Brownlow wrote:Hi Everyone,
I thought that I had posted, but for some reason my post had disappeared in the cyber ether, never mind.......
I have acquired two PS-X7s. I previously owned a PS-6750 which I enjoyed a lot. This has now moved on to a good friend of mine. If the PS-X7 is close to the 6750 in performance, I'll be very happy. Anyway, neither of my PS-X7s work. Let me explain.
The first TT, it powers up. The Strobe bulb illuminates. The cue lever does not move the arm lift. The arm lift remains in the 'down' position. The start / stop and repeat touch switches do not work. Neither of the LEDs illuminate. The platter does not rotate. There is a crack in the lid, close to the hinge.
The second TT, powers up. The LEDs by the repeat and start / stop touch switches illuminate when necessary. When start is pressed, the platter rotates, but when stop is pressed it continues to rotate. The cue lever does not move the arm lift. The arm lift remains in the 'up' position.
These are fabulous looking TTs, I would like to return them to their former glory if possible. I have read a few posts here at VE. I understand I may need some (lithium?) grease. If there is anyone of you out there that may be able to provide a few solutions, I would really be most grateful.
Look forward to your input soon.
Cheers
Brownlow
I have a working PS-X7, I think it's rather better than the PS-6750 but that's speculative (I own a PS-4750 as well).
General: check the brown paint on the inside of the platter. If it's patchy or unregular (a few spots are OK), see if you can get it fixed. It's magnetic paint for speed control.
The arm lift is coordinated with the automatic mechanism and drive unit, so if there's a problem there, it won't function properly.
Drop a pinch of suitable oil down the spindle shaft. Rotate the platter gently for about 30-40 revs.
Give the platter a swing and then touch the start button. See what happens.
The touch switches are a bit moody, especially when stopping. Moist your finger slightly to activate properly.
As for greasing (not oiling) refer to the service manual. Instead of lithium grease, you can use regular ball bearing grease or winch grease. Apply with care (don't let it get beyond the part to be greased!). Always use grease sparingly.
Clean the mechanical & electrical contacts (switches etc inside). Use a little (!) WD40 on the mechanical switch parts, electric contact cleaner on the electric switches. Let it dry for a day to be safe.
The first table: get it recapped, and power supply rectifiers replaced. This should be relatively easy for a skilled engineer/repairman. Also, measure all points indicated in the service manual and adjust the internal settings to the values indicated in the sm. Again, should be easy for a skilled engineer. All this shouldn't be very expensive.
Second table:
Most likely, parts of the mechanism got stuck through disuse. My 'table exhibited similar behaviour. Greasing and oiling the relevant parts might help. In addition, parts of the automatic mechanism are probably stuck. Open the 'table as per sm, you'll see metal rods and such. Move the auto/manual mechanism switch on top and see what happens to the mechanism inside. Try to move the rods and levers and stuff *gently* from side to side, up and down where appropriate, see if any have a lot of resistance, some might be bent a little. Some rods and such might rub against each other where they should not. Put a *little* winch grease between those parts. Be patient and get the parts moving gently. The reason these parts get stuck is disuse. Like I said, my PS-X7 had the same problems. After I did the above it started working but was still moody. Try to operate the 'table as much as you can, it will improve with time & use (help it bit along by rotating the platter by hand, help the tonearm move when starting and stopping etc., try the different modes (manual/automatic) etc). Always be gentle, never try to force anything. Be patient and repeat if necessary.
If this doesn't work, an overhaul by a skilled *turntable* engineer (experienced in vintage 'tables) is called for.
As to the motor: it's is virtually indestructible, but there's always the exception.
Dust cover: I got mine without one. I ordered a Reloop dust cover from Conrad UK and it magically fit! Downsides of this: it's not original and it says "Reloop" on top.
Quality-wise: these 'tables are really good, build quality is excellent, better IMO than the x750-series (8, 6 and 4) that was just one generation before the X'es, though I like my PS-4750 a lot.
The X7 has a fabulous carbon tonearm (well... it's not SME or such)! The headshell is a bit naff, but if you have the magnesium one you're fine. The X7 was very advanced for its time and things like speed stability, wow & flutter and Quartz Lock control are all beyond reproach (and beyond many belt-drives). I have a Denon DL-103 cart in my X7.
