This is out of a 1947 Magnavox Berkeley, it works but the volume is very low so I assume it's a Crystal Cartridge and it's dying.

Does anyone know who made it? Looks similar to some of the Ceramic Sonotones from the 50's.

The mount looks like a standard 1/2" so I could probably stick a Stanton 500 in the arm with little trouble and use a pre-amp. The Tone Arm is fairly light for a 78 only changer and I think it would track OK, what do you think?

Totally worth it. The 3mil stylus you can buy for the Stanton is about $30 and works great...and your records will thank you.

Eric

What type of motor does the changer have? If it's a two pole, you will likely have hum problems with a mag cart. If it's a four pole you shouldn't have any trouble.

Jim

I just blindly shoved the camera in the back of the unit and got a good picture!

This is four poles yes?

Yep, 4-pole.
Upgrade!
Upgrade!

Cool, I went ahead and removed the changer from the cabinet so I can clean it up and also to take the Tone Arm off so I can work on installing a cartridge.

The Changer is pretty much in mint condition!



My Cat Otto insisted on helping.

Looks like a Webster-Chicago (Webcor) changer.

I must plead ignorance here but how do you visually identify a 4 pole motor?

I'm sure that's a Webster-Chicago changer. Those things are tanks. I grew up with one and wish it was still around.
4 pole motor ID: Note that in the motor shown, there is a coil on each side of the rotor. Each coil generates a N and S magnetic pole, therefore 2 coils = 4 poles. It was unusual to see four pole motors back then unless a mag cart was being used but W-C was quality stuff. In comparison a 2 pole motor would have only one coil.
Thanks for the pictures; brings back nice memories o being 4 years or so old and playing my Golden Records records through the 1942 Farnsworth console.

Jim

4 pole motor ID: Note that in the motor shown, there is a coil on each side of the rotor. Each coil generates a N and S magnetic pole, therefore 2 coils = 4 poles. It was unusual to see four pole motors back then unless a mag cart was being used but W-C was quality stuff. In comparison a 2 pole motor would have only one coil.
Thanks for the pictures; brings back nice memories o being 4 years or so old and playing my Golden Records records through the 1942 Farnsworth console.

Jim[/quote]
Thanx for the motor info.

It is indeed a Webster Chicago Changer, model 56-65.
Simple machine to work on because everything comes off in chunks, Tone arm, reject mechanism, Motor, not many springs or linkages to get mixed up.

I cleaned it up today and lubricated everything, I haven't put the tone arm back on yet because I was experimenting with Cartridges.

The Stanton will fit but it's a bit of a squeeze, I'll have to get some really small headed screws to be able to install it.

On the other hand a Shure M44-7 bolts right up, the screw mounts are nearly as thick as the cartridge so the screw heads are higher up (or lower down in the normal position).
The problem is it tracks heavier than I thought, in it's normal state it'll squash the Shure Stylus (and no doubt the Stanton also) flat until the plastic holder drags on the record, I'm not sure I can lighten it up enough to work and still have it track.

The tracking for the M44 is 0.75 to 1.5 grams, I usually run it around 2.5-3.0 on my Turntable when I'm recording 78's so I know it can go that high, much higher and the stylus starts to deflect too much.

I do have a NOS Sonotone Stereo flipover Cartridge, I know that it should sound good because I have one in an old Admiral 78 changer (bridged to Mono) and it works great so I might use that.

I'd nix the magnetic idea for that changer - stick to a ceramic.
Tracking force adjustment on those - under the arm pivot is a horizontal shaft with a spring around it.
The shaft should have a tiny hole through it - using a small rod inserted in the hole you rotate the shaft up or down to adjust. - it's a touchy adjustment..

I have one of those Webster changers, mine came with a GE VR cartridge set to eight grams,
I successfully replaced it with Pickering NP/AC with 78 stylus and lightened it to six grams.

The shure will never work in that changer.

The 78 stylus for your Stanton has a range of up to seven grams, so that may work also.

I think I'd agree with that. These old 78 players were never meant for low tracking forces. Even 8 grams was considered very light back in those days. The original cartridge was very stiff and probably tracked at well over 10 grams.

Your original cartridge shown is an Electrovoice 189D. I purchased a conversion kit on Ebay from Needledaddy that came with a new ceramic cartridge instead of the crystal one you have. The replacement works great.

You don't by chance know the number of cartridge he sold you? Was it the same one used in Willies Low Rider 45 cartridge?



I found a Site that has these specs for the 189D

• Element Type: Mono Xtal
• Output Voltage: 0.35V <------------That seems very low for a crystal, a good Ceramic should be much louder.

• Tracking Pressure: 6-15 grams
• Frequency Range: 20-20K
• Speed(s): All

Note on the "All" speeds, the one shown on this site has a dual tipped needle, it would have to be flipped around to play other speeds, not sure how that would be accomplished since it wasn't intended to do that.
http://www.turntableneedles.com/ELECTRO ... _2904.html

I sent a note to Needledaddy, I'll see what he comes up with.

The Astatic 451 was the actual replacement and it sounds great. You can also use the Shure ceramic cartridges on these units. The sure cartridges were used in the Collaro turntables of the 50s Magnavox consoles but they also perform well in units such as yours. I've had great success in my Magnavox Berkeley, Embassy and Imperial Windsor.

I highly doubt a cartridge from THAT era has 20-20K frequency response listings.
That's false info right there.

Well Needledaddy said he was out of them. Oh well, I'll give my Stereo Ceramic a try, it's a flipover needle type but I can just leave it on 78.