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Curtis Mathis Console

Update: Installed new caps and WOW what a difference. I am really impressed with the sound quality. Hooked up an Ipod and even got the turntable working.

Thanks for all the help and advice...... now looking for another
 
radiotvnut said:
I'm glad you are leaving it original. You should have a nice sounding unit when it's restored. I have a little Magnavox console that uses a single ended 6BQ5 based stereo amp and it has plenty of volume. That turntable was made by BSR and any trouble that it gives will likely be due to hardened lubricants. BSR liked to use some kind of lubricant that turns to cement after 40+ years. If that TT has the cartridge that I think it does, I'd upgrade the cartridge. I'm not one of those people that thinks a record should only be played on a $10,000 turntable setup; but, many BSR's from that era used a cartridge that will ruin a record in short order. If possible, I'd mount something like a Pickering NP/AC magnetic cartridge, set the counterbalance spring for the correct tracking force, and add one of those cheap solid state phono preamps between the turntable and the input of the amp. The magnetic cartridge will give you better fidelity and won't be quite as rough on your records.
Click to expand...

Are you sure it's a BSR? Collaro made the majority of Maggie turntables, at least in the tube era.
 
After the recap the FM works for awhile then stops. Then when it starts working the volume will go way down. Adjust the tuner and it works again. Any ideas??
 
wow that could be anything.

did it do this before the recap?

Is is stereo FM or Mono?

I assume the AM is fine

does is sound like its just drifting off the station?

does it do these after it warms up for a while?

does it stablize after an extended period?
 
It did not do it before the recap best I can remember. It does it on FM mono. It does not have multiplex installed. The am is fine. The signal drifts when it works but sometimes it is just dead quite on FM. I had that happen on my Fisher 400 and it was a tube dirty in the FM section but I have cleaned all the tube sockets and reinstalled back in the original location. It seems like once it starts working after a good warm up it will works ok until I shut it off. It is very intermittent. One other side note is when it is working one channel is stronger than the other
 
thermal, wiggle tubes when it goes out. then try probing around the tuner parts caps/resistor/IF lugs, pretty much everything with an wood chop stick.

as to why one channel, hmmm maybe just a dirty contact switch, did you deoxit?

you can also try shooting some cold air (one of those dust off cans) at caps/resistors/if's etc... to see if you can isolate.

keep the cold juice off the tubes!!!

maybe a cold solder joint.
 
Well it is a combination of a loose tube, bad antenna and a dirty switch. I can tap on the tube hold the antenna and jiggle the switch and it works. Only problem is I only have 2 hands! Anyway they are all fixable Thanks again
 
now those are easy fix, glad you found it.

I am currently struggling with what seems like a HK short on a TV that is defying all logical attmeps to fix. Sometimes these things can make you nutz.

If you ever move into tube video, be prepared, your eyes can pick up the most minor of problems...
 
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