ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
MikaDo you of any manufatorer of moderna germanium transistors ? I looked around some times with tiny results, mostly ending up with liks to old ge transistors selling very expensive on ebayThe 0.3 volt fall of the germanium transistor is the trouble.I guess that some few circumstances it can be fixed with recalculating the DC situation and change a resistor, but many other cases I think it is more complex,,,correct ? C
My re-capped M75 are my precious diamonds.
Christian Christensen: MikaDo you of any manufatorer of moderna germanium transistors ? I looked around some times with tiny results, mostly ending up with liks to old ge transistors selling very expensive on ebayThe 0.3 volt fall of the germanium transistor is the trouble.I guess that some few circumstances it can be fixed with recalculating the DC situation and change a resistor, but many other cases I think it is more complex,,,correct ? C
As Si TRs has a higher gain , the collector current will also have to be adjusted.
Collecting Vintage B&O is not a hobby, its a lifestyle.
Are you restoring a vintage Beocord or attempting to build a modern into the old cabinet ?Anyway, if you want to keep the original sound, you will have to stay with germanium semiconductors, in my opinion butwhy replace components, if they are still good ?
Martin
An interesting - commercial! - view on the subject.
Jacques
Martin, neither.
Agenda is to slowly build up a storage of replacement components.Reparing, refurb is creativity for me and it is a huge anticlimax everything something stops because I am lacking things.Ordering few parts everytime is hugely expensive, at least to my perspective of money, I dont have a big income.So every time I order compnonents, I try to order smartly, large amounts for cheaper prices.
When looking into old transistors, this is a hazzle., so of course I am trying to see if there are equiliants cheaper.
AS far as I have tried to search.Very few alternatives. NTE126 seems to be equliant to many old germanium transistors, but it is not cheaper then buying NOS old AC trnasistors on ebay.Buying transistors on ebay...you will not know what you get, it could be reissueded chinese crap.Of pure curiosity, searching wholesale chinese germanium transistors, actully isnt much cheaper anyway, considering the import fees and tex I would pay...Buying an NTE from authorized dealer..you know what you get.
Not thread jacking I hope but is there anyone out there with spare 4-track heads?
I think that this machine could be great! So far, it is no competition for my Revoxes!
I've tried the different inputs, RIAA, radio, with onboard amps and they do sound great. So with new heads this could potentially be a good machine.
But I'm not holding my breath I guess.
The sick one.
I am going to sell my Revox.After refurb , the differences between record and playback is so little on the BC2400, in other words, it sounds so good that I have no reason to keep my 4 track Revox. I will look for a 2 track 15 ips machine siwht butterfylheads instead of my present Revox, the difference in audio quality between it and the BC2400 is impossible for me to hear. But I am in selling phase right now for other reasons aswell..;)
I for one will never part with my Revox machines. I've got a 4-track A77 (1977) and a 2-track valve G36 (1966).
I would like to have the same experience as you Christian, but unfortunately I've just got a beautiful lemon. I feel that I'll never be able to find replacement heads myself [edit: someone promises me he will find them! ], so this 'nice' project is abandoned on hold for now. I contemplated using Uher (also Bogen) heads but these are different models and will eventually go open-circuit as well. That is why Uher machines (built like Panzers) are so cheap nowadays.
chartz:Not thread jacking I hope but is there anyone out there with spare 4-track heads?
Hi Jacques,
I've just e-mailed these people in the UK to see if they can source one:
http://www.servicesound.com/links.htm
That page also has links for refurbishing/remanufacturing rubber rollers, bearings etc.
Dave.
Thanks Dave.
In fact I have found new old stock heads right here in France, but at more than 200€ apiece, well you see what I mean!
A friend of mine restores vintage cars. His view is that parts are cheap as long as you can buy them with money
--mika
Shelling out 500€ for an old recorder like this one, not even mint, plus idler wheel replacement - three of those at 35€ apiece - new caps... would be foolish in my view.
So if I can find cheap heads in good condition, I will gladly finish this project.
Obviously new ones aren't available since production stopped in the 1990's. The only options are NOS, or, a donor machine. Alternatives can be used but the mounts have to be modified. Alternatively, someone here may be able to help.
Dave Farr: Alternatives can be used but the mounts have to be modified. Alternatively, someone here may be able to help.
Yes, I thought about that. I have an old 1978 Sony machine with F&F heads that are virtually wear-proof. But these are too big!
I'm sure someone will come up with a solution for me, that's the spirit of the Beoworld!
Jacques, is it the same heads in Beocord 2000 De Luxe as in yours?
In that case you can have my heads. I don´t use the Beocord, I´m the last one in the World still buying CD´s
/***.
http://tinyurl.com/qj9cjsf
tamtapir: Jacques, is it the same heads in Beocord 2000 De Luxe as in yours? In that case you can have my heads. I don´t use the Beocord, I´m the last one in the World still buying CD´s
No no, I still buy CDs as well, you are not alone. Perhaps the pathetic broadband here is one of the causes, but I love collecting physical objects, so online music means very little to me.
Anyway, thanks for your really kind offer, but I think the heads are different, unless they were replaced at some point. Any pictures?
This is the best shoot of 7-8, maybe you can see if they ar differnet from yours? They are made from Bogen.
/***
A very nice recorder Dicl<, but it is a two track machine. Mine is four track.
That said, why not give it a second chance in life?
chartz: A very nice recorder Dicl<, but it is a two track machine. Mine is four track. That said, why not give it a second chance in life?
Well, it has how many chances it needs. It was saved from a man that was cleaning out his garage last summer but I dont want to use it, the only tapes I got are recorded with the most hateful kind of Music on Earth: Swedish dance Music. And I know it works and maybe one day I will look deeper inside the wooden Shell and .... but not today.
Ok, sorry for that (2track not 4-track), I didn´t know that. It was wourth uploading the Picture anyway.
Yes, and wood put aside - who had the silly idea of painting it anyway? - it looks pretty mint.
It is a 2-track machine, with the unique ability to play 4-track pre-recorded tapes. Save it from the tip.
A little experiment. The head being shot, I tried a 're-lapping' operation. Any thoughts?
Seeing that your bc2400 has grey buttons, mine have silver.
What serial number does it have ?Mine has 17893
No no, it has metal buttons too, like yours.
No, all the function buttons on mine are in silver., the image you show it looks like the fader buttons are silver and the functionbuttons are grey...or is it just reflexsion on the miage that make the buttons look grey ?
Christian Christensen: Is it just reflections on the image that make the buttons look grey?
Is it just reflections on the image that make the buttons look grey?
Yes, possibly. No plastic buttons here.
Right then!
I've found a NOS record head on eBay. Let's hope it is good! It is from a trusted seller, from whom I've already had good buying experiences, so I'm not too worried.
Then a good replay head from a trusted Beoworlder - thanks! - should be on its way anytime soon. To be honest, this will be my first head swap. I have contacted Tim Jarman (who did write the Beobible) and he encourages me to do it too, as he did in the past for other projects.
chartz: By the way, one of the red-pink bulbs has lost its colour. Is there a special paint for bulbs? NO LEDS - I am a permanent and founding member of the no-LEDs-in-vintage-equipment club.
By the way, one of the red-pink bulbs has lost its colour. Is there a special paint for bulbs?
NO LEDS - I am a permanent and founding member of the no-LEDs-in-vintage-equipment club.
Soooo? Nobody knows?
chartz: chartz: By the way, one of the red-pink bulbs has lost its colour. Is there a special paint for bulbs? NO LEDS - I am a permanent and founding member of the no-LEDs-in-vintage-equipment club. Soooo? Nobody knows?
Hi Jacques, there are some paints for bulbs - especially for the car industry (brake ligfhts and indicators in red and orange. Unfortunately I can't help with a source but I'm sure a Google search would do it.
You were lucky finding a tape head - they seem to be 'unobtanium'.
EDIT: look what I just found:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bulb-Dipping-Paint-Yellow-Violet/dp/B005FLR9TE/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1415954153&sr=8-13&keywords=orange+bulb+paint
I don't remember the exact type of lamp used but maybe something like this would work ?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/XPT01-100pcs-Caps-Covers-for-3mm-Grain-of-Wheat-Bulbs-LEDs-Mixed-Color-NEW-/371188659769?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item566c917639
I have a weak memory that the bulbs in the BC2400 is fed through a resistor net, so they aare not replaceable directly with a led bulb.The red colour should just be ordinary glaspaint. The the temperature of that bulb doesnt get particular hot, the the paint is most likely not so criticalyou should find red glasgpaint in any hobby shop.The European chain Panduro have it.
Thanks for your answers.
The bulbs are normal size bulbs (like the ones on the Beolab 5000, or the Beomaster 1000!) that are just painted.
I do have some Xmas glass paint (for candle light, and that gets really hot!) so I will follow Dave's instructions and just paint the existing bulb.
Hello everyone!
The new heads are here at last. The NOS record head is the one at left.
To pull out the bridge, the two long head-cap guides have to be removed - and cleaned. The copper spring keeps the heads firmly pressed at the bottom of their housings.
The heads are extracted from their housings just by unscrewing the little brass screws. The goal is to keep the original adjustements. They are axactly at the same place as the old ones used to be.
The new heads in place before soldering their tiny wires.
First recording attempt, just to assess the new heads. It does record but the results are not very good. The balance is correct, but there are lots of dropouts and the sound is sometimes saturated, not especially on peaks, but erratically so. Treble level is good, a bit high if anything. At times, sound is impeccable, then it gets bad. Not muffled at all, but saturated and with dropouts.
A pre-recorded tape plays fine, sounding excellent on both channels with the new head.
Any ideas are welcome!
'Seems to be a tape-to-head contact issue, because a slight push of the tape against the record head with a Q-tip solves the problem.
A few adjustments in perspective then.
You are progressing well that you even got the spares and it plays pre recorded.
valve1: You are progressing well that you even got the spares and it plays pre recorded.
Your support is greatly appreciated Eddie!
Hello,
The Beocord has been fiddled with and I guess this is now my main problem.
The heads hadn't been tempered with and that is good because fitting the new heads was very easy, and I didn't have to touch any mechanical settings - I just pulled the old ones out from their housings, and the settings are for the latter, not the heads themselves. I just had to centre them properly in the housings so they are at right angles with the magnetic tape.
The recording issue was in fact caused by the pause brake being in contact at all times with the record head. I have now re-adjusted the brake and hey presto! no more dropouts, the sound is crystal-clear.
Now another problem is the VU meters, showing correct reading when monitoring the input signal, but having the needles hardly moving when recording from CD.
Trying to finely adjust bias, I inserted a non-magnetic screwdriver into one coil head but the ceramic (ferrite I guess) broke, and I wasn't even turning the thing. It shouldn't be so brittle!
I will try the other side tonight. I think it should be possible to screw the PCB outside the chassis, by simply turning it around... We'll see.
Done!
Bias is set, recording is perfect on Agfa, BASF, and even back coated Maxell is acceptable. Tim's support was as always invaluable. He knows these machines like the back of his hand!
Thanks to Frede, Michaela, and everyone else here!
I guess, mission accomplished.
The surface defects were actually caused by the plastic sheet. Shame!
Beocord with natural friends...I had to fabricate a special DIN adapter, the line outputs are inverted in this machine. The TAPE input is already taken by another machine (ReVox G36).