"david correia" wrote in message ...
I got a mint Dual 621 turntable with a Grado cartridge that sounds fine.
The tone arm is supposed to be fully automatic. But it no longer moves
over to the beginning of the record when starting it, nor does it move
back to the right when it lifts at the end of a record. It will just go
up and down. It plays as a manual TT, but I want it fully automatic
again.
How much of a pita is this to fix??
David Correia
www.Celebrationsound.com
If it's like most other Duals, there's a pin coming down from the tone arm that
moves the arm when a platform comes up underneath it and moves sideways,
moving the pin and therefore the arm. There is a little rubber cup on the bottom
of that pin that wears out, and then the platform doesn't put enough pressure on
the pin to make it move with the platform. You'll have to find or make some kind
of a substitute for that cup as Dual is gone and replacements are unobtanium.
Playing with different lubricants and amounts of lube for the upper side of the
platform can also yield results. There needs to be some lube or the rubber cup
will wear out in short order, but if it's too slippery the arm won't move. There
may also be a way to adjust the height of the platform when in the up position -
too low and the arm won't move for lack of pressure on the pin; too high and it
jams the pin and the arm won't move. Duals are finicky. Very finicky.
HTH,
Fred