Old philips record player from the 50s? Options

[arneland]

Hello everyone,

earlier today i found this old philips record player in my grandma's attic. I have no idea how old it is, but the records still spin. I was wondering if it would be possible to get some sound out of this baby. There is one cable for audio output, but I don't have any idea which kind of speaker/box I need.

Could you help me out? Also, would it be possible to identify this record player? You can find some the pictures below, please click on the thumbnails.

Thank you for your help and have a merry christmas,
Arne

[washu]

I cannot help with identification, but if it really is as old as you guess then it will very likely need some electronic repair before it works properly and is safe to use. Most capacitors from that era are extremely unreliable and should be replaced as a mater of course. You would need to be comfortable with soldering to do that. It would also likely need some mechanical work.

[Fedot L]

Have you got vinyl records you don’t regret killing by this device? Those for 78 rpm may resist for some time…

[DVDdoug]

I was wondering if it would be possible to get some sound out of this baby. There is one cable for audio output, but I don't have any idea which kind of speaker/box I need.

I assume the cable has RCA type connectors? (2 if stereo, 1 if mono)

My guess is, it's going to work! As Fedot says, be careful if you have any "collector" records that you want to preserve. Otherwise, old LPs are a "dime a dozen" and I wouldn't worry about it.

I don't see a volume control, so most likely there are no capacitors, tubes or any other "electronics" inside.

For starters, get an adapter to plug-into your comuter's microphone input. This is going to sound terrinle because it's the wrong interface, but you'll know if you are getting sound. Because resords have RIAA equalization, and your computer's mic input doesn't have the compensating equalization, you'll get all treble and no bass. I'd suggest you plug-in a computer mic 1st to make sure your computer is configured to get sound from the mic input. (And, get a "computer mic". A mic made for a live use or recording is the wrong signal/interface for a computer mic input.)

There were two basic types of phono cartridges (AKA "pickup"... the part the holds the stylus/needle and picks-up the sound). If you don't have any experience with this stuff, there's no easy way to know which type you have... The most common type of cartricge is a magnetic cartridge. Magnetic cartridges need a phono preamp to boost the signal and provide RIAA equalization. In the old-days, every stereo receiver had a special phono-input with a preamp built-in. In order to plug-into a modern stereo, you'll need a separate preamp, something like this. The output of the preamp connects to any normal line level audio input on your stereo, or TV, or whatever. If you have a desktop computer you can plug the preamp-output into yoru soundcard's line-input. (The signal is too strong for mic input.)

If the turntable has a crystal or ceramic cartridge. These require a high-impedance input, and it's not going to be easy to find anything to plug it into (and the signal is too strong for a phono preamp). I'd suggest you go-ahead and buy a cheap phono preamp and give it a try. You could (possibly) upgrade to a magnetic cartridge (if it will fit). But, it's probably not worth doing that. The cheapest cartridge at Needle doctor is $25 USD.

Good luck!

This post has been edited by DVDdoug: Dec 26 2012, 17:18

[Apesbrain]

With great respect for DVDdoug, I don't think I'd touch that thing with a 10-foot pole. What is the broken, frayed cable in the picture? It looks like a power cable from which someone has pulled off the plug. That is the first thing that needs fixing and I suspect it wouldn't be the last thing. From its design, I'd guess that turntable is from the mid/late 50s/early 60s; here is a picture of a 1964 Philips which has more advanced features than yours:
http://www.grammofoon.com/frameset.htm?htt...mp;ContentFrame

Mechanical devices of that age don't hold up well without maintenance/repair. If you have vinyl to spin, I think you'd do yourself and your LPs a big favor by purchasing a more contemporary new or used turntable. Even something cheap like this would be a better solution:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-PYLE-PLTTB3U-B...=item5aec95d325

Found it! Pretty sure it pre-dates modern stereo:
http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/philips_ag1003_ag_1003.html

[Roseval]

try http://www.jvanschaikconsultancy.nl/radiom...peler/index.htm

Probably a mono player with a ceramic cartridge.
It can also change records.

You probably can flip the cartridge, M=Micro groove for singles and LPs.
The other is avery big needle for 78

Enjoy!

[Apesbrain]

try http://www.jvanschaikconsultancy.nl/radiom...peler/index.htm

Cool! In that picture you can see the optional fat "45RPM changer spindle" that fit down over the standard thin spindle. That explains the trick little slider button located at the end of the arm that held the stack of records in place.

One final word of advice...
Don't plug it into the wall until you verify that its power requirements match those of your country. Wouldn't surprise me if it were 220V/50Hz which is a problem in the US.

This post has been edited by Apesbrain: Dec 26 2012, 22:44