OMP and OMT carts are no longer in production, the current standard stylus 10/20/30/40 fit those cartridges
4. JICO makes expensive but very good replacement styli for the Technics/National line of cartridges
As to complexity, it is different than your typical turntable, but in general, its not very complex to repair. I have a whole bunch of different units, and a pile of spare components and boards for the most common models. I've never needed a replacement board, the only replacement parts I have needed so far are the rubber feet.
Most common issues relate to the original repair the owner of this SL-10 tried to do. While the cleaning and lubrication is really easy to do on the SL-10, SL-7 and all the 'non programmable' variations, it is also very easy to do it wrong and mess things up.
First thing to realize there is that you only have to open the tracking mechanism, and should totally avoid trying to remove the lid.
A second thing is... dismantling the tracking mechanism for cleaning is almost always less work than trying to clean it 'in-place'.
Btw, if you deal with this kind of turntable often, there exists a special device for holding the turntable while working on it, which makes life a lot easier.
Another thing is... get the service manual, and have a scope at hand. After a repair involving the tracking mechanism, you often need to recalibrate it. This is very easy to do by just following the service manual. You will also want a proper test record for that tho (especially when having to re-adjust the sensor triggering tonearm movement)
Last but not least... SL-10 tracking mechanism is the first version of that mechanism, and it kinda sucks compared to the ones coming after it. Unless you really really really have a reason for wanting an SL-10, I'd really suggest using an SL-7 instead. It is just a generation newer, and fixes many of the mistakes of the SL-10 mechanism. Its more reliable, and more quiet. The SL-10 is known for its tonearm movement being audible, even with a new very quiet dc motor (which isn't very difficult to replace)
@12voltvids do linear tracking turntables really track better than s-shaped arms? BTW this reminds me of the close n play for kids!
@MN Mitchell Yeah, if I remember correctly - wasn't the marketing gimmick claimed that a linear tracking system was supposed to track the same way that the vinyl was cut and better than s-shaped tonearms?
Rats ! Kinda frustrating to have to take the turntable apart again ! But another great video!!
you are the master, sir
Hi there!!
I have the upright model the Sl-v5, but this disc won't turn. I'm willing to send it to you for repair. Just let me know. Thanks
Hello 12Volt, Hope all is well with you and family. All of your videos are AWESOME!! I have a question? I have a JVC -- RC-838L boombox that was giving to me as a gift little over 3yrs ago. I noticed it had some issues, 1. When trying to play a cassette tape, its barley turns the reels but does play sound but slowww. Another issues i came across was only one channel will play when i switch to one of the features called Biphonic , it will play both channels. When sliding volume, or balance, it intermits with NO sound. I would love to get this repaired or fixed. I checked everywhere withing my radius for old electronic repair shop but couldnt find ANY. Do you do this on the side? Ill be happy to compensate you for your time! Thank you
I do look at equipment. No guarantees that it can be repaired as there are no new parts available anymore.
@@12voltvids
Do you charge to look at it? And do you provide return shipping? If device is fixed or not? Thank you
@@alexs15scalerc36 yes I return if unrepairable. You pay return shipping.
I much prefer the Sony PS-LX series of Linear Trackers, never could get past the goofy tonearm combined with the door on the Technics. The key to a good cartridge (on a moderate budget) these days is to get a Microline stylus; Audio Technica offers microline styli on both MM and MC carts. That being said, I really noticed an improvement on inner groove distortion w/ the MC (33PTG) versus the same type stylus on the MM (VM540) model by Audio Technica. I don't ascribe to the supposed magical qualities attributed to MCs--for me they just have a cleaner, less grating sound. I do believe there are MMs that are as good as MCs but they are few and far between. Of course this is all academic if you are limited to P-mount, there's just not much choice for new P-mounts unless you find a lightly used or NOS cartridge from the 80s. Such a shame about that Technics MC cantilever (I haven't tried Technics MC but the best MM cartridge I've ever heard bar none is a Technics EPC-205 MKII, and it has an elliptical stylus).
Have you ever tried to add 78 rpm to a more modern Technics? I have a SL-BD3 here and saw some videos on YT about modding a Technics by just adding a resistor and a switch for 78 rpm.
I did it on a little cheap combo unit change the resistor and monitor the cartridge even put a speaker inside the cabinet so it's an all-in-one unit and it plays 78 beautifully. I might mod one of the either JVC or akai direct drive units for 78. The main reason I haven't is because unless you get a 78 cartridge a modern cartridge is not going to sound very good playing 78s but this cheap Panasonic with the ceramic cartridge sounds really good playing 78s. I don't have a huge 78 collection I'm starting to collect a few more mainly because I have a real Edison photograph I'll wind up that I can play them on no power required it sounds pretty good for what it is I got some big band records and they sound pretty cool on this relic from 1916
@@12voltvids Well, I have quite some 78s here, some dating back to the early 1920s. Replacing the needle by just switching the whole cartridge with a 78s-needle isn't that hard to do, but a suitable stylus for a T4P cartridge is hard to find, and changing to audio-technica isn't that cheap either, Ortofon doesn't make any T4P anymore, so well.. hmm.. ATM I try to get a rare Ortofon OMP 10/20/30/40 T4P cartridge on eBay.
Hi, maybe you know. I have a problem with my sl 10. The arm stops 5mm before touching the return switch. The cord is right, averything is right. So if I play a record that ends near the center groove, the arm return before song ends I repeat, it stops before activate the return switch.
Great work
Great save!
You were not joking when you said you would 'throw' a record on. :-)
I've turned several into frisbees. You would be amazed how far at LP will fly!
How do you replace the tonearm led?
i just popped a record in my Technics SL-6 linear tracking programmable turntable ....the arm when quing is steady mostly a little slower in spots but no issues...is there an easy way to lube this to prevent issues? ive been using it for a bout a year now and its cartridge is about a year old...so far its been dialed in and playing most records fine. the warped records won't play because the arm has limited vertical travel. it was about $98 plus the needle so all in i have about $130 into it. Im wondering who services these locally ....if and when i need it. i dont have the steady hands needed to work on this haha!
Service people are few and far between and every year there are fewer of us left. There will come a day when even I won't be doing this any longer. For me now it is a hobby and an excuse to fire up my camera and make UA-cam videos. When i left the business in 2003 i lied to myself and said i wouldn't work on this stuff and managed to stay away for about 9 years, bit today it is just a hobby like it is for many old techs. It's fun to keep this d vihtage stuff going, as I have zero interest in attempting an of the modern stuff.
Will this turntable ( -other Technics linear models and/or other brand linears ) accept "standard" cartridges or does the linear topology require non-standard cartridge dimensions ... perhaps Technics proprietary?
Tp4 was a standard that all the manufactures adopted in the 80s just before vinyl went south for a long vacation. Technics was one of the big companies to push the system. It was good because it gave perfect alignment between tone arm and stylus. My slm1 also uses it.
@@12voltvids Thanks for your reply!
Where in CA. are u located. Could u repair my Panasonic SL-J33, if I sent it to you? It's in mint condition but has been in storage 30 years and the tonearm gets stuck when playing the LP33 record and it makes a clicking noise like the tracking arm is sticking but the belt is trying to move it after playing the 2nd or third track .
I'm in canada
It's so cool about the moving coil, but the turntable is so cheaply constructed with such a light and crummy platter that why would you invest in an expensive retip, unless you are just trying to restore it to OG condition?
My dad has one of these that he bought new. The tonearm motor on his is dead silent. Really a shame to see one in such poor shape.
Can the tone arm motor be lubricated? Would that help?
It actually got quieter after playing a few records.
The builtin 'pre-amp' is not really a pre-amp, its a transformer, and that comes with is own distinct advantages and disadvantages. If using an MC cartridge, I totally prefer using a pre-amp which can be configured for MC cartridges. In all fairness, the audio quality of most pre-amps which lack such configuration options is going to be a serious limitation on sound quality.
See, even for MM type cartridges there are things which really need to be configurable, specifically impedance and capacitance. Many pre-amps do not allow configuring capacitance, and the ones that do almost always also support MC cartridges, including low and high signal level ones (which is something you really should be able to configure on a pre-amp accepting MC cartridges). Rather, many 'lower spec' pre-amps won't allow you to configure capacitance, but will support at least low signal level MC carts.
Pre-ampa with such capabilities are still being made (for example the project tube box in all its variations), and many more up-market classic pre-amps, even when integrated in more up-market integrated amplifiers allow for at least some configuration of this.
So, that 'you do not need an MC capable pre-amp' thing is a gimmic, I'd rather invest in a capable pre-amp.
The Technics SL10 does have a real MC to MM-level _preamplifier_, built from discrete transistors connected up in a circuit resembling a discrete operational amplifier.
It does _not_ have a step up transformer! Check the circuit diagram in the service manual if you are unsure.
The preamplifier is matched to the original Technics MC cartridge.
The preamplifier in the SL10 steps up the signal by about 20dB to match the level of an MM cartridge, and can thus be connected to the MM phono input of an amplifier or a dedicated MM phono preamplifier.
Fixing someone else’s mess huh? I have a Dual semi automatic turntable I screwed up trying to fix. Maybe you can fix my mess too?
Probably
really a shame, you'd think everybody would know you have to secure the stylus when shipping. maybe he thought since it wasn't on an arm it would be ok?
What's so special about the SL10 that they are fetching such a high price used? Seems like more of a novelty item. I have an Onkyo linear tracking turntable. Based on just seeing this video, I'd say the quality is about the same. The Onkyo is decent, but my other non-linear tables are much better and the cost new is less than a used SL10. The Onkyo is sibilant at times even with a new stylus so I have I have my doubts about the improved tracking with a linear vs non-linear tracking arm.
I never bought into it myself.
What is a replacement head for this unit?
Also, I have one and it plays slower than where it should be. Original cartridge and stylus. Anyone know common problems for this?
It uses tp4 cartridge
Thank you! And thank you for continuing to make awesome Videos!
He can get it re-tipped.....suggest SoundSmith, if budget allows
Cost big bucks for that.
Linear Trackers are so over-engineered for such little return. I hate working on them.
Overly complex b
👍👍👍
Hahaha, second video of yours where you don't show how the clamp holds the top. Aaaaah :D
Can you fix my VCR?
Yes probably but VCRs really are not worth fixing unless it is a special type. Svhs, beta, 8mm of multi system. run of the mill V8 chests are typically not worth fixing because used ones can be found pretty cheap
@@12voltvids it’s a Sony SLV-575UC and cosmetically it’s in mint condition. I even have the original box, manual and remote!
It would be a shame for it to go in the trash, I’m sure it’s just a simple fix.
What happens is when a tape is played, the audio plays but there is no picture on the screen, it’s just a blue screen. If you tap the top of the VCR a few times, the picture comes back on.
@@marccoletta8193 I am sure it can be fixed but by the time shipping is factored in it is expensive.
This VCR was passed down from my father, so it really means a lot to me. You could even use it in one of your videos.
@@12voltvids How would I go about getting a quote from you?
How can you repair anything with all that crap laying around? I see you do not take much pride in your test equipment.
Sir you had forget add some jack to this vinly
Huh?
What are you talking about?
Blow that dc motor out with some CRC
"Might help if I plugged it in" Sorry but I don't like my time being wasted, unsubscribed.
Now I just wasted my time reading your silly comment.
Yeah, because your time is so precious, is that why you're sitting on UA-cam?
So much time wasted! It must've took Dave around 10 secs from attempting to switch the unit on to realising that it was unplugged, simplest of mistakes. How long did it take you to write that comment and Unsubscribe?
You won't be missed.
Sucks to be you.