Magnavox (maybe Astro-Sonic) cabinet - help needed

Jenn in AZ

New Member
Hi everyone! I just purchased this beautiful cabinet this past weekend and would love to restore it to perfect working condition...it's a wonderful piece of history that I would love to enjoy for many years to come...

It is a Magnavox and the model # is PD6808. I have attempted to do a search for any information on this model online, and was unsuccessful. I also did an extensive search of images for Magnavox and did not find any cabinet that resembles mine. So, any help would be greatly appreciated!

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I need to get a replacement needle/stylus for the Micromatic record player (it powers up just fine, and everything seems to be in great working order - just no needle). The model # is W821-13-00

The right speaker did not work at all when I got it home. It appears that it is a wiring issue...last night, the wire that comes from the foam encased right speaker was disconnected from the internal right speaker connection and reattached to the external speaker connections on the rear of the cabinet and the speaker works! So, the wires (well, 3 to be exact) have been temporarily connected to the same connections that the left speaker is connected to...so, now when the "balance" knob on the tuner is moved to the right speaker, nothing plays...but when it's to the left or in the middle, both speakers play okay...so, what would be a good next step to fix it so that it's correctly hooked up?

Here is the connection that the right speaker wires were connected to when I got it home

Rightspeakerconnector.jpg


Here is the new set-up (the right speaker wires and the left speaker wires are on the same connectors - temporarily)

Leftspeakerconnector.jpg


There is an 8 track player on the left side of the cabinet, but I need to find an 8 track to test it to see if it works.

I am truly a beginner, so any help/information would be fantastic! I am a very quick learner and follow direction VERY well!

Thanks so much!
Jenn
 
The only thing I can tell you about the speaker connections, is to go to the connections right off of the receiver itself. If it is like most magnavox's, it will have a 3 lug connector. The middle lug would be common ground while the left & right lugs would be left & right (+) outputs. If those are connected properly, then your problem lies within the receiver itself. 1 or more output transistors on the right channel would be open or bad. P.S., I forgot to let you know to bypass the speaker selector switch as it may be bad. Coming straight off the receiver will tell you if the switch is bad or you have bad output transistors. Hope some of this helps.....................Korey
 
when the "balance" knob on the tuner is moved to the right speaker, nothing plays...but when it's to the left or in the middle, both speakers play okay...

If this is the case, then your outputs are fine. I'd grab a can of Deoxit (search the forum for info), and give every switch and knob on this unit a squirt. Work the switches back and forth numerous times -- your balance knob should work fine after a treatment with this. Generally, it's the first thing to do with an old unit you've picked up; all old switches and knobs become fouled over time (ever hear a staticky volume knob? Same thing.), and this will clear it up. :) Have fun, and enjoy your new pickup.
 
Titanstats, I have to differ (no disrespect intended), but if the balance is all the way to the right and there is no sound, the speaker is either disconnected or the output is bad. Because when the balance is in the middle or to the left and both speakers play, then both speakers MUST be connected to the left side!
 
That deoxit is really a key item. I was having trouble with audio on a Fisher amp I had picked up and was using a regular tuner cleaner to clean the slider volume control. It would work OK for a day, then get bad again. I finally bought deoxit per the advice of the folks here, and that did the trick. Radio Shack carries deoxit and I got the deoxit kit which has two tubes, deoxit cleaner, and deoxit "gold" which is a formula to help your equipment keep away corrosion after you've cleaned it. The two tube set was $16 if I can remember correctly. It is worth the cost! Good luck!
 
I picked up a Magnavox unit from the same time period as yours. The record player is a Magnavox Micromatic made by Collaro in England. Here is the thread on mine:
http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=160302

I picked up a needle from Dannyneedles on Ebay for cheap but he is currently not selling anything. There are a few magnavox needles on Ebay. The needle doctor is another recommended company. I am sure someone will speak up with their #.

Let me know if you need the manual for the record player as mine is exactly like yours. Same model.
 
Titanstats, I have to differ (no disrespect intended), but if the balance is all the way to the right and there is no sound, the speaker is either disconnected or the output is bad. Because when the balance is in the middle or to the left and both speakers play, then both speakers MUST be connected to the left side!

Hi cademan! I wanted to make a correction to my original post...the right speaker worked when the 3 wires were touched to the 4 channel speaker connections (3 screw terminals) on the back of the console (not on the connections for the external speakers as I originally posted)...

Please forgive me for my lack of knowledge and especially for not knowing what things are called...but the white plastic piece that holds the 5 connections (in the 4th picture down in my original post)...something with that whole setup is bad because when I took the white plastic thing that all the left speaker wires were connected to and disconnected all those wires, and then hooked up all the right speaker wires to that, and turned the balance knob to the right speaker, it worked just fine...so, could it be just that blue cylinder thing that is bad?
 
I picked up a Magnavox unit from the same time period as yours. The record player is a Magnavox Micromatic made by Collaro in England. Here is the thread on mine:
http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=160302

I picked up a needle from Dannyneedles on Ebay for cheap but he is currently not selling anything. There are a few magnavox needles on Ebay. The needle doctor is another recommended company. I am sure someone will speak up with their #.

Let me know if you need the manual for the record player as mine is exactly like yours. Same model.

Hey Fletch! BEAUTIFUL console!!! I'm jealous! :) I would LOVE a copy of the manual! I think I may have found a new stylus from Vintage Electronics, but the manual would definitely help as I don't know how to fully operate the TT yet :) Let me know what I can do to get a copy from you...If you can scan it to email it to me, let me know...I can send you my email address...or, if you can copy it, I will pay for a copy! :) Thanks for the very generous offer!!! :thmbsp:
 
De-oxit really, really, really does work for scratchy volume, bass, treble controls, and speaker switches and sorts, but I honestly think that what jenn has described here is not a cleaning or de-oxit type of problem. Someone (not jenn) has inadvertantly hooked the right & left speakers to the left channel only. If it were an easy fix to use de-oxit, then there would be some sound coming out of the right side, even if it is just scratchy and/or popping sounds. Think about it! Balance control in middle or left, both speakers. Balance control to the right, nothing! Jenn, if you listen to both speakers when the balance is to the left, I'll bet anything that it is not gonna be stereo, but left channel in mono feeding to both speakers. I'm not trying to yell at you other people:no: about using de-oxit because it is a good thing to have and to use,:yes: so forgive me, but my intentions are not to pee anybody off. Everyone here has posted great responses,:thmbsp: so keep up the excellent work.:D I myself have also learned something new while using this forum.:yippy:
 
Forgive me jenn, does that console have a wiring diagram of any kind mounted to the inside or back panel? That plastic piece with the four connections is just a crossover unit. There should be one for the other speaker as well. It separates the bass to the woofers and treble to the horns. (yours does have horns right?)
 
cademan is right. There shuld be w wiring diagram in the unit on one of the panels inside or at least there was on mine. Getting a picture is the hard part.

Here is a link to my photobucket pictures:
http://s25.photobucket.com/albums/c87/cfletch/

If you look towards the bottom of thepage it will show the manual. I scanned them at high resolution so that they would print out good. Don;t know how to print them out but you will have the files. Let me know if you have any problems.
 
Forgive me jenn, does that console have a wiring diagram of any kind mounted to the inside or back panel? That plastic piece with the four connections is just a crossover unit. There should be one for the other speaker as well. It separates the bass to the woofers and treble to the horns. (yours does have horns right?)

Yes - there is a schematic drawing on the inside of the cabinet. :) Do you want me to take a picture of it and upload it here? :)
 
Yes - there is a schematic drawing on the inside of the cabinet. :) Do you want me to take a picture of it and upload it here? :)

Yes. All of your wiring questions can be easily answered with the wiring diagram. Mine was hard to photo. I even tried prying it off the wall inside but that was a no go. Glued on very well. Try to get pictures that we will be able to read the small print. Hope you were able to see the manual pictures.

Photobucket is free if you want to use them to post high-res pics.
 
Okay - I got home and I hooked all the wires back up the way they are supposed to be...

When I turn the balance all the way to the right, and when I turn the volume all the way up, there is sound coming from the right speaker now...it's just not loud. I can hear the music clearly, it's just not loud enough...

I did take a picture of the schematics, but I have a feeling with this update it will not be needed :)

So, what's my next step? :)
 
DeOxit - check the local radio shack or ebay. It is a contact cleaner that removes oxidization from the contacts, potentiometers. I have found that the DeOxit pen works well. You'll need to pull the amplifier/receiver out of the console to get to them from the inside which is the best and most productive method. It is possible that you may be able to get them from the outside but unlikely. My amp came out after I removed a few bolts. It slid out.

Make sure to disconnect all wires going to the amplifier before pulling it out. You may need to mark the wires with tape or whatever you have to keep everything straight, or you can make note of everything based on the schematic you have.

I had the same issue with mine when I got it home. The external speaker switch did not work as well. DeOxit seems to cure a lot of problems and is a good place to start.
 
I know I wasn't getting sound out of the speaker initially, so something helped with all the wire switching...so, I was trying to explain everything as best I could! Thanks everyone for all your help! :)

I really appreciate EVERYTHING! And, the manual will definitely come in handy! I'll stop at Radio Shack on my way home from work tomorrow to pick some DeOxit up :)

I'll let you know how it works tomorrow! :)
 
Here are the pics of the schematics I took...

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After doing some more playing around, I'm feeling more like it's a wiring issue again...

When I play with the volume, and the internal and external speaker switches, nothing happens to the right speaker...I don't get anything that indicates that it's just a bad or dirty switch...I honestly think there is some wiring messed up somewhere...and I don't know a whole lot about this stuff, so it's really just a hunch...

I totally unplugged the left speaker. I then plugged in all the wires for the right speaker (all 5) on that crossover (white plastic piece) from the left speaker...and the right speaker plays, but when I put the balance knob all the way to the right, it almost goes out again...it's so low I can barely hear it...but the sound is still clean - no distortion. When I turn the balance to the center or to the left, the right speaker plays perfectly...So, I'm back to being baffled :scratch2:
 
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