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Pioneer PL-61 anti-skate issue

oregoncruzer

oregoncruzer

Active Member
I just received my new (to me) Pioneer PL-61 turntable. I have a new Shure M97xE cartridge on is way but before I put it on there is an issue with the anti skate. It supposedly uses some sort of magnetic anti-skate. the problem is that the anti-skate knob simply moves freely without any stops and I'm not even sure if the antiskate mechanism is even there (without disassembling the tonearm). Anyone have this issue with this particular TT or know of one similar?
 
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I have a the same model of turntable with the same problem. The antiskate mechanism is plastic and fatigues with age. It eventually breaks. This likely is the problem that you are expereincing, and from what I hear is common with the stock PL 61 arm. I know of no way of repairing it. It has been suggested to me that either use the existing arm at a very heavy tracking force or replace the existing arm with some other arm.

Mike
 
It doesnt make sense to make something so critical out of crappy components, and on the brochure was toted as a simple reliable anti-skate. If all it needs is a magnet and a little builder fab...

I'm going to try and find a service manual for it (or at least a pic of the mechanism).
 
oregoncruzer said:
It doesnt make sense to make something so critical out of crappy components, and on the brochure was toted as a simple reliable anti-skate. If all it needs is a magnet and a little builder fab...

I'm going to try and find a service manual for it (or at least a pic of the mechanism).
Click to expand...

In Pioneer's defense, they probably never envision that the units would be in use 35+ years later. Good luck on the repair, the damage on mine was unrepairable.
 
Well I finally got the manual downloaded from the database and discovered that I am also missing the counterweight for the tonearm! This is quite the bummer.
 
Well, don't simply assume that the anti-skate is broken. No anti-skate dials have stops. You need a counterweight to test. Worst case scenario you can glue or tape many large washers together to make one and then you can test to see if the anti-skate works. You simply set the antiskate to zero. Balance the arm so that it floats horizontally, move it to the center of the platter, then start turning up the anti-skate. The arm should move back to the rest.

Then use either a tracking force gauge or digital pocket scale to set the tracking force for your cartridge.
 
There should be plenty of other Pioneer counter weights that will work with that arm.

BTW this is a one off arm that Pioneer used on this tt only. The PL-50a arm looks similar but doesn't have the vertical tracking adjustment so a swap without major modifications is out of the question.
 
DENNYDOG said:
There should be plenty of other Pioneer counter weights that will work with that arm.

BTW this is a one off arm that Pioneer used on this tt only. The PL-50a arm looks similar but doesn't have the vertical tracking adjustment so a swap without major modifications is out of the question.
Click to expand...

Well, after some fiddling I managed to make it work--the piece was broken but the anti-skate was intact, so a little shimming between the broken cam-piece and the tonearm housing got a decent distance between magnets. I think I'll definitely start shopping for a new tonearm or just go with a newer TT. It doesn't look like too major an undertaking to replace the tonearm--the up-down controls would be bypassed. I just love the looks of this table-and it sounds pretty good. Just don't know how much I should sink into this or just call it good.
 
Are you sure that you're missing the counterweight? Pioneer, on some old models, had a main counterweight, and then an accessory extra counterweight that screwed into the back of the tonearm, for higher mass cartridges. In 99% of cases, you wouldn't need that anyway. If that's what's pictured and missing, no worries.

Post a picture of your arm to remove all doubt! :D

Hakaplan is correct on adjusting the antiskate. The tracking force markings and antiskate markings on turntables are an estimate, really. What you need is a tracking force gauge and a test record, as Hakaplan points out. The test record will have one side of smooth vinyl...no grooves.

You can also adjust it with a meter, but I don't have the exact methodology on that. I *think* you adjust it so that both channels have the same output or somethng like that.
 
oregoncruzer said:
Well, after some fiddling I managed to make it work--the piece was broken but the anti-skate was intact, so a little shimming between the broken cam-piece and the tonearm housing got a decent distance between magnets. I think I'll definitely start shopping for a new tonearm or just go with a newer TT. It doesn't look like too major an undertaking to replace the tonearm--the up-down controls would be bypassed. I just love the looks of this table-and it sounds pretty good. Just don't know how much I should sink into this or just call it good.
Click to expand...
Where did you shim? I have this issue on a pl51a..with broken anti skate plastic part. I have anew plastic part.. but I'm afraid to try and tackle this repair. Thx.
 
Oregancruzer hasn't been on this site since March of 2021. Did you notice that the last response by Sansui Louie prior to your posting is from 2008? And he's been gone since 2012.
 
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