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I recently bought another gramophone - allegedly in full working order - from eBay. The seller must have had a strange idea of how a gramophone should work, but it only cost me £26.99 and a discussion with my partner about the difference between a hobby and filling the house with junk.

The motor either has a broken or detatched spring, after relatively few turns the barrel rotates in the oposite direction and the spring loses tension.


DSCN1716 by RWPD, on Flickr

I feel confident to tackle this one myself. Is my assumption that removing the spring clip on the top of the spring barrel axle will enable the barrel to be slid out, and that undoing the screws holding the two parts of the barrel will reveal the springs? Is there anything else I should be aware of?

I intend to tackle the sound box by replacing it.


DSCN1710 by RWPD, on Flickr

Yes, Bob, removal of the clip will allow you to pull out the central pin, and remove the spring barrel. Then removal of the screws round the centre flange will reveal the springs. Remember to make a note of which way the springs are installed, and you should have no problems.

I'd rub some Araldite into the cracks on the soundbox before the cracks get any bigger, and keep it as a useful spare..

Barry

Barry, Thanks for the reply. It all looks pretty straightforward.


DSCN1705 by RWPD, on Flickr

It's not the prettiest of machines - but hopefully with a motor that plays more than half a side and a sound box that works it'll be ok.

Yours looks a lot like my Decca Salon; if it sounds as good, it's wonderful!

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... cca#p46944

Hi Bob,
As a fellow Gramophone collecting and Cycling Watkins, I thought I ought to say hello !! I am in Derby if you are ever passing this way !! (and if you can't fix the 11b, I think I have a spare !)
Cheers
Andrew

Nat wrote:Yours looks a lot like my Decca Salon; if it sounds as good, it's wonderful!

Somehow I doubt it will! I don't know much about horn design, but this one looks strange (to me). It consists of a conical tube which reaches the bottom of the casing. There's a sharp bend, but it's only the top of the bell flares out, the bottom of the horn is relatively flat. Surely this isn't sensible design?


DSCN1724 by RWPD, on Flickr

Not easy to take a photo of this without removing it.

Gramtastic wrote:Hi Bob,
As a fellow Gramophone collecting and Cycling Watkins, I thought I ought to say hello !! I am in Derby if you are ever passing this way !! (and if you can't fix the 11b, I think I have a spare !)
Cheers
Andrew

Hi Andrew,
Thanks for your offer of a spare 11b. I'm going to have a go at fixing the motor. If I fail, I'll put the machine back on ebay as a non-working spares or repair jobbie. TBH, my partner isn't very keen on it sitting in the conservatory and there's no room in the house. If I get the motor and sound box fixed and the gramophone working I will have had my £26.99s worth for the experience of having a go at repairing it.

And if I'm ever in Derby I'll give you a call.

Robert

CptBob wrote:

Nat wrote:Yours looks a lot like my Decca Salon; if it sounds as good, it's wonderful!

Somehow I doubt it will! I don't know much about horn design, but this one looks strange (to me). It consists of a conical tube which reaches the bottom of the casing. There's a sharp bend, but it's only the top of the bell flares out, the bottom of the horn is relatively flat. Surely this isn't sensible design?


DSCN1724 by RWPD, on Flickr

Not easy to take a photo of this without removing it.

The Decca has something like a "looks about right" orthophonic horn. It's the only mahine I own that sounds good with both acoustic and electric records.

Nat wrote:Yours looks a lot like my Decca Salon; if it sounds as good, it's wonderful!

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... cca#p46944

I bought this Salon Decca Model 72 from the family of the original owner.

The "Audioscopic" horn (as Decca described it) produced plenty of volume, but would have benefitted from a better soundbox. Because of the unusually large bore of the tonearm, an adapter would be required to fit almost any other make.

When a couple of much rarer machines came my way I needed the space, so it was sold with some reluctance. The new owner is very pleased with it.

epigramophone wrote:I bought this Salon Decca Model 72 from the family of the original owner.

The "Audioscopic" horn (as Decca described it) produced plenty of volume, but would have benefitted from a better soundbox. Because of the unusually large bore of the tonearm, an adapter would be required to fit almost any other make.

When a couple of much rarer machines came my way I needed the space, so it was sold with some reluctance. The new owner is very pleased with it.

I had one more-or-less identical too - wonderful sounding machine - ditto, I was reluctant to sell it but had to. The new owner fell on hard times recently and asked me if I wanted it back and I wished to goodness I had space for it! You can't keep everything, unfortunately...