Sears Silvertone Turntable, No Sound

A

armygreen87

Audiophyte
hello,

I'm having trouble finding any info or parts for my turntable. It is a Sears Silvertone phonograph/radio combo model 528.31516100. Sound comes from the radio but not the turntable. You can faintly hear sound coming from the needle rolling across the record. I suspect a bad cartidge but I'm having no luck finding one. The needle arm references the cartridge # as 57-88932. I took it out and it reads MOD 198 and 110 33 422 0. Someone told me that some of these turntables were made by Magnavox. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 

Attachments

TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
hello,

I'm having trouble finding any info or parts for my turntable. It is a Sears Silvertone phonograph/radio combo model 528.31516100. Sound comes from the radio but not the turntable. You can faintly hear sound coming from the needle rolling across the record. I suspect a bad cartidge but I'm having no luck finding one. The needle arm references the cartridge # as 57-88932. I took it out and it reads MOD 198 and 110 33 422 0. Someone told me that some of these turntables were made by Magnavox. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
That is an old Electro Voice crystal cartridge. Since it is so old, the cartridge probably has failed. They all do as they get older. You will not find a replacement for that cartridge. Cartridges have all been magnetic for years an are not compatible with your unit. Astatic do have some new/old stock of ceramic cartridges, which might work, but the output is generally lower than crystal types. Since crystal and ceramic cartridges have not been made for many years, there is no guarantee that the replacement will work.

You might be able to adapt this one.

Lastly you do not know that it is the cartridge, it could be the phono amp section. If you disconnect the leads and touch the left and right leads in turn, you should get a buzz/hum from the speakers from each of the wires out of its respective speakers. If not there is an amp problem.

If you try and replace the cartridge then you will have to drill out the rivets and replace the rivets with new ones.

The other problem is that in those old turntables the tracking force was not usually adjustable. So if the new cartridge is a different weight, which is likely, then you have another problem to solve.

Finally those units were junk when they were new, and it will still be junk when you repair it. So you have to consider how much time and resources you want to throw at junk.
 
A

armygreen87

Audiophyte
Thank you for all of the info.

I get a hum (and quick pop at first) just turning the power on, gets louder as I turn up the volume knob. I figured that was enough to know the amp works. I can try the other test, though. Would you have any idea why any of the knobs on the radio, especially volume one, that the speakers cut in and out and sounds like static as i turn them? My fiance loves this thing so I'm trying to fix it as a birthday surprise.

I found Astatic 167 cartidge to be the replacement for the EV 198. It looks identical other than the color. The one you suggested has 4 prongs and I have 3. Sure, I could change the pigtail i guess if i could find one. I might try the 167 I found first.
 
Last edited:
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
Thank you for all of the info.

I get a hum (and quick pop at first) just turning the power on, gets louder as I turn up the volume knob. I figured that was enough to know the amp works. I can try the other test, though. Would you have any idea why any of the knobs on the radio, especially volume one, that the speakers cut in and out and sounds like static as i turn them? My fiance loves this thing so I'm trying to fix it as a birthday surprise.

I found Astatic 167 cartidge to be the replacement for the EV 198. It looks identical other than the color. The one you suggested has 4 prongs and I have 3. Sure, I could change the pigtail i guess if i could find one. I might try the 167 I found first.
Yes, that Astatic is the correct one, and a crystal cartridge. However the one shown also has four prongs. So you will have to link the two grounding prongs. You can not solder those prongs. They are not the modern pin size. Your best solution is probably to twist some bare wire to short the grounding prongs together.

As far as the controls are concerned, they are either dirty or broken. The first thing to do is open the unit up. You should be able to squirt DEOXIT or tuner cleaner into the controls. If this does not work, then the controls need to be replaced. Stereo ganged pots are another endangered species. You will need to hunt for new controls as the same value and taper. Volume controls are always log taper, tone controls usually linear. Soldering will be required for the job of replacement.
 
A

armygreen87

Audiophyte
Yes, that Astatic is the correct one, and a crystal cartridge. However the one shown also has four prongs. So you will have to link the two grounding prongs. You can not solder those prongs. They are not the modern pin size. Your best solution is probably to twist some bare wire to short the grounding prongs together.

As far as the controls are concerned, they are either dirty or broken. The first thing to do is open the unit up. You should be able to squirt DEOXIT or tuner cleaner into the controls. If this does not work, then the controls need to be replaced. Stereo ganged pots are another endangered species. You will need to hunt for new controls as the same value and taper. Volume controls are always log taper, tone controls usually linear. Soldering will be required for the job of replacement.
Thank you for all of your help!
 
A

armygreen87

Audiophyte
I think I have an amp problem. Don't know how to repair that so I'm kind of lost. I assume they are these small diode-looking things on the chassis judging by the small diagram that is actually in place attached next to it. I don't really know what I'm doing if I need to replace one of these small parts.
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
I think I have an amp problem. Don't know how to repair that so I'm kind of lost. I assume they are these small diode-looking things on the chassis judging by the small diagram that is actually in place attached next to it. I don't really know what I'm doing if I need to replace one of these small parts.
Unless you are experienced which you are not, you need to stay out of the electronics. You can only make matters worse. In addition it is hazardous to meddle if you don't know what you are doing and don't have the correct test equipment. It generally is not possible to repair any electronics without at the very least a circuit schematic.

One last question. Is that an old tube set or an early solid state transistor set? Is this anything like what you have?
 
A

armygreen87

Audiophyte
This one does not have tubes. There is a schematic also attached to the inside wall. The link you attached, that turntable is very different from mine. I heard Sears reused some model numbers so when in I looked it up, I found something older instead. I believe this one is from the 1970s. Very pretty cabinet compared to 100s of photos I have seen of others. See photos attached. Could not get better photos of the schematic and transistor layout.
 

Attachments

TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
This one does not have tubes. There is a schematic also attached to the inside wall. The link you attached, that turntable is very different from mine. I heard Sears reused some model numbers so when in I looked it up, I found something older instead. I believe this one is from the 1970s. Very pretty cabinet compared to 100s of photos I have seen of others. See photos attached. Could not get better photos of the schematic and transistor layout.
Those pictures are of little help, as far as service is concerned. I guess it is in the eye of the beholder, but I would not call that pretty, but butt ugly. Anyhow, since the radio works, the problem must be in the turntable wiring, or the amp switching or phono stage.

The first place to start is to trace the turntable wiring with a multimeter. I think I see a switch in the turntable wiring to kill switching noises from the auto changer, this was common. All of this needs checking carefully. If it is not a simple wiring/switch problem, you are going to need professional help which these days will be next to impossible to find. If it should need a solid state device, then the chance of finding it is close to zero. In all honesty if the problem does not lie between the turntable in the amp, I think you are most likely done with this project, unless you can find and experienced vintage restorer to do it for you and ship the electronics. I should warn you it will be hard to find someone who would whip up enthusiasm to work on a unit like that. If it were older tube gear, strangely it would be easier. Those early solid state units were trouble from the start. I judge that to be between 1970 an 1975 most likely.
 
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