Help with my Arvin Record Player/ Radio cabinet

[maelty]

Hi All,
I'm looking for help with my Arvin 87p58 cabinet record player/ AM/FM Radio.

1) What does works:
- The basics of the record player work(turntable spinning, and music from the surface of the record).
- The radio works very well and plays perfectly through the speakers

2)What does not work:
- The record player will not play through the speakers clearly. It will pick up the music occasionally but it doesn't last for more than a few seconds. It also plays static when on phono(but plays the radio with no static when on a clear station).

Thank you for any and all help! It was my grandmother's cabinet and I am really looking forward to bringing it to my house to enjoy.

 

[slipperybidness]

Hi All,
I'm looking for help with my Arvin 87p58 cabinet record player/ AM/FM Radio.

1) What does works:
- The basics of the record player work(turntable spinning, and music from the surface of the record).
- The radio works very well and plays perfectly through the speakers

2)What does not work:
- The record player will not play through the speakers clearly. It will pick up the music occasionally but it doesn't last for more than a few seconds. It also plays static when on phono(but plays the radio with no static when on a clear station).

Thank you for any and all help! It was my grandmother's cabinet and I am really looking forward to bringing it to my house to enjoy.

Have you inspected the stylus (i.e. record needle). What you are describing seems like it could be a bad needle, or the record player isn't set up properly. Record players are not plug-and-play, they need some attention to detail and proper setup to play at all.

 

[maelty]

I'm in the process of buying a new one, about to order one actually. Is there any possibility that it is the cartridge?

And it is a big wooden cabinet, with speakers on the front of each side. I'll post some pictures within the next hour. I've removed the back to see if there were any obvious connection problems but I didn't see anything and I'm not going to mess with any wiring alone.

 

[Pyrrho]

You might have a dirty selector switch. If so, DeoxIT could be used to clean it out. And it can't hurt anything if you do it right, so that is what I would try first.

 

[maelty]

Pictures are at youko.weebly.com
On the second to last picture, captioned "audio chords running.." these should be able to be simply pulled off? Correct? Because they dont want to come off at all. I'm planning on replacing these chords. Would this help the problem?

But I checked the connections and now the record is playing semi-clearly through the right speaker.

 

[markw]

Generally, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

First, replace the stylus/needle and then see what happens. Wires generally don't break or wear out.

Those "chords" are actually called wires and are soldered on. They don't pull off.

 

[maelty]

Okay, well thanks everyone for you help.

 

[maelty]

You might have a dirty selector switch. If so, DeoxIT could be used to clean it out. And it can't hurt anything if you do it right, so that is what I would try first.

Pyrrho, what is the selector switch? Is it in any of my pictures at Records - Home?

 

[Pyrrho]

Pyrrho, what is the selector switch? Is it in any of my pictures at Records - Home?

The selector switch is the control that selects the input (i.e., the phono, the tuner, whatever). From your second picture, I see that your unit calls it "Function." If that control is dirty or corroded on the contacts for the phono input, then it might behave as you have described. There are, of course, other possibilities, but it is what I would look at first.

Since the radio works, you know that the speakers are okay, and so is the power amplifier (the part that drives the speakers). It is a question of whether it is something in the phono section, or in the preamp section at this point. The selector is part of the preamp section.

If you do not have any DeoxIT, you can play with the input (in your case, "Function") control, turning it back and forth and seeing if that has any effect on what you hear. If it does affect the sound, giving more or less "static", then it is likely that the control needs cleaning.

Your description really fits well with the control being dirty/corroded, though, again, it is not the only possibility.

 

[maelty]

Okay, thank you very much! I'm going to buy some deoxit tomorrow if the input affects the static.

 

[markw]

FWIW, when playing around inside the cabinet or kerfutzing with any wires, make sure it's unplugged from the wall.

 

[Pyrrho]

FWIW, when playing around inside the cabinet or kerfutzing with any wires, make sure it's unplugged from the wall.

Yes. This is always the case, and so it is often forgotten in the advice. Do not do anything inside with the thing plugged in.

 

[TLS Guy]

Pictures are at youko.weebly.com
On the second to last picture, captioned "audio chords running.." these should be able to be simply pulled off? Correct? Because they dont want to come off at all. I'm planning on replacing these chords. Would this help the problem?

But I checked the connections and now the record is playing semi-clearly through the right speaker.

I think this is the picture you are referring to.

These are the old phono plugs under the Garrard deck. They look in poor condition and are likely you problem. These older connectors are very prone to corrosion. They are also smaller in diameter then the current RCA plugs.

These do need replacing and likely at the amp ens also. You need to replace sockets and plugs with the modern versions. This is a skilled procedure.

You cartridge may well be bad, as those old units almost always used crystal cartridges and most a re failing with time. Needles are available, but I don't think crystal cartridges are made any longer.

These old radiogram units are actually tricky to restore and in my view not worth the trouble.

 

[markw]

These old radiogram units are actually tricky to restore and in my view not worth the trouble.

As OP said in her first post, it was her grandmothers and even though I don't expect you to understand it, some people attach sentimental value to some things. Besides, it's a nice looking unit.

 

[Pyrrho]

As OP said in her first post, it was her grandmothers and even though I don't expect you to understand it, some people attach sentimental value to some things. Besides, it's a nice looking unit.

Okay, I must have missed something. How did you decide that the proper pronoun was "her?" Was it due to better sentence structure and clarity of expression than most guys who post online? Was it having too much intelligence to want to mess about with the wires without more information? Or is there something else?

 

[markw]

Just a hunch. I get hem on occasion. He/she can correct me if they wish. I won't be offended if I'm wrong.

 

[Pyrrho]

Just a hunch. I get hem on occasion. He/she can correct me if they wish. I won't be offended if I'm wrong.

Okay. Was your hunch based on a display of greater intelligence and literacy than one usually finds? Or was it something else? Or do you have no idea how you got the hunch?

 

[markw]

Yes, it was based on greater intelligence than one usually finds. Mine.

But, I have been wrong in the past on a very few occasions.

 

[maelty]

Yes, it was based on greater intelligence than one usually finds. Mine.

But, I have been wrong in the past on a very few occasions.

Sorry I haven't checked this, I've been busy with things but firstly yes I am a girl, haha markw was right and the attachment to the player is both sentimental and well, I just think its attractive.
Secondly, I've replaced the stylus and that wasn't the problem, luckily I knew better than to let myself get very hopeful over that being the solution. I'm going to begin enlisting some help to get all of this fixed but for this moment I've got my portable record player plugged in through the aux ports so I'm slightly content.