Retro and budget home hi fi

Forget that last post Barrie. As you have used a stylus force gauge, re-checking initial balance of the tonearm is not as important.

There is more to come Roger, just in the middle of it all  I’ve been asked to write and speak the Eulogy at a friends fathers funeral mass on Thursday. Not an easy task TBH but one that I’m honoured to be asked to perform  So in between all that, I’m converting the LEAK 2060’s to banana plug binding posts. I’m using the same output plates with new sockets, I’ve also refitted the 12" sandwich speaker that I fettled  keeps me busy  TBH, the replacement 12" ones I bought as a temporary arrangement have been fine although I’m not sure they were a perfect match for the crossovers. They did their job though  

Bit of a mess up with my order of the bits n bobs I received from Amazon thus morning though, they sent me two sets of the digital scales and none of the wireable banana plugs, just the sockets!  

Barrie

 

Hi, yes really pleased with the record clamp, certainly at the price point .Actually, a good call on the tonearm balance. The overhang was only about 1mm too much, measured on the 45 adapter scale, although trying to achieve an accurate set up means these variances can have an effect. I’ve never had these tools before, it’s nice to be sat in the lounge sorting it all, rather than grovelling about under the car!! Seen your other post, TBH, I did that many things today, I can’t remember in which order I did them! 

Barrie

 

  

An excellent up-grade if I may say so!

Hi, yes really pleased with the record clamp, certainly at the price point .Actually, a good call on the tonearm balance. The overhang was only about 1mm too much, measured on the 45 adapter scale, although trying to achieve an accurate set up means these variances can have an effect. I’ve never had these tools before, it’s nice to be sat in the lounge sorting it all, rather than grovelling about under the car!! Seen your other post, TBH, I did that many things today, I can’t remember in which order I did them! 

Barrie

 

EDIT; no idea how I’ve managed a double post with Rogers comments in between? 

 

I keep getting this message.

An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code.Ā 

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Barrie

  

I keep getting messages saying something like ā€œCore heap corruptionā€ when my laptop crashes, which is really stupid as I’m using Windows, not (rotten) Apple.

These are the banana plug and socket arrangements I’m using to convert the LEAK 2060 speaker input plates.

They’re not expensive and are a better solution than the 40 year old screw in peg type that are original to the cabinets. These plates also provide for 2 pin DIN plugs too although I shall not be using them. The holes in the plates are the same size for both the old and new sockets so relatively easy to install. I de soldered the speaker cable pin connections to remove the plates from the cabinets and I’ve used crimp terminations (female spade and ring types) to reinstall. I’ve done one speaker, the other tomorrow and then put the banana plugs onto some decent gauge speaker cable. I currently have the LEAK 2060’s with a nice pair of LEAK 600’s coming, also a pair of MOURDANT SHORT M10’s so I’m on the look out for a speaker switch box of reasonable quality (either passive or powered) Ā without paying the earth, to control the speakers (1 in -3 out). I have a cheap one off eBay which is total rubbish, one of the spring cable terminals fell off the day I got it!Ā I would love something with banana plug sockets but not sure you can get something like that?

Barrie

I mentioned that I wanted a speaker switch box with banana plug sockets. I had a light bulb moment and have decided to strip down the one I have and replace the awful spring speaker wire connectors with new banana plugs. So, I’ve ordered a double socket wall plate that has 6 pairs of 4mm banana plug sockets on it. Cheaper than buying the sockets on their own actually. They are only bolted through the fascia plate. I need to make a new back plate to overlay the rear of the switch box as it has square and rectangular cut outs where I’ve taken out the spring connectors. Once that’s fixed in place, I can drill new holes to mount the new sockets.Ā Just waiting for Amaxon now to deliver the bits!Ā 

Barrie

Well done Barrie!Ā  I had a feeling that your subconscious would be working on a solution and in was only a matter of time before it popped up into your conscious mind!

Salvaged these tonight for my DIY speaker switch box.

They came bolted into this

A double socket size AV wall plate. It was cheaper to buy this complete rather than just buy the sockets on their own? Go figureĀ 

Anyway, 5 minutes with a 10mm open ended spanner and they were off! To go with these chaps,

I’ve yet to source something suitable for the rear panel of the switch box but I know I have an A4 size piece of very shiny black acrylic somewhere. It will be perfect for my needs when I locate it.Ā Ā Won’t be doing much tomorrow, it’s the funeral and my mates are Irish so we’ll be having a good drink I imagine, when we get to the bun fight after the funeral mass. They always want to give a good send off, bless them.

Barrie

Well, enjoy (?) the funeral, and then back to ā€œworkā€ on Friday, no make that Saturday as you’ll probably need a day to recuperate!

I’m sorry for doing this Barrie. Well not really but what the hell. Spotted something on Facebook and just had to do a bit of research and find out what it was.

You are going to hate me for this. Check out these links.

https://uncrate.com/panasonic-cq-tx5500d-vacuum-tube-car-stereo/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRs65LkzAWE

Ā 

Thanks guysĀ Ā I ended up only having a couple of pints or soĀ Ā so wasn’t too bad yesterday. I was ā€œlast onā€ as it were at the requiem mass and no one, not the family, the Cannon or the two priests, or the congregation knew what I was going to say Ā So, reasonably short, heartfelt words that I managed to hold together almost to the end. The congregation erupted in spontaneous applause at the end of my delivery, which was quite embarrassing for me but also very much appreciated. I did my bit! The best bit though, the lads were taking their Dad back to Cloghans, Co Mayo ( it’s not far from Knock). Family plot where he will be interred. They tried to get the casket in the back of an Audi A6 avant (not mine) and it wouldn’t fit, so last minute hire of a transit was requiredĀ Ā They set off for the ferry yesterday evening. It’s just how they do things!

Ā 

If I can get myself into gear, I’ll have a go at the speaker switch box later today. Had to sort one of the spare rooms out though, grandkids are with us all weekend and you couldn’t move for HiFi gearĀ Ā Mrs B was not amusedĀ 

Paul, you know I don’t need any encouragement on things audio related! Very nice thoughĀ Ā There’s another one out there (I think Panasonic) with two visible valves glowing away nicely, must resistĀ 

Ā 

Barrie

Delivered a eulogy for a very close work buddy myself so know how difficult it is. I presume you read it through multiple times until you could do it without breaking down. Then comes the day and it’s hard work.

As for the picture that you have so beautifully painted of those lads trying to get dad in the Audi it’s priceless. Watched a neighbour of Irish origin knock down a wall between a larder and kitchen many years ago. Not removing the tatty shelves beforehand was understandable. It was leaving crockery on them that I couldn’t really understand. As you say, it’s just how they do things.

  

That reminds me of an episode of ā€œFawlty Towersā€  which ended with Basil marching off with a large garden gnome under his arm which he was going to ā€œinsert into Mr. O’Reillyā€!

Those lads (brothers) are fantastic guysĀ Ā The second eldest passed away 20 years ago next week, I helped carry the coffin into church. Their mother passed in 2004, same church again and now the Dad. I worked for the family for many years and they always paid handsomelyĀ Ā and looked after me. Anyway, back to retro hi fi, I’ve made a monumental mess up of the speaker switchĀ 

I nipped out to my local metal supermarket and scrounged a couple of small strips on alloy sheet. The idea being that I would drill that for the new backplate to fix the banana plug sockets to. OK, didn’t realise but the new sockets are off a plastic backplate, the new one being metal, both + and - would be sharing the same ground!Ā 

My next thought is, I will reinstall the sockets onto the plastic double size backplate, buy a deep double surface mounted back box, mount the internals ( not much there) and switches to that and I’ll have what I need. It was never going to be on show anyway so will be fine ( I think )

Barrie

How about one of these? Socket plate on the back, switching on the front.

https://www.officepowerproducts.com/pb004---double-pedestal-box-back-to-back-247-p.asp

Bought it! Well, one very much like it  Thanks Paul, didn’t know there was such a thing? Perfect solution!

https://www.officepowerproducts.com/pb002—double-pedestal-box-29-p.asp

 

 

Barrie

 

Hiya, not got too far with the switch box but refitted all the banana plug sockets to the double fascia plate and matched them with plugs. Waiting for the pedestal back box to arrive, hopefully next week sometime then I can finish it off.Ā 

The eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed one of the black bands is missing from one of the sockets? It pinged off somewhereĀ Ā I’ll soon sort that though with an O ring or even some black paintĀ 

Barrie