Technics Stock Leads Capacitance Way Too High!!

[cafe latte]

Bit of an update.. Been playing with Y connectors and have made up a few plugs which are basically a phono plug with a tiny ceramic cap across the terminals. In this wat I was able to try different capacitive loadings at 47k and 62k on the sure m97xe. In all cases I prefered the 62k, but in the next days I would like to try 65 and 70 just to see. My total overall capacitance is now with new leads 176, being 76 interconnect and arm wires and 100 phono pre amp. This is really open and clean, not like the technics at all before. I tried 230pf overall, by adding a small cap in the y connector. It was still nice but lost something. My feeling is the optimum is somewere inbetween, maybe 200pf when I get time I will make up some more plugs. I think that 's 62k is probably correct, but it would be interesting to try values around it with various capacitive loadings. The changes are really suprising and in my opinion it goes some way to explain why some hate a particular cart (or TT) and others love it as I have heard what sounds like 3 different carts today, but each time it was the sure with a different loading. All good fun

[Brisbane56]

When I measured the leads of a stock SL-1200 MkII years ago, using an LCR meter of known accuracy in that range, I got 85pF all included.

Yep Kevin at KAB told me when I asked him what was the capacitance of the stock wires he told me the arm wires are 10pf and the cables are 90pf
so total from where the headshell plugs in and the cables brings the total to 100pf

[cafe latte]

My stock interconnects were 305pf it would be good to find out what others Technics owners leads measure

[Brisbane56]

G'day mate, I believe that cafe latte is after 'actual' capacitance measurements of SL-1200 interconnects. Regards, .

That's what I was talking about. The stock cables measure 90pf + the 10 for the arm wires. How he is coming up with such hi figures is a mystery to me.

[analogaudio]

I have some vintage 1600mk2s and 1700mk2s with stock cables on them these are precursors to the current 1200mkx and use the same captive cable but unfortunately I have no capacitance meter.

I wonder what was the test frequency used by lattes' test meter?

I have the spec for the Ortofon VMS cart I use and it recommends 400pF total load.

Ted

[cafe latte]

Believe me the measurements are correct. My new leads measure exactly what there specs say they should I have also checked the meter be measuring a known value cap and it masures correct. Both on and off the TT the stock leads measure 300pf. When I first got these strange readings apart from talking to I sent a message to Dave Crawley and he thought the readings were normal for a Technics, I then contacted a friend in Sidney who has Technics for DJ use and He tells me his measure the same, so it seems it is normal, but I am trying to determine if it is a batch fault, of they have always been like this, or maybe recent models have higher capacitance leads to help with rf in clubs.
I have emailed the Aus Panasonic Technics distributor with NO response.
If anyone has a sl1200, 1210 and you have a meter, or know someone who has it would be really interesting to know if it is one or two, TT's or all of them like this

[cafe latte]

Also I posted earlier a few posts ago what was written on the interconnects ( all is correct except 60c 300v should be 80c 300v). I am guessing if your interconnects read the same and are by the same company then they will be 300pf's

[Brisbane56]

Believe me the measurements are correct. My new leads measure exactly what there specs say they should I have also checked the meter be measuring a known value cap and it masures correct. Both on and off the TT the stock leads measure 300pf. When I first got these strange readings apart from talking to I sent a message to Dave Crawley and he thought the readings were normal for a Technics, I then contacted a friend in Sidney who has Technics for DJ use and He tells me his measure the same, so it seems it is normal, but I am trying to determine if it is a batch fault, of they have always been like this, or maybe recent models have higher capacitance leads to help with rf in clubs.
I have emailed the Aus Panasonic Technics distributor with NO response.
If anyone has a sl1200, 1210 and you have a meter, or know someone who has it would be really interesting to know if it is one or two, TT's or all of them like this

Send your findings to Kevin @Kab I bet he'd be very interested in your results.

[cafe latte]

If you know him it may be easier to send him a link to this thread?? I am tempted to cut open a plug (not yet as i waiting for Dave to get back to me), as i am wondering if technics are capacitive loading the plugs or something for filtering RF in clubs as the wire itself seems really normal and how they get a wire to be 300pf's for 1m 20cm I do not know. I have a cable catalouge here (electronics is my hobby), and even the poor quality cables are 80pf's a meter and the better ones are 64pf's a meter. Technics must be 280pf a meter!!!!!!! There must be a reason

[Werner]

but I am trying to determine if it is a batch fault, of they have always been like this, or maybe recent models have higher capacitance leads to help with rf in clubs.

Again, the stock European SL-1200MkII I got in for review in 2006 measured about 85pF RCA-to-cartridge-clips.

[fscl]

but I am trying to determine if it is a batch fault, of they have always been like this, or maybe recent models have higher capacitance leads to help with rf in clubs.

Again, the stock European SL-1200MkII I got in for review in 2006 measured about 85pF RCA-to-cartridge-clips.

clatte,

What year is your 1210? and what is the country of manufacture? Japan? Is there a possibility that you've got a knock off?

Fred

[cafe latte]

My TT is brand new from the Aus distributor is is not knock off. The TT is well made as it should be and I have said before that a friend in Sidney had a sl1200, which he uses for DJ with similar value leads so it is not just mine. Also some of the cheapest free leads I have that came free with stuff of similar length measure half the capacitance, so what is strange is they seems high capacitance is on purpose. The stock leads are well made and very neatly fitted and the conductors are reasonably thick. The thick conductors do not point towards high capacitance, and yet on three meters it is 300pf's both on red and white. Both leads have a very low resistance, there are no shorts I have tested them in every way I can think and it is only a high capacitance issue, but so high it is like there is a capacitor in the plug or something. Now with new wires on it sounds great, but how wide spread is the problem is it all sl1210's that are new, a small batch, or after a certain date?? This is why I am asking people to check the capacitance of the leads. I have written an email to Panasonic asking this simple question with all my details of sale ect and they replied offering me to BUY a service manual!!!!!!! I have written back in simple English explaining this is a spec issue and they should supply this info. I am not holding my breath..
If my TT has this capacitance leads and my friend in Sidney , then my feeling is either most are like this or VERY VERY many. His is 12 months old mine is only 3 or 4 months.

[todd95008]

I too had the same issue as cafe latte (mine measured 320pf w/an accurate L-C meter) !!
My old leads had the same markings as cafe latte.
I replaced them with the MG5 cable that now measures 75pf including tonearm wires.

I sent Kevin at KAB a message last week about this and he is looking into it....

Todd

[cafe latte]

Interesting that is 3 people now with this issue and not all in Aus, How old is your TT Todd?? Also can you keep me informed what Kab say?