Beogram 1000 counterweight

[lucykins]

Hi everyone

I've recently bought a Bang & Olufsen Beogram 1000 from a junk shop. It's seems to be working ok which surprised me but it is missing the counterweight. Does anyone know where I might be able to get one? Or know of one from another turntable that might fit? Any help gratefully received! Thanks so much, Lulu.

[vincitsemper]

Lulu,

You may have to buy a whole deck and take the weight from there, I have yet to see a counterweight sold on its own.

Good news is that B&O 1000s, in need of repair, come up on epay fairly often and fetch around £10.

I have tried weighing the counterweight but my scales only go up to 120gms, it obviously weighs more.

Another bit of good news is that, seemingly, the counterweight is not adjustable so all you need is something that weighs the same and fits on the tube.

Good luck,

Victor.

[Coffee Phil]

Hi Lulu,

Welcome to the forum.

I have never actually seen a Beogram 1000 and to make thinks even more complicated B&O reuses their model numbers. I looked in the library on this site and saw a picture of a Beogram 1000 which looks to be the predecessor of my mid 70s, pivoted arm Beogram 3000. I also looked at a B&O site and found this: http://beophile.com/?page_id=8253

From what I can see Victor is correct in that the counter weight locks into position and is not adjustable. In my machine the weight is adjustable. the procedure is to set the tracking force to 0 the adjust the weight to balance the arm. Then the desired tracking force is dialed in. My guess is that in your machine with the tracking force set to 0 the arm should be close to balanced. One thing to note is that the mass of the weight is not evenly distributed about the arm but rather offset to the opposite side of the cartridge offset. This is important to properly balance the arm. The balance of the B&O is superb. Other arms with symmetrical counter weights such as the SME achieve the same thing with outrigger weights.

The best thing is if you can find the correct part, maybe from a junk machine as Victor suggested. If you are forced to improvise, set the tracking force to 0 and position your home made weight for the arm to balance. Do try to offset the weight to the opposite side of the cartridge.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Phil

Hi everyone

I've recently bought a Bang & Olufsen Beogram 1000 from a junk shop. It's seems to be working ok which surprised me but it is missing the counterweight. Does anyone know where I might be able to get one? Or know of one from another turntable that might fit? Any help gratefully received! Thanks so much, Lulu.

[vincitsemper]

Shame my scales only go up to 120gms, so no idea what the exact weight of the counterweight is, someoneone else may be able to provide the right answer.

Phil, the counterweight's hole in not offset so it will probably be easy to find something suitable as a replacement.

I know that lead may raise a few arguments, but it would be easy to make a weight from that and paint it!

The B&O 1000s often come up on epay for spares or repair. Even though they may look like simple machines, they are over engineered so quite a few with faults.

Cheers,

Victor.

[Coffee Phil]

Hi Victor,

With the knowledge that the hole in the counterweight is not offset it should be relatively easy to make a replacement counterweight. I would expect that the adjustment procedure would be like my Beogram 3000. Set the tracking force to zero, position the weight to ballance the arm,secure the weight, then set the correct tracking force. I'm guessing ~1.5 grams for the SP 7.

I'm as much a greenie as the next guy but I think there is too much paranoia over lead. I think lead in paint and gasoline is a bad idea. Also soldering pipes for drinking water with tin / lead solder is bad. No one should be eating arm counterweights so I wouldn't worry about lead there. Lead is easy to use. One can make a plaster of Paris mold and pour the lead. For the lead phobic ROHAS solder should work.

Phil

Shame my scales only go up to 120gms, so no idea what the exact weight of the counterweight is, someoneone else may be able to provide the right answer.

Phil, the counterweight's hole in not offset so it will probably be easy to find something suitable as a replacement.

I know that lead may raise a few arguments, but it would be easy to make a weight from that and paint it!

The B&O 1000s often come up on epay for spares or repair. Even though they may look like simple machines, they are over engineered so quite a few with faults.

Cheers,

Victor.

[vincitsemper]

Phil,
This will make you laugh. Just had a look at the counterweight, it appears to be made of a steel cup filled with lead!

I actually make sulptures in lead, I have had my fair share of raised eyebrows from the green brigade.

The Thorens TP13a counterweights are also made of lead finished with a thin coat of paint and so is the counterweight from the Ortofon SMG 212. In my opinion, a great material for counteweights.

All Lulu needs to know is the exact weight, hopefully someone will provide that info.

Cheers,

Victor.

[lucykins]

Ooo yes, if someone out there can weigh theirs, that would be most helpful! Otherwise I'll try eBay as you suggest. I think there seems to be a new audience for these turntables though as prices are going up and up every time I look Thanks guys.

[vincitsemper]

Last week a B&O 1000 went for £11+£8 postage. You will have to keep looking.

Cheers,

Victor.