Who is the turntable guru at this forum?

[ksrigg]

I recently bought a Calibre turntable on eBay, and it was "working", and with a new belt, the platter does spin, and all that....problem is antiskating control apparently has no effect, and I must set the tracking force too high. Also the frequency response is pretty pathetic. This is after changing cartridges, and other non- technical nudging. Is anyone a turntable specialist or DIYer? I'd like to send this table to someone to see if it can be made to work properly. It needs damping fluid, probably a re-wire, and new RCA jacks installed. Just a general refurb. Anyone really get into this type of thing and want a little project? I'll be ahppy to put a little money into it, but having paid only $10.00 for it, plus shipping, I obviously don't want to drop a fortune.

Thanks for any takers..

 

[stuwee]

Calibre makes some nice TT's, most of the tonearms were from other manufactures tho. Any info on which one is on yours? A pic of it might help as well.

Is the arm not pushing inwards or pulling outwards?
Do you have an Lp that has no grooves on one side (smooth)?
What tracking force are you using?

 

[ksrigg]

I think it is a low end table. A 350 something or other. It appears to not wank to go inward, and thus skips....you can up the table to something like 3 grams and it doesn't skip, but I usually like to run about 1.5 grams or thereabouts. IThe table came with an old Stanton 500 cartridge, but I think it neds a new stylus...

I have tried a Pickering and an Audio Technica both on the table with identical results. They frequency response went to hell, os I suspect something in the wiring...and the anti skate not working, and the lack of any damping fluid make the table un useable...I really like to make stuff work, but usually it is mechanically or electronically beyond my abilities..

I could , however try to re-wire the table, putting new wiring from the cartridge to the phono cables, but I don't know what to do about the damping and anti-skate...

We are on our way out the door to a high school football game right now, but I'll get some photos in the morning...

Thanks for the reply....

 

[nakdoc]

I haven't heard of Caliber. $10? Is it decent? I can repair it if you can ship it, but let's look at it first. Anti skate won't seem to work if there is a great deal of arm friction. Given that the installed cartridge was a Stanton 500, the table may have been owned by a DJ. DJs mess up arm bearings, for reasons unknown to me.

 

[ksrigg]

It is a turntable which was a private label of Pacific Stereo, which I understand went belly up quite a few years ago. I'm not sure who made the table in question, but I don't think it has been used for DJing. It's just not substantial enough for that. The Stanton cartridge was and ORIGINAL 500....not the newer Series III or even the Series II, I just think this table's probalems are age related..It just needs a thorough going over by someone who knows what they are doing.

I don't feel any tension in the arm, so I don't think it is a tension thing. It just doesn't have a functional anti-skate control. Kinda like the damping fluid for cueing. It is just not there either. The belt was about shot, so I got one, but it may be a little on the tight side, probably around a 26 inch belt... and I put a 2 for 1 cheapie 24 inch belt on her. I really don't know if she is worth fixing up or not...probably, but I just don't know...I'll go snap a pic or two and post them so you can help me decide. I really would rather fix my Luxman if I were going to spend the money to ship a table back and forth...It IS a really nice table with Micro Seiki arm, strobe, DD...was VERY nice back in its day..That's the one I need to send nakdoc...The major problem with her was her speed. One day the motor just went weird, and the table began spinning at about a million revs poer minute...That is really the main thing wrong with her..

 

[nakdoc]

Yes, those Luxman turntables were absolute beauties. My blue book show the calibre 330 at $130 and the 360 at $195. 1977-1982. Does yours have fake wood vinyl?

 

[ksrigg]

It's a white vinyl..iit is the 330 I believe..

And the Lux is a PD-277. I really want to see if you can do anything for her. Maybe I can figure out a way to send both tables in ONE box...

Has anyone else here encountered a white background in their reply box when trying to reply to posts? I can't figure out how to change it.. And my fonts are yellow.. I'm going NUTS>>>>>>>>>>

 

[ksrigg]

The Shure cart arrived today. Does anyone else have this cartridge? I looks to me as though the stylus tip is not centered in the body of the stylus. I think I read that someone else observed this. Is it an optical illusion, or is it truely out of center on purpose to track the circular disc? I'll have to inspect it more closely and try to post a pic, am maybe I am imagining this...

 

[speakerman1]

M97xe? Yes very good cart IMHO. Set it up and look at it and see.

Larry