Keep in mind that I'm only expirementing. If the motor were to burn up it would be no big loss as it doesnt work on 60hz power anyways. If the motor was drawing too much current I would assume it would get rather warm or hot. After at least 4 straight hours of use it is barely warm. The dimmer is cool to the touch as well. Either way I'm considering motor options or simply swapping in a modern changer. It will look completely wrong but my guess is it will sound great. Thanks for the continued interest in my dilemma.

There is a tag on the changer itself that identifies it as a 50hz unit. The motor mounts are solid and the rubber idler wheel is undamaged.

Caps,

Sorry i missed that originally,


If you feel like being a mad scientist, you could find a 50 Hz UPS and a 220 V to 120 V step down transformer - the later are really cheap, everyone traveling from Europe buys one. Drive the UPS with a DC supply since the batteries are always what goes bad. Or even better, especially if you don't have DC supplies lying around to dedicate to a changer, drive it with the front end of a 60HZ UPS which are always junked because the batteries are toast. Make sure the DC voltages are the same. You could rip the guts out since the batteries are the bulky items. Sounds like fun, if a little crazy. Maybe a lot crazy. You would have 50Hz power though which is pretty cool.

I can't wait to hear what Repair tech thinks about this idea.

Or find a 60 Hz pulley for your machine. Or calculate the pulley diameters for 60 HZ based on current diameters and have the pulley machined down - should be linear 5/6th of original diameter. You might even be able to do it yourself with a dremel tool, calipers and emery cloth. Or buy a 50 HZ generator and a big diesel tank and run a cord in to power the changer. Or move to Europe. Just kidding around with the last paragraph.

I don't play around, or waste time on conjuring up possible fixes that stink.
Putzing, patching and playing is nonsense - maybe old geezers with loads of time on their hands can amuse themselves that way.
As I've always said: "You either fix it right, or not at all."

Either locate a correct drive pulley/motor, or toss the thing out and use another changer altogether.

Simple.

I have always been the creative type. I figure things out. What I can't figure out is why a 50hz changer is in a 60 hz chassis equipped console in the first place.

A couple of possibilities: A lot of these consoles were bought by guys in the service stationed in places like Germany. They had the availability of products sold for the US market, but they would have used the 50 Hz pulley when stationed in Europe. Most often, these sets also had multiple voltage taps. Another possibility is that the changer was replaced at some point with one that has a 50Hz pulley. You can find these changers on ebay. Perhaps you should look for a junker where you can take the pulley.

It also could have been a mistake. My dad's Garrard AT60, purchased in Massachusetts in 1965, was delivered with the 50Hz pulley installed.

-David