Crosley Traveler Stack-O-Matic and rebuild

xXSHADoW93Xx

Active Member
So at the local recycling center, I got this Crosley Stack-O-Matic for only $10

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Word has it that it's essentially a cheap BSR clone, which was the main intention of buying this. Unlike the older BSR's which were idler-drive, this one is a belt-drive mechanism, as can be seen here:

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The cycling gear and spindle is IDENTICAL to that of a BSR, so I decided to swap the cycling gear, and indeed, it fits:

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Here's the backside, which further confirms the Stack-O-Matic is essentially a BSR mechanism:

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Don't underestimate that little DC motor, as it's a Matsushita/Panasonic DC motor. Note how identical the Stack-O-Matic mechanism is to that of a BSR's

The tonearm on the Stack-O-Matic and the mechanism is identical to the late BSR C19x series, as the tonearm from my C197 fits perfectly.

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It was a perfect fit:

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I added a preamp into the circuit, and it does an excellent job with magnetic cartridges. This one is using a Shure M71MC:

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Decided to kick things up a notch and install a BSR McDonald 310 changer. The mounting holes are identical, only had to cut a small portion of the mounting board:

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Even further, I ditched the crappy amp and threw in a 15WPC amp, which packs quite a punch:

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The 310 makes a good candidate for a Stack-O-Matic rebuild due to the removable cartridge sled:

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This puppy houses an Audio-Technica Signet TK1E for LP's and a Shure M71MC for 78s

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Nice work, but wouldn't it have been easier to just gut the Crosley and use the case for the BSR to begin with?
 
Yeah he could have, but would have missed out on all that fun and knowledge :)

Have to remember that BAR model number, looks the same as the Realistic Lab-12, real workhorse RS sold for years with a Shure M75.

Nice work!
 
That changer upgrade and cartridge upgrade is major quantum leap. So is that amplifier upgrade. Leave the Crosley badging intact, and freak people out.
 
Fun fact: the Crosley Stack-O-Matic was the last record changer ever made. And it's quite fitting that it's based on a BSR, as their name was almost synonymous with record changers in the '70s and early '80s.
 
Those BSR players with the slim cartridge sure were absolutely everywhere! Kind of wish I still had my old one, say what you want about their performance, they did work reliably.
 
Looks interesting and orders of magnitude better than your typical Crosley of the past few years.
 
Fun fact: the Crosley Stack-O-Matic was the last record changer ever made. And it's quite fitting that it's based on a BSR, as their name was almost synonymous with record changers in the '70s and early '80s.

I successfully transplanted a BSR mechanism into the stack-o-matic's changer. However, the platter's shaft needs to be widened a little bit.
 
The first picture my thought was "why does that look like 1970s BSR?". Interesting that it basically is exactly that.
 
Fun fact: the Crosley Stack-O-Matic was the last record changer ever made. And it's quite fitting that it's based on a BSR, as their name was almost synonymous with record changers in the '70s and early '80s.

Even more interesting is that the series number starts with a C, just like the BSR's.
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My Stack-O-Matic had a Matsushita motor, not sure if all of them had a Matsushita motor.

What I really want to know is, who was the manufacturer of this BSR clone?

Here are all the Crosleys built with a Stack-O-Matic:
CR72 (Mission all-in-one)

CR83 (Arlington all-in-one)

CR84 (Varsity Suitcase Portable)

CR85 (Collegiate Suitcase Portable)

CR86 (Bandmaster all-in-one)

CR87-S (Queenmaster all-in-one console)

CR89 (Traveler Suitcase Portable, This is the model I have)
 
And here's a 2nd stack-o-matic I brought home. That one I'm keeping all-original.

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Of course, one major change I made on my BSR-O-Matic is that the amplifier switches on/off if the record changer is switched on/off unlike the stack-o-matic where the amp/turntable is switched off by the volume control, so even if the TT is switched off, the amp remains on.

My BSR rebuild now has a 15WPC amp, and a beefy 2.0A transformer
 
And here's a 2nd stack-o-matic I brought home. That one I'm keeping all-original.

ATqoJxu.jpg


Of course, one major change I made on my BSR-O-Matic is that the amplifier switches on/off if the record changer is switched on/off unlike the stack-o-matic where the amp/turntable is switched off by the volume control, so even if the TT is switched off, the amp remains on.

My BSR rebuild now has a 15WPC amp, and a beefy 2.0A transformer

Did you put a capacitor across the power switch of the turntable? My BSR C141 didn't have one, and made a noisy transient in the speakers when the motor switch was actuated. A 0.02uf 630V film capacitor fixed it right up.

I really like this project, I hope these get lots of use!
 
Did you put a capacitor across the power switch of the turntable? My BSR C141 didn't have one, and made a noisy transient in the speakers when the motor switch was actuated. A 0.02uf 630V film capacitor fixed it right up.

I really like this project, I hope these get lots of use!

It has a capacitor on the motor switch
 
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