Turntable Help Please

I hooked my new (old) Pioneer PL-51 turntable to my system (Denon AVR 2803) and everything sounds fine except I am only getting sound out of the left channel. I rechecked the ground wire and the audio cables and all is well. I put a new audio Technica cartridge and new wires on the hedshell. I think I may have broke a wire or two. I don't know for sure but my fingers are fat and those wires are small and I had to push harder than I expected. I am going to take the headshell to the repair shop tomorrow and let them look at it. Does anyone have another suggestion? Is it possible that the right channel in the table is gone? If so what needs to be done to fix that???

I'm sorry for being such a pain. I'm getting on in years (52...hehehe). Life used to be so simple back in the 70's. Just plug everything into my SX 1010 and sit back and enjoy. Now everything is digital schmigital and have to re-learn everything. It is enjoyable but a pain in the *** sometimes as well.

Thanks guys
Randy

 

Get a variac (volt meter) with a resistance setting and set it for something like 20ohms. Touch each of the four wires and trace it down to the RCA cables and make sure there's no dead wires going L, R, -, +.

You need to make sure it's not the cart.

 

It's a brand new cart. I suspect one of the wires. If it is one of the wires, would that make one of the channels go dead...well not quite dead but I can barely hear out of the right speakers. I have to put my ear next to the speaker to hear what little, and I mean little there is.

 

If you can grab a very average volt meter, you can trace each wire using one probe to one of the conductors of the RCA cables using the other. If you hit one of the wires and you get a dead channel, you found your baddie.

This is the easiest way to trace the problem.

 

If it is a situation similar to what I have faced, I have solved it by hooking up the stereo cables built into my turntable into piggyback RCA stereo cables and use both channels that have phono inputs on my DJ mixer.

 

Sounds all well and good but assuming that is the problem, I am still left with my fat fingers. Putting on another set of may result in more broken wires. They don't leave much space to work with do they???

 

No they don't.

 

Rent someone with nimble fingers.

Fat fingers, no problem.

 

You guys crack me up. Do they make micrscopic needle nose?

 

My Father has the same fat finger issue. Everytime my Dad gets the urge to try a new cartridge, I find a little overnight package in my mailbox, containing his headshell, and his cartridge!

He is going to be out of luck pretty soon! He is getting a new table, a real audiophile table. His new tonearm will not have a removable headshell, so I think that once I mount a cart for him, he will stick with simply replacing styli!!!

 

My turntable does have a removable headshell but my cartridge is mounted plus I get my replacement styli in bulk packages of 3.

 

Berkeley had (has) a really fine place to take care of those sorts of turntable problems. As I recall (havn't been in Berkley for a while) it was Called "The Sound Well". Atlanta seems like a big enough town to have an analogous shop. The Sound Well repaired all sorts of older gear and sold a lot of refurbished older audio gear.

I'm curious. Does the TT have a removable head-shell? If so, a swap out of the part may be possible. The head-shell itself is the most likely spot for a wire to break.

 

I am using monster THX (went overboard) audio cable instead of just plain old run of the mill audio cable. I can't imagine that being the problem.

 

Axel, It sounds like you are in over your head, take it to a repair shop. In the future when it comes to cartridges use tweezers and small needle nose pliers. I have long thin fingers and years of training and experience with mechanical things and I use tweezers and needle nose pliers when I work with cartridges.

 

ALP has a good point. If you know you're over your head, don't go playin' around. Take it to a guy who can rewire the arm...

Or maybe it's time for another table? Donno.

 

Sckott and ALP are right.

 

I have removed the headshell and cart. and am going to take it to the repair shop after work and have them re-wire it for me. I'll let you know how it turns our.

 

I took the headshell/cart. into the repair shop on my way home fromm work and the guy hooked a meter up to it and sure enough, it was the green wire. He replaced the wire and I am happy to report that all is well and I have a huge smile on my face.

Thanks guys.

 

Enjoy the vinyl!

 

I am. I just finished Supertramp's "Crime of the Century" That new cart. sounds sweet. Went upstairs and my step daughter asked me..."Do you have to play it so loud? Of course I had to tell her...YES

 

Ironic, isn't it?

My kids (18 and 16) say the same thing to me when I have my main rig fired up with some jazz or rock that I like. But when it comes to their stereo and their music....well, the irony cracks me up.

 

Good Show!