Thorens TD 147 x2

[USMC Spike]

So, not to hijack Plattensp thread on the subject,
I thought it might be beneficial no only to him but also
others why make be thinking along these same lines.

In fact, if you read what Plattensp say's in my quote from him, it sounds just like my story also.
Except I found a high end TD 147 and asked a bid of mine about it, if they were good etc,
whereupon my bud, called his bud. Lo and behold when I went to buy the Thorens TT at the
music store that had it, it was gone! My buds, bud went down their and bought it out from under me
and offered to sell me his just as good Thorens TD 147 for 100 or 200 dollars.

Well dummie me did and it was just the turn table, tone arm,
with head shell, and platten. No cart, no power supply, no cover, no nothing else, no hinges, etc.
So much for trusting buds of buds and paying sight unseen trusting them.
For $75 more I was going to buy the whole turntable working at the music store.
Later, I ended up buying all the stuff I needed except the cartridge. I kept it until
I was going to use it, so it sat on the shelf, covered for 30 years.

Moral: Sometimes you put your trust in people and it doesn't always work out.
We still have to trust folks even if we are careful, we can still get burned.

Hey everybody,
Merry Xmas. I'm in the process of reacquainting myself with vinyl. It's been 30+ years so I don't remember much if anything. I used to have a Thorens TD 160 that's about all I remember. Those were foggy days.
I'm in the (slow) process of making a deal for a TD 147 so the question is what is a good all- around cartridge
for the 147 that doesn't break the bank?
Thanks for the help

Okay, fast forward about 30 years. I got back interested in stereo gear
a few years ago after I did a stint as a Music Instrument Amp Tech
(prior to that I refurbished and upgraded some nice vintage tube gear.

That said, some of the Solid State gear that I had started to show its age...2014, 2015, etc.
And as I worked through some of them, and started revising some good test gear, I ran into
my limitations because of lack solid state experience. So I went back to school and earned
an AAS: Electrical Engineering Technology, AAS: Engineering Technology-Electronics Technology
plus a Certificate.

Interestingly, in the book edited by the late Jim Williams. (1991). Analog Circuit Design:
Art, Science and Personalities,Butterworth-Heinemann, LINK the very problem I had,
was discussed in one of the chapters--which was the difficulty of getting a handle on analog design
using solid state devices, transistors, opamps,etc. with out getting a solid educational foundation.

I agree, that is not to say it cannot be done, but I'm not a Jim Williams.

So moving right along, I built a MM PreAmp board for it, then got the turn table running.
I'm close to being there though i ran into a few minor issues.

The Thorens TD-147 Manual leaves a lot to be desired.

Here are the functional issues I'm having:
1. The tone arm is too low and I'm not sure
how to adjust it higher. I need c. 6mm clearance
from an LP to the needle of cartridge.

I've tried raising the arm as in the manual, but it doesn't seem to work.
That is trying to raise it by turning the alan key. My arm has two, not one.
It almost feels like it's at the top and when I've tried to raise just a tiny bit
more, it feels like it will come apart or something else will break.
With the cart that I have Ortofon 2M red, I can adjust the arms balance
to about 2mm clearance.

2. I've adjusted the diode window to try and get it to shut off.
It doesn't seem to work right. Either its middle of LP or would stop
in the center paper of the LP. Damn it is finicky.

3. When I replaced the two electrolytic caps, One was standard cap
but the original looked to be and orange low leakage cap, though the
markings didn't say so.
The second cap in the center of the cap board, the only one I had on hand
was a Nichicon Bi-Polar cap. I've questioned that since--wondering If negative
polarity needs to flow through and reach circuit ground?

4. So one remedy for the tone arm hight might be to adjust the rest/disconnect.
Where it is located close to the tone arm pivit, just a litte rise would make
a large difference at the needle.

5. The Cart I tried is the 2M red, which gets both good reviews but then some
hate it. I can't say that I love it, for me it seems there is too much high end
and at times it sound brittle.

I picked up a 2M Bronze over Christmas for a good price from our own High.Fi.Ed.
I want to address the issues I'm having first, before I put in the new cart.

On the next post I'll add pics, or if I can do it here, I will.
Any one who's done these adjustments, please enlighten me,
I'm all ears.

I did the cartridge alignment by flipping over the Thorens platter pad, on that other side
is the alignment grid. I place the needle it and then checked it. Adjusted the height,
did the square test using the plastic alignment tool, etc. Finally I had to bend the
head shell per manual instructions...I'm pretty sure it's close to vertical now and
not canted to one side or the other.

From what I can tell, I have the TP 16 MK III tone arm.
I'll go though both the Owners Manual and the Service Manual Again,
as I just found the Owner Manual again.

I've got a copy of the manual here that I can post for other Thorens TD 147 owners.
Well they are too large for here. Bummer. You can find them over at HiFi Engine.
Well you used to, now they don't seem to have them any longer. Perhaps
somewhere provided here?

 

[USMC Spike]

Here is the board:
comments below the board.


The cap at the right edge of the board is also new, that is C102.
I forgot about this issue until now, seeing this pic again.
The minimal voltages described in the Service manual for the
pot (R102, located center under the C109 Callout with arrow)
are too high based on Service Manual Specs.

Here's one listening pic and the album.



Here's the TD 147 in action:



On the right of the TT you can see the needle brush, the red needle cover, blue tape I use
when taking the TT to the bench to keep the tone arm from coming off it's stand, and the
clear Thorens alignment gage that is trying to escape alignment duty.

 

[USMC Spike]

I'll try and do this step by step, and if you see and error, etc,
Jump right in and let me know. Sometimes we get too close
and can't see the forest through the trees and vice versa.

From section III of the Thorens Owners Manual:

 

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Here is the next step:

 

[USMC Spike]

Next step is here:


Now they tell me. From this pic I missed the top spacer B.
But is is to snap into large holed cartridges. Ok no biggie.

However, bottom spacer A the shoulders go into the mounting slits
of the cartridge, what was I thinking? I look at pics, didn't read.
Note about spacer A "therefore, this spacer must always be used."
emphasis Thorens.

 

[USMC Spike]

 

[USMC Spike]

Perhaps I'm a little shallow on the spacing. I'll get some pics
which I thought I already had and continue.

Moving right along:



This is the end of the section.
I'll move along to the next section,
then I'll add to this "The Thorens Baerwald ARC Protractor".
When I used the protractor, I had to make additional adjustments
to the cartridge relative to the headshell and the protractor.

Maybe I should listen to it for a bit before going further.

 

[USMC Spike]

Section IV. Tracting Force Adjustment:

 

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In for a penny, in for a pound, I might as well finish, because
if i don't and you don't have the manual there will be all sorts of questions.
So Section V Antiskating Adjustment:

 

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Here is the tech note:

 

[USMC Spike]

So after I performed these procedures as best as i could,
I found this information on the Vinylengine.com site.
You've got to join to get it. Here is the LINK
After you join, scroll down to the Thorens Arc Protractor V.2
Its right below the Techniques Arc Progractor Instructions (in blue)
then you have to click on the Thorens Are Image for the PDF.

I'll post the instructions first then the pic,
since these are reduced size they aren't to scale.

 

[USMC Spike]

This just in, film at 11.