BSR UA25 autochanger control arm

[Exiled Yorkshireman]

Hi All,

I've been given a Bush RP40 to look at. It's fitted with a BSR UA25 slimline autochanger. On this unit the control arm ( the thing that sits on top of the stack of records to be played) is flapping in the breeze. When lifted up, the range of motion is limited as usual, but when it's down it can rotate such that if collides with the spindle. This can't be right. As I have all the mechanical aptitude of a small piece of putty, I can't make head nor tail of the exploded diagram in the service manual. 

Anyone got any ideas?

Thanks in advance,
Steve

[Mike Watterson]

I'm sure it shouldn't do that. I may have something similar in the attic sold by the Belfast Co-op. I'll see if I can find it if you don't figure it out. Remove the deck from the case and see is anything broken or fallen off.

[Exiled Yorkshireman]

Thanks for the reply, Mike. I've already got the deck out, and there's nothing loose rattling around down there.

[Mike Watterson]

I've Dansette Viva more accessible in the attic than the co-op model. Uses a BSR autochanger. The arm has a pin or peg maybe about 4mm long and 2.5mm diameter (guessing) that engages in one of two slots on the base part.

Maybe the peg unscrews and has fallen out?

Not sure which BSR model it is. I'm thinking the coop model is also a slimmish BSR autochanger. If you can't figure it in a couple of days I'll try and take photos of both.

If anyone is passing by I've perhaps six or seven surplus record players.

Just remembered where the Dansette came from.

[Mike Watterson]

Mine looks like this
https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/bsr_ua25ua_2.html
So might be a UA25

[Exiled Yorkshireman]

Yes, same as the one I have, Mike. I've removed the control arm as detailed in the service manual and It looks intact, so the problem is in the internals somewhere,  I suspect the cartridge is toast and certainly the platter mat needs replacing. I'm amazed at the shortcuts they took to reduce costs. For example, the mains indicator lamp doubles as the fuse!

[Mike Watterson]

The vertical rod should have pin/peg only visible when the arm is lifted.

All those compact transportable record players very cheaply made. Hence live chassis, cheap high output cartridge, simple amp. Designed for party listening of pop/rock 45s, not HiFi or contemplative listening (in 1950s also 78 pop singles). So sales fell off a cliff in 1969 when "HiFi" got cheap. The supermarket suitcase style are today's equivalent and some of them are poorer decks, no better cartridge, microgroove only stylus even though a 78 speed and far too small speakers. I got one cheap/reduced less than 1/2 price and fitted a cartridge with flip-over true 78 stylus, some other mods (so to capture 78s to computer) and cut a pair of holes in base for 4″ circular speakers instead of the tiny elliptical ones. Hardly worth it. I do have a Dual turntable, but it only does 45 & 33. It needed both belts replaced.

Some of the cheap players also had 16.x rpm speed for language courses and "books for the blind".

The 45s where cut with high output too. If you cut at reduced amplitude like a Classical LP you can fit nearly 11 minutes per side. They are not louder due to higher RPM. A good portion of a 33 LP is actually a higher linear speed due to diameter. For years I thought 78s were mostly 10″ with a few kids titles as 7″ but a album of full length concert was 12″ discs and Cinema used larger ones played from the centre at 33& 1/3rd, but the 78 material and big grooves from about 1932.

[Exiled Yorkshireman]

Yep, pin present and correct. Interestingly there's at least one youtube video of a UA25 restoration showing the same issue. Not fixed though. I never saw any 16 rpm recordings. I gather that BSR had about 86% worldwide market share in autochangers at one point, though they went bust in 1986.

[Mike Watterson]

So the issue is inside the tower bit the pin and rod goes down into. Pity.

Yes, the 16 is rare. The 16 was killed by compact cassette which was demoed in 1962. Cassette was always, and still is better for audio books or language lessons than CDs. What happens when you eject?

My MP3 player app has a setting: "Remember location on all tracks longer than [ ... ]" otherwise it would be useless for audiobooks.