peters@cubsvax.UUCP (05/06/84)
I just looked at my phonograph needle under a microscope and discovered
that it turned into a little chisel while I wasn't looking. I thought
to look because two brand new records sounded distorted. I may have
irreparably damaged some of my favorite records.
Seems that several years ago I saw a little timer-thingie which goes
in between the turntable power cord and the outlet, and keeps a record
of accumulated playing time. I think a stylus is supposed to be good for
about 2000 hours of play (but that might have been in pre- elliptical days).
Does anyone have any info about these timers, and/or about how many hours
of play a stylus should be good for? ...or about alternative approaches to
stylus replacement/care?
{philabs,cmcl2!rocky2}!cubsvax!peters Dr. Peter S. Shenkin
Dept of Biol. Sci.; Columbia Univ.; New York, N. Y. 10027; 212-280-5517smb@ulysses.UUCP (Steven Bellovin) (05/08/84)
Consumer Reports has periodically mentioned such a gadget, though I can't find the reference at the moment. I've never had any luck trying to find one, though, and several stereo stores I've visited have made vague disparaging noises about the concept and/or the specific unit. Any leads would be
fish@ihu1g.UUCP (Bob Fishell) (05/08/84)
(oo)
I've found that periodic inspection of the stylus is the best
way to tell if it needs replacing. I have access to a zoom
stereo microscope (that's stereo optics) that reveals in
detail the condition of the stylus surface. I also have an
inexpensive 30X microscope that will do for routine inspection.
I once saved myself some money by inspecting the stylus in this
manner. I began to notice some distortion, so I figured the
stylus was wearing out. On microscopic inspection, I found
that a particle of some kind of tarry gunk had gotten onto the
stylus, and had resisted my routine brushings. A little solvent
and some careful brushing under the microscope removed the object,
and restored the stylus to normal. The particle was too small to
see with the naked eye.
I don't know that a timer would help that much, since some records
would produce more stylus wear than others. It would probably do
just as well to replace the stylus at regular intervals, say, yearly.
--
Bob Fishell
ihnp4!ihu1g!fishspoo@utcsrgv.UUCP (Suk Lee) (05/08/84)
<>
Stanton used to sell a stylus timer. It had a microswitch
that contacted the tonearm when it was in the rest position.
When the arm moved, the timer started; it stopped when the
arm was replaced. It used a neat device--a coulomb-meter. Basically
a capillary tube with a blob of mercury and some electrolyte with the
ends capped with electrodes. As current passed through the tube,
mercury would be plated from one end of the elctrolyte to the other, and
so indicated the total amount of charge that had passed. The counter
ran for approx. the life of one stylus on one silver oxide battery.
I'm not sure if it's still available, but I recall seeing one
about three years ago in Toronto.
Alternatively, you can do what I do. I simply mark a hash on my
turntable cover with and overhead transparency pen (watersoluble!) every
time one side is played. I've found that at around 1500 sides, (at one
gram) the sound starts getting that "edgy" feeling.
--
From the pooped paws of:
Suk Lee
..!{decvax,linus,allegra,ihnp4}!utcsrgv!spoomikey@trsvax.UUCP (05/09/84)
#R:cubsvax:-22300:trsvax:55100043:000:1118 trsvax!mikey May 9 09:18:00 1984 BSR used to put such things on their 710 and 810 QX series turntables. What they are is a small glass tube filled with mercury. There is a small bubble separating the mercury into 2 parts. A fixed DC current, very low, is applied and this causes the mercury to migrate across the air bubble very slowly. I believe some of these devices take over 10,000 hours to move the bubble 1 inch. The rate of migration is dependent on the current. BSR set the current for either 200 or 500 hours per inch. You removed the plastic cover and moved a scale so that 0 lined up with the bubble when you replaced your stylus. When the bubble got near one end, you just unpluged the glass tube, fliped it over and pluged it in backwards. This alway let the bubble travel left to right. I thought it was a neat idea. I've seen the bubble and scale assemblies in surplus magazines for around $2.95 less any power supplies. You can hook them directly to the AC line with just a diode and a resistor, but I'd pick a lower voltage point just to be safe. They are small, about 1/4 x 3/8 x 1 1/2 inches. mikey at trsvax
berry@zinfandel.UUCP (05/13/84)
#R:cubsvax:-22300:zinfandel:3100011:000:927 zinfandel!berry May 11 16:45:00 1984 What you guys seem to want is called an "AC Hour Meter", and several different units are described on page 208 of catalog 89 from McMaster-Carr supply company, P.O. Box 54960, Los ANgeles, CA 90054. They run from $22.07 to $78.20, come in a variety of mounting styles, and can probably be installed by anyone who knows which end of a soldering iron to hold. Of course, they don't use Litz wire internally, so this gross thing in the AC power line will do gross things to the sound :-). This catalog is a truly wonderful source for all sorts of items you didn't know you needed. Need a manhole cover? Collapsible rescue stretcher? Microscope to examine your stylus? Thermostaticly controlled shower head (Ah, luxury)? Paint sprayer? Bearings? It's all in here and it's better than a Sears catalog (except there are no lingerie pictures :-) Berry Kercheval Zehntel Inc. (ihnp4!zehntel!zinfandel!berry) (415)932-6900
dhc@exodus.UUCP (David H. Copp) (05/15/84)
Who needs a stylus replacement timer--I never change the needle until it makes enough vinyl dust to smell bad... -- David H. Copp