Unamco Laboratories TT + Pickering XV cartridge

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

On 6 Aug 2004 00:54:22 -0700, dxrd.dxrd@pp.inet.fi (dxrd) wrote:


>From novice point of view, shouldn't this antiskating adjustment vary
>from cartiridge to cartridge, so I should get a copy of a pickering
>manual instead of the Unamco ?

No, in that case you need both. But, the drag force difference between
cartridges in probably very small anyway, and even if you could get
the figures for drag force, I haven't seen a pickup arm anti-skating
adjustment that is calibrated in pick-up drag force.

Most antiskating systems are adjusted proportiional to down force. An
educated guess is that every "step" in the anti-skating adjustement on
your Unamco is 2.5N (0.25 grams), going from zero and up. If you are
really, really inteterested I perhapd could find the manual for you, a
friend of mine still has an Unamco in service in his hi-fi system.

>Got it. It makes sense to me. I don't have a test LP though .
>
>Do you happen to know any stores in Sweden that would sell
>replacement belts for the TT ?

No, I'm afraid not, but check with Josef Svalander, he has been around
long enough to know about the Unamco, and sells belts.
http://www.svalander.se/vinyl/remmar.htm

Ask Josef also about the anti-skating adjustment, he may even remember
that.

(His web is in Swedish, I hope your mother toungue is Swedish, or that
you are old enough to have picked it up in school...)

>
>I noticed that the belts are quite gray and worn when I opened the
>player to attach a grounding cord from the TT to my amp.
>
>It played perfectly though.
>
>Thanks for your advice!

You are welcome.

>
>Regards;
>Mikko

Per.

PS. I found a web page that confirmed that the Unamco is indeed
Swedish.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

Per Stromgren <per.stromgren@telia.com> wrote in message news:<s819h0hso9d0pr55bc7oho1he69juulemk@4ax.com>...

>
> Most antiskating systems are adjusted proportiional to down force. An
> educated guess is that every "step" in the anti-skating adjustement on
> your Unamco is 2.5N (0.25 grams), going from zero and up. If you are
> really, really inteterested I perhapd could find the manual for you, a
> friend of mine still has an Unamco in service in his hi-fi system.

Sorry that my answering took so long, I've been very busy this
week. About the manual: That would be really great! Currently,
I live (study, networking technology) in Sweden, so posting the
copy isn't impossible either.

Of course, I'll pay you something about the work involved!

>
> No, I'm afraid not, but check with Josef Svalander, he has been around
> long enough to know about the Unamco, and sells belts.
> http://www.svalander.se/vinyl/remmar.htm
>
> Ask Josef also about the anti-skating adjustment, he may even remember
> that.

OK. I'll contact him. By the way, really good site, they seem to stock
all kinds spare parts for the turntables !

Regards;
Mikko

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

Per Stromgren <per.stromgren@telia.com> wrote in message news:<h2nmh0h70a51pqis9kpcc6bvfs4bmfqbar@4ax.com>...

> I will check with my friend, as soon as he is back from his vacation
> trip in a week or so. In the mean time I suggest that you adjust the
> antiskating ad hoc and stylus force with at stylus scale.

I don't have the TT here with me in Övertorneå, so I'll have to wait
until I go to a vacation and back to Finland. I don't have a stylus
scale either, so I'll have to manage without one. (And I bet
that must be expensive piece of equipment!)

One more question: How can one tell, when it's time to replace stylus ?

I tried to look at the stylus when I bought the TT with a magnifying
glass,but with a little success; it just looked like well... stylus .

> Did you get
> in touch with Josef?

No, not yet, but soon I will.

Regards;
Mikko

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

Per Stromgren <per.stromgren@telia.com> wrote in message news:<dq1ph0dg8k228vpf7ifedncs0b96boa479@4ax.com>...

> >> I will check with my friend, as soon as he is back from his vacation
> >> trip in a week or so. In the mean time I suggest that you adjust the
> >> antiskating ad hoc and stylus force with at stylus scale.
> >
> >I don't have the TT here with me in Övertorneå
>
> Oh, gosh, we're talking serious northern hemisphere here, I can tell!

Yeah, Otherwise I live in Helsinki, it's been quite a change to move up
here in north.

>
> >, so I'll have to wait
> >until I go to a vacation and back to Finland. I don't have a stylus
> >scale either, so I'll have to manage without one. (And I bet
> >that must be expensive piece of equipment!)
>
> Not necessarily, I would guess 15-20 EUR or so.

What ? That's really cheap. Maybe I'll invest to that too, that isn't
too much for my budget.

>
> >
> >One more question: How can one tell, when it's time to replace stylus ?
>
> That is a hard one. You need at least 10 times magnification (i.e. a
> loupe) and a feeling for what a new stylus look like. Do your LPs a
> favour: buy a new one if you are not VERY sure the stylus is newly
> installed.

Alright, I'll keep that in my mind. All this LP playing stuff seems more
like science than enjoying good music ! Speaking about science...

Now that I can ask for experts opinion; what do you think about
actually washing the used records ?

There is some discussion about this on the usenet, but I haven't made
up my mind should I wash my records or not. Some chemists even trade
secret recipes for the ultimate washing solution...

I can gather that you shouldn't wash the LPs with isopropyl
alcohol or with any kind of strong solvent, that will most likely
irreversibly damage the LPs.

Well what should I use then ? Water ? or nothing ? Or give up
the idea ?

Regards;
Mikko

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

Thanks alot for your suggestions and help!

Maybe I'll go for the hand cleaning method though, I think I can spare some
hours in the weekend once or twice in the year for washing my records.

Altough I'd like to get hold of that stuff the government uses, it seems
to be really heavy-duty .

Well, speaking of the manual method, does anyone know what is the
"correct" technique for cleaning up the discs ?

I know that this has also been discussed in the newsgroups,
but here we have a perfect opportunity to collect the
ultimate newbie guide to the record handling and listening

Here is how I would do it:

1. Dip the disc very quickly to the cleaning solution,
2. wash along the grooves with a brush*
3. Finally rinse off the detergent with a plenty of distilled water
4. Dry with a piece soft cloth eg. towel

* Brush of unknown variety, I don't think anyone sells RiKuRd ClEaNInG
brushes these days. Sorry for the jammed typewriter keyboard ;-).

BTW; This nitty-gritty thing, isnt it just a regular tt without
the tonearm ? If I salvage one old TT from the scrapyard, it shouldn't
be impossible to make one by myself... I'd like to see pictures of the
official machine.

(And yes, I'm being very cheap )

Regards;
Mikko