Anyone recognize this Fons TT?

Looking forward to seeing what you have.

Stephanie, it is in process but a little delayed due to a tight deadline.
 
my Fons International Mk1

Hi

This is a great thread I've just bought a Fons on epay yesterday for £50 and it's unlike the other ones I've seen on here in that it has a felt mat. I'm going to fit a Rega 250 to it that I'm going to get modded by J7 at Audioorigami.

Heres a couple of pics.

Ronnie
 

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Hi

This is a great thread I've just bought a Fons on epay yesterday for £50 and it's unlike the other ones I've seen on here in that it has a felt mat.

Heres a couple of pics.

Ronnie

Nice! And very clean, too!

It looks exactly like mine except for the arm-mounting plate (mine doesn't have that long slot-hole), and the dustcover on my is not tinted.

I raised the tonearm 1/16" and placed a felt anti-static mat on mine, also.
 
Hi pmsummer

I just took a look at your Fons very very nice, my armboard is cut for an SME and I'd fit one if they weren't so pricey. A mint one on epay will usually come in at over £250 and it wouldn't track my moving coil very well either so I'll make an armboard and cut it for my Rega, it wont keep the retro look of the Fons but it should sound great. I've also got a nice bit of walnut that should make a better plinth than the flake particle board it currently sits in. I'm not sure if at some stage I should try damping the metal top plate, subchassis and even the platter but thats for later I'm just going to enjoy cleaning and lubing it all up then listen to it for a couple of weeks. It would be good if someone on here has tried modding their Fons and coiuld give me a heads up.

Ronnie
 
Hi

I've just bought a Fons... it's unlike the other ones I've seen on here in that it has a felt mat.

Here's my "Felted Fons". :D

p12800031at0.jpg
 
Ronnie, do you have the strobe markings and the three o-rings under the felt mat? I understand that some don't but thought those were the CQ30 model.
 
Hi Absolon

I haven't got the tt yet, those pics I posted are the sellers pics he sent me.

I've read that the some of the Fons International Mk1's actually came with a felt mat, whether thats correct I dont know. When I get it I'll lift the mat and
take some pics of it all naked lol. I should take delivery on Saturday morning and I'm hoping the seller knows how to pack it properly cos it would be a shame if it got damaged as it looks nearly in mint condition.

Ronnie
 
I got the Fons today and I couldnt beleive how clean it is, even underneath, the only dirt on it was under the platter but after I undid the platter retaining bolts I removed it and cleaned under it.

Here are some pics

Ronnie
 

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As you will be able to see it has some damping material applied to the underside of the top plate so I wont have to try that as a mod, I removed the belt as I have another on order and cleaned the main bearing out. The bearing was dirty and coated in grease so after cleaning I applied a few drops of oil and it spins freely for ages. The felt mat has been glued onto some form of rubber dampamat which is then laid over the strobed platter like the others I've seen on here, probably in an attempt to stop the platter ringing which is does like a church bell. The arm board is flat and unmarked and ready cut for SME arms so I might end up fitting an SME 111 instead of a Rega derivative although I don't know if my Ortofon MC1 Turbo would sit comfortably in it. I'd rather use the Ortofon because it is still brand new in it's box so if anyone has used a MC1 Turbo in a SME with success I'd love to hear from them.

I've also got the option of a Grace 707 that is new in it's box but it would be more expensive than the SME so I've got a decision to make hum hum dee dee whats it gonna be lol.

The lid is as new and so is the wood finished plinth so it really does look better in the flesh than it does in my poor quality pics.

So it looks like I've got me a keeper and something I can build a nice vinyl front end on.

Ronnie
 
CQ30 motor

Steph,
One possibility is the Origin Live motor replacement options.
Look them-up under 'Origin Live'.

I am also looking for a replacement motor for my Fons CQ30 Mk3.
Did some of you get in contact with Origin Live regarding this? Or others?

Best regds
Rolv-Karsten
 
Fons CQ30 & International Mk1

Apologies for resurrecting an old topic, but here's some info that may be useful...

From scouring Ebay (and this), the DC motor used in the Fons decks appears to be the same model used in the Phillips GA312, GA222, GA406 etc turntables.

Here's a circuit diagram and component layout from a Fons CQ30;

FONS_CQ30_circuit_diagram2.jpg

FONS_CQ30_component_names.jpg

Please feel free to suggest improvements or highlight any errors in the above diagrams.

Bizarrely, a certain manufacturer that suggested (back in the 1970s) that DC motors in hi-fi turntables were a bad idea has had a Radikal shift of opinion.
:jawdrop:
 
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hi hamish. i replaced the power supply in my fons with a separate battery eliminator producing 9v dc. its working splendidly, but is this the wrong voltage? if i could run the circuit on 12v dc then a car battery could be used, which would be ideal for me. i cant remember the experiments i conducted at the time as it was 24 years ago, but once i settled on the 9v supply i was satisfied and the deck has been in constant use ever since. i have just relubricated the main bearing and am loving it:banana:

ps the mains switch made a loud pop through the speakers when i first got the fons, hence the replacement power supply (which is always left on).
 
...i replaced the power supply in my fons with a separate battery eliminator producing 9v dc. its working splendidly, but is this the wrong voltage?
Welcome... You have a great turntable! And if the 9V DC supply is working splendidly, then it's absolutely the correct voltage! :thmbsp: :beer:

I have no idea what type of power unit you are using, but if it's an external regulated/stabilised 9V DC supply, there may even be sonic improvements over the original unregulated (internal) DC supply.

In fact, there is evidence on the later Fons International circuit boards that they intended to regulate the DC voltage with a 9V1 Zener diode.
Unfortunately, there is no provision for a current-limiting resistor which means that the Zener diode would have been destroyed within milliseconds of power-on.
Or perhaps the regulated 9V DC idea was abandoned because the turntable may not have reached its designated upper rotational speed.

...if i could run the circuit on 12v dc then a car battery could be used, which would be ideal for me.
A fully-charged 12V car battery normally supplies >14V at the terminals. Whilst it'll work, it may also stress the motor driver transistor VT4, which cannot dissipate much power.

...i have just relubricated the main bearing and am loving it
I use CV Lith-Moly Grease for silent operation. :nerd:

...ps the mains switch made a loud pop through the speakers when i first got the fons, hence the replacement power supply (which is always left on).
That suggests one or both suppression capacitors across the terminals on SW0 (the ON/OFF mains switch) have failed.

If you have pictures of your modifications, please post them here.
 
the power supply is just a cheap spare (not sure what it was originally for).
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=569968&stc=1&d=1422136411

its connected to the board where the printing says +9v, -9v.
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=569970&stc=1&d=1422136533

this is what it looks like.
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=569972&stc=1&d=1422136634

i replaced the old oil with new synthetic motor oil (castrol edge). there was plenty of old oil in the bearing when i removed it and the ptfe thrust pad has a nice big dish worn into it from the spindle end riding on it.

forgot to say, the 78 speed is fine, i just got a n75-3 for my pickup and have played a variety of discs.
 

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Nice pictures SIR! :thmbsp:
And thanks for confirming that 9V DC will comfortably spin the platter @ 78 R.P.M. (I don't have any 78s).

What I find interesting is that your FONS CQ30, which I believe, pre-dates mine (my FONS CQ30s have square silver push-buttons), has silk-screen printing for ZD1 on the circuit board.
Only my FONS International MK1 has silk-screen printing for ZD1 (9V1), although both my FONS CQ30s have mounting holes for an unspecified component (ZD1).
I (my preference) would also re-instate C5 with a 2200uF/25V capacitor.

Nice work! It's an inspired and brilliantly simple fix, and moves the transformer away from the cartridge. :beer:

I hope it inspires other readers who may have power issues with their FONS decks.
 
i could fit a shunt regulator, like i did with the preamp (suggested by the designer brian powell) but it may only work with a higher voltage supply, as in the original layout. these little tl431 devices can be set to give a precise voltage using a pair of resistors and then take the place of a zener diode. it worked wonders with the preamp. i cant remember why the supply smoothing capacitor got removed, but i should be able to find a replacement.

back when i got the fons i was a student in aberdeen, and really wanted to fit a decent phono stage inside it, which is probably the next modification to try.

thanks for the :thmbsp:

i never did like the way linn tried to run things in the audio industry. point of history; i was told that scottish record players were designed to be immune to the harmful effects of hydroelectric on the stability of the mains. the fons certainly achieves that.
 
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