Fixed My 30+ year Old Zerostat

[audiopersyn]

Here are some more pictures of the process of opening a red Zerostat 3.

 

[audiopersyn]

Here is the last of the pics of opening up a red Zerostat 3 process.

 

[pustelniakr]

A click, or the lighting of the neon bulb, means that the ionic field has just discharged, and must be recharged through more trigger motion. The click or light is simply a test of field generation capability. Proper operation should result in a gentle hissing as the trigger is squeezed or released, which means that the field is charged up and ions are streaming out the pointed metal tip, one polarity as squeezed, and the opposite polarity as released.

Clicking means that the break down voltage has been reached because of charge being raised faster than ion expulsion can discharge it, resulting in an internal arc, discharging the field below what is necessary for ion stream expulsion.

Enjoy,
Rich P

 

[marcmorin]

My cat always hated my zerostat As did my techs when I caught them bent over a fender:thmbsp:

 

[jbelway]

well here's a simple idea get a Neon test lamp or the test lamp that came with your Zero Stat and try your SLOW method and a fast method and see when the bulb lights up. if it lights up it's working PERIOD

Do as you like but on mine if I pull the trigger slowly enough to not CLICK the bulb never lights. If I pull it at about the speed the clicks start the bulb lights right at the moment of the CLICK.

I might be doing it completely work BUT then again after using it my Records sound statice free and I have watched dust fall off the charged vinyl as I use it.

YMMV

Thanks... now I know what the bulb that came in my kit is for. I couldn't see where it would go on the unit.... LOL

 

[NoTransistors]

I have had one forever, but cannot remember ever using it for anything but electrocuting people.

 

[audiopersyn]

A click, or the lighting of the neon bulb, means that the ionic field has just discharged, and must be recharged through more trigger motion. The click or light is simply a test of field generation capability. Proper operation should result in a gentle hissing as the trigger is squeezed or released, which means that the field is charged up and ions are streaming out the pointed metal tip, one polarity as squeezed, and the opposite polarity as released.

Clicking means that the break down voltage has been reached because of charge being raised faster than ion expulsion can discharge it, resulting in an internal arc, discharging the field below what is necessary for ion stream expulsion.

Enjoy,
Rich P

Rich,

I used a voltage detector to determine field generation capability & it was positive. I don't seem to be getting the "gentle hissing" you mentioned (I do remember this use to be the case). Any theories as to why I'm not getting the "hiss"?

 

[saunadog]

Here is a link to a picture of the instructions from the zerstat back in the day when it was sold by discwasher...
http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?forum=vinyl&n=744245&highlight=audiophiles

Also says to avoid the click.

terry

I lucked out and found my second zerostat in the past 4 or 5 months, this one at a thrift complete with discwasher brush, base, and instruction manual. It's probably been mentioned, but the instructions basically say to divide the LP into thirds, zapping each "zone" in turn. One thing the manual mentioned that I hadn't heard before was to zap it one final time, with the gun pointed at the center of the record, then while continuing to hold the trigger down, point the gun away from the record and release the trigger.

 

[Arkay]

But are you sure it is working? Just the feel of the trigger may not indicate that it is doing its job right. Test it to be sure: try pointing it straight at your groin or stuck-out tongue, and then slowly pull...

That there just made my day . . . thanks, ARKAY:thmbsp:

You're most welcome. Reading that something I wrote just made someone's day just made my day! :yes: :thmbsp:

 

[wualta]

Wonderful stuff! Thanks to all those brave enough to snap open their Zerostats.

Now, does anyone remember what improvements, if any, were incorporated into the Zerostat 3? and what happened to the 2?

 

[audiopersyn]

I should point out that if anyone attempts to pull apart a red Zerostat 3 you probably will break one of the black retaining nubs that attaches the black gun point to the body. You can see what I mean by this picture (the broken piece is sitting off to the left of the gun half) notice the retaining nub attaching the black piece to the red body on the right side of the gun. Unless you are skilled enough to pry off the black piece before prying open the body.

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=317182&d=1323807782

 

[pustelniakr]

Rich,

I used a voltage detector to determine field generation capability & it was positive. I don't seem to be getting the "gentle hissing" you mentioned (I do remember this use to be the case). Any theories as to why I'm not getting the "hiss"?

Wet your lips and bring the zerostat within about an 1/2 inch. Slowly squeeze the trigger. If it is working, you will feel a gentle breeze on your lips, when squeezing and releasing.

An internal click is a spark from the connection point of the wire to the crystal rod, to the metal frame that holds it.

Enjoy,
Rich P

 

[audiopersyn]

Wet your lips and bring the zerostat within about an 1/2 inch. Slowly squeeze the trigger. If it is working, you will feel a gentle breeze on your lips, when squeezing and releasing.

An internal click is a spark from the connection point of the wire to the crystal rod, to the metal frame that holds it.

Enjoy,
Rich P

Thanks, Rich. I feel the breeze, but I don't get the "hissing" sound as I remember it use to do.

 

[Pio1980]

I had one back when, thot it was red but mebbe not. It died and when I disassembled it I found the steel frame fractured so no reapirs here. I got another one in the early '90s and it still works.
BTW, it's advisable not to zap your records on a TT if it has "electronic" control systems. Avoid zapping your cartridge as well.

 

[audiopersyn]

I had one back when, thot it was red but mebbe not. It died and when I disassembled it I found the steel frame fractured so no reapirs here. I got another one in the early '90s and it still works.
BTW, it's advisable not to zap your records on a TT if it has "electronic" control systems. Avoid zapping your cartridge as well.

Yeah I always zap records while holding them & not on the table. As you can see by the pictures I posted, the mechanism is structurally sound (with the exception of the broken plastic nubs keeping the trigger mechanism in place) but I don't get the "hissing" when squeezing & releasing the trigger. Would doing some adjustment to the small bolt & nut at the bottom of the steel frame help with this?

 

[Pio1980]

I would think that having the 'slop' taken out should be all the adjustment needed. Hiss will depend on humidity and acuity of hearing.

 

[Carlp]

Interesting recent posts that have helped me understand how mine works. Mine is a white first version model (I tihink). I found this thread a few days ago when I was looking up how to fix it, and this gave me the info I needed.

The mechanism looks to be virtually the same as the red v.2 model (slight difference in the location of the piezo mechanism and trigger. Not sure what could be different among the various versions other than very slight layout difference. But then, ya gotta upgrade if there's an upgrade to be had...

Note, be careful working on the nut on the piezo rod. Back it off carefully (use some (very little) penetrating oil if it's stuck), then adjust the allen/hex screw and gently tighten the nut back down. Somehow in the process of backing the nut off, adjusting, and putting the nut back on, I got mixed up and tightened when I shouldn't. The screw broke off with the nut on it, and now I have no way to adjust it again, and no nut to lock it into place. Thankfully for now it's working. Live and learn.

At least mine hisses, clicks if I go too fast, and gives a nice little shock when tested per post #9 yikes.

Cheers!

 

[pmsummer]

revisit

I have three of these. Well, two Zerostats (one white, one red) and a Spiratone version with a different 'gun' but the same guts.

They all 'pull' differently.

The white I bought in 1975 'clicks' pretty easily, the red almost never, and the Spiratone version is almost impossible to pull without clicking. I wonder what accounts for the variation?

 

[hulpa]

revisit
The white I bought in 1975 'clicks' pretty easily, the red almost never, and the Spiratone version is almost impossible to pull without clicking. I wonder what accounts for the variation?

From my own experience, the clicking depends on the distance between the soldering point of the electric cable and the steel frame.
I only get the "clicks" when the soldering point is pointed towards the frame, not when its pointed upwards like on the photos posted above.
My Zerostat (v3) came with a small indicator (bulb) which lights up when the device is working. I have tried different positions of the piezo block (upwards/sideways) and it only lights up in sideways (i.e. clicking) position.
When I first bought it, I remember there was this hissing sound, but after using it for a few times, the clicks appeared even when gently pressing the trigger.

 

[rnorton]

While it's apart, it's a good time to sharpen the electrode. The tip burns away and dulls with use, drastically reducing the ion output. If you're careful, you can sharpen it without disassembly.