Empire 598 Wiring Diagrams

[LesE]

I don't remember any capacitors...

The caps are installed on the PCB.

that choke looking thing

You are probably seeing the transformer that powers the PCB. The PCB contains a DC power supply as well as the logic circuit which receives input from the soft touch controls for the operation of the cueing solenoid.

 

[empirelvr]

 

[Thunderbox]

View attachment 2031689

That looks to dang simple. Just add a light and associated wiring and done. Thanks

 

[Jeffery]

where...?

 

[Hobie1dog]

Empire used 3-phase Papst motors in their turntables. I don't know if the stator windings are arranged in a wye or delta configuration but you should see equal winding resistance across any two of the three motor wires.

Here is the wiring diagram for the Empire 698 which may or may not be similar to the 598.

View attachment 2030677

View attachment 2030678

on my 598 II tt, C1 capacitor has Sprague .02 stamped on it. Now I'm not sure which value to get.
This may be close to it:
https://www.amazon.com/Sprague-Oran...s&sprefix=sprague+.02+capacitor,mi,147&sr=1-4

 

[Hobie1dog]

Well the worst thing that could happen did happen and a cord caught the tone arm and knocked it off on the floor and it naturally landed on the plastic electrical socket and broke it in several pieces, and the hair thin wires on the backside of it all broke off, two of them down inside the tonearm well post, so that tone arm is completely FUBAR. I'm ready to throw the whole GD thing in the dumpster.

 

[empirelvr]

on my 598 II tt, C1 capacitor has Sprague .02 stamped on it. Now I'm not sure which value to get.
This may be close to it:
https://www.amazon.com/Sprague-Orange-Capacitors-Polypropylene-022uF/dp/B092HVVJ1S/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2W79QEBUS4VPH&keywords=sprague+.02+capacitor&qid=1664886629&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIxLjU2IiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ==&s=musical-instruments&sprefix=sprague+.02+capacitor,mi,147&sr=1-4

For C1 the value doesn't really matter. .01 or .02 is fine. It's only purpose is to suppress the transient that would come through the speakers when the unit is turned on or off. The voltage rating is much more important since it's absorbing inrush voltage. In fact, in this case a ceramic capacitor would be the better choice for this since they can take greater inrush voltages and current than most.

 

[Billa]

Well the worst thing that could happen did happen and a cord caught the tone arm and knocked it off on the floor and it naturally landed on the plastic electrical socket and broke it in several pieces, and the hair thin wires on the backside of it all broke off, two of them down inside the tonearm well post, so that tone arm is completely FUBAR. I'm ready to throw the whole GD thing in the dumpster.

So sorry to hear this. You do have a bit of work ahead of you. But please don't trash it. You have everything else thats still good and can be parted out or built upon.

 

[Hobie1dog]

If I could figure out how to get the bottom part of that stem out so that I could gain access to the wires that are broken off, and those are so tiny being magnet wires that even if I get to them, then I have to be able to get some more magnet wire and solder/splice onto them. I have no idea what the wiring is configured as the three wires that are not broken off, two of them are red, and one of them is green, so that tells me nothing about how the wiring goes to that plastic connector even if I can get the wires to them.... what's left of it. and it was looking so good

 

[Hobie1dog]

tonearm "magnet wires" super thin.

and the tube needs removed to access the broken wires. I'm assuming the snap ring needs removed before the tube can be taken off?

 

[empirelvr]

You do actually have an option here. The plastic mount under the headshell that is the contact point for the sled is only press fit into place (or, at worst, attached with a little bit of by-now dried out glue.)

You can solder a new set of wires to one of the ones left that's coming out of the bottom of the armtube, carefully pry up the plastic mount, and slowly snake the new wires up the post, through the arm, and then solder them to the plastic mount and press fit it back in place. No other disassembly needed.

The only thing to watch out for is a small copper tab that the ground wire is soldered to that is also press fit into a small channel with the plastic mount. You want to be really cognizant of that so you know how and where to put it when you reassemble it.

So in this case a new set of wires would have to number five: L+, L-, R+, R- and ground. I would recommend these as they are supposedly as limp and flexible as possible so they should snake up the tube easier than "regular" tone arm wire or even the same magnet wire Empire used: https://www.kabusa.com/frameset.htm?/superflex.htm

As to how to connect them, the instructions for the 598 clearly show the arrangement of the wires as seen from the top of the sled, so it should be easy to wire the mount correctly. The only caveat here is to use an iron of the lowest possible wattage, use heat sinks, and be as sparing with the iron as possible as that plastic likes to melt really quickly. Soldering to the ground tab needs no such caveat as it's metal.

If the plastic mount is now loose in the shell after reassembly, a little dab of hot glue, or even Elmer's will keep it in place yet make it easy to pull out again if ever needed. (DON'T use an epoxy or any kind of superglue that would prevent another removal if needed. Heck, even a dab of mortite would be a good solution.) (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Mortite-19-oz-x-90-ft-Grey-Weatherstrip-and-Caulking-Cord-B2/100152937)

It can be done...I've done it twice! (And used the mortite to keep it secure in place. It also has the advantage of acting as a bit of damping.)

 

[Hobie1dog]

You do actually have an option here.

So in this case a new set of wires would have to number five: L+, L-, R+, R- and ground. I would recommend these as they are supposedly as limp and flexible as possible so they should snake up the tube easier than "regular" tone arm wire or even the same magnet wire Empire used: https://www.kabusa.com/frameset.htm?/superflex.htm

It can be done...I've done it twice!

Thanks a bunch for all this information. Today I received the new four microfarad capacitor and the very small cap That goes across the switch, so the next thing is to replace both capacitors and see if the motor turns. If motor turns then I'm going to proceed with the tone arm wiring.