Pioneer PL-L800 linear turntable

[seatrain]

Hi all,
I just picked up a PL-L800 from a yard sale for 10.00 out of curiosity. I got it home and plugged it in. Table and controls work fine but I can't get the "arm pick up function or the arm movement function to work. I notice that the rca cables are hard wired into table. Does this have any thing to do with it not working. Any ideas what could be wrong???

Thanks
Ray

 

[hakaplan]

Hi, Ray. First of all it was very common, almost routine really, for RCA cables to be hard wired to turntables beginning with the mid-70s, especially in Japanese models. The purpose was to reduce noise that could be introduced by adding an additional set of jacks and plugs. This has nothing to do with the problem you are experiencing. I believe it is simply due to locked up gears from hardened grease. The following thread is of some members kind of working their way through the problem. Hope it helps. Linear trackers can be a bear.

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=53134&highlight=pl-l800

I think the "S" at the end of his PL-L800S had to do with the color, so it should be the same model.

Just curious, where are you located?

 

[jonman]

Does that model have a tonearm belt? I am in the process of setting up a Pioneer PL- L30 and I ordered both belts just in case

 

[seatrain]

Hi Howard,
Thanks for the info. I'm in NH. I will take mine apart and see if I can find what is wrong. I don't know if the motor for the arm is running when energized as it should. I have found replacement motros for these for around 35.00 but would not want to spend if it iss't what is wrong. Do you know how to test motor?
Thanks again,
Ray

 

[hakaplan]

jonman: I was looking for references to a belt in that thread, but no, it's all gears.

seatrain: I suppose if they are 110v, I'd just put apply voltage to both poles and see what happens. But motors seldom go bad. It's usually locked up gears not allowing them to move. I would make sure it can move freely first before testing.

 

[seatrain]

Hi Howard,
First of all thanks so much to the link to the previous links on how to take it apart.
I got it all apart but I got confused(the older I get the more it seems to happen). I see one small motor at the end of the guide rod for the arm, It is connected thru gears to a cam which I assume lifts and lowers the arm. Another motor is connected to a roller which I assume cues the arm sideways. Is there a third motor under the spindle which I cannot see? Like I said Im confused! Anyways the two motros for lateral movement and up and down movement of the tone arm don't work. No hard grease or anything that I can see to stop it. I checked all solder joints at that small pc board where the line voltage line solders to. I did resolder one blue wire that leads to one of the poles of the larger motor. Still no go! I guess I can live with a manual table but it is just bugging me that it could be a easy fix.
Thanks again,
Ray

 

[hakaplan]

Well, it might not be an easy fix. If two $35 motors would fix it, I'd say it's worth it, but no guarantee that it's not the circuit board. Have you tried applying power directly to the poles of either motor? (that is, if you're sure they are 110VAC) While I'm not familiar with this table, based on that thread I don't believe there is a third motor.

 

[seatrain]

No I haven't. I guess that's next. One of the motors, which they refer to as the "DC motor" goes for about 190.00. The other they refer to as the "tone arm motor goes for about 36.00. But like you say it could very well be the pcb. The thing is a pain to take apart to get access and I should have tested them but not knowing why they are bound(I couldn't move the gears) makes me skittish about burning up motor. It's confusing because the platter turns but I know neither motor is turning....go figure! I need to find a service manual somewhere to see if there is in fact three motors.


Ray