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This Rusty Califone Record Player MIGHT Still Work...

We're trying to keep some of the vintage electronics out of the landfill. Many times when something stops working, it can be repaired if someone will simply take the time to attempt to repair it. This channel documents our amateur attemps at repairing vintage electronics we think are cool.
We don't typically restore anything, we're just trying to get them working again. We've found that most of this stuff was well built and with a little help will start doing what it was intended to do.
Radio Repair
Phonograph Repair
Clock Repair
Projector Repair

Пікірлер: 35

  • @radiotvphononut
    @radiotvphononut4 ай бұрын

    Just a head's up, don't waste you money on those new Pfanstiehl 911-DS73 cartridges that cost about $40 because they have low output and don't track well, and NOS Astatic and EV cartridge are drying up fast, not to mention being expensive. These cartridges have an output of 1.3V-1.5V and if you put a standard .5V cartridge in one, they won't sound very good and they won't get very loud. Hopefully, in the near future, I'll come up with a preamp circuit to boost the output of a modern cartridge so that it can be used in one of these. As far as Califone record players, they still made one that looked like the traditional style models until about 2004-2005. Then, they switched to basically a re-badged Crosley and offered that until about 2017. As far as the tonearm rest on yours, the tonearm is designed to rest on that plastic drop protector and clip into place with that plastic tonearm rest. I was born in 1976 and we still used record players, some of which were old tube models, in elementary school. After elementary school, we didn't use them as much, but I think the district kept them around until the early 2000s.

  • @AmateurRepairTime

    @AmateurRepairTime

    4 ай бұрын

    Thank you sir, I appreciate you watching... I'm a big fan of your channel!

  • @cjmarsh504

    @cjmarsh504

    4 ай бұрын

    I need to get me a couple flip stylus before they dry up

  • @ELPCOTILLION-SD1970
    @ELPCOTILLION-SD19704 ай бұрын

    Those Classic Vintage Record Players We Used To Have In Elementary School...

  • @KA2ZEV
    @KA2ZEV4 ай бұрын

    Hi boss. I remember these things. DOB was in 1959, so yes I'm a fossil. What an assault of nostalgia. Many thanks. Mike

  • @goddessesstartrekonlinefle3061
    @goddessesstartrekonlinefle30614 ай бұрын

    Thanks for filming these! Always enjoy sharing the journey with you here Ron. In my limited experience old-old caps (ones made pre 1980's) are hugely better quality than the last several decades of cap's (which wheren't made by experts but mass produced for cheapness). Least in my limited experience. I feel alot of this 'word of mouth' around on KZread to replace the caps is something encouraged (possibly started) by electronic component manufacturers (rather than being based on any actual serious need). I know there where batches of bad caps around the 80's, but the generalised encouragement to replace cap's is often more based on supersition than electronic need (obviously, its the few actual cases where it is required that sustain the supersition). Glad you usually try to keep these things original, though total respect on making your calls (just super glad when you save the originals :D).

  • @AmateurRepairTime

    @AmateurRepairTime

    4 ай бұрын

    Yeah I think it's often overblown too. I will say though that when I work on Arcade monitors, they often definiately have bad caps that need replaced. So caps definitely fail, but I agree with you I think 80% of the ones that people replace probably didn't need it.

  • @goddessesstartrekonlinefle3061

    @goddessesstartrekonlinefle3061

    4 ай бұрын

    @@AmateurRepairTime I wonder if that's a prroduct of the very high voltages in those? The one experience I do have of stuff failing is old TV's. Though I'm happy to say all my electronic gagetry works great :D. My father saved up when he was young and bought this amazing portable cinie camera that was wind up!!! (I know sounds insane, but it existed and I loved it as kid winding it up just to hear it wir [I didn't have any film to use in it though]). 1970's stuff was near bomb proof IME (if it survived me playing with it when I was small, thats WELL built xD). Thanks again! Keep making amazing content sir *bow*

  • @Greg-et2dp
    @Greg-et2dp3 ай бұрын

    Amateur Repair Time your vintage califone record player is awesome my friend

  • @hestheMaster
    @hestheMaster4 ай бұрын

    The best stuff to use on Tolex covering with paint markers is old fashion auto brake fluid. It may dull the surface some. You can wipe a silicone auto polish on it and shine it back up. Has the original Astatic needle 89T which you may still be able to get as that one is worn. Later units had a crappy 15VDC motor in it so be thankful you had one with an original drive motor. Had bad on/off switch with oxidized contacts but you were able to fix it! RTPN is a great teacher with lots of great sarcasm to go around. Run some sandpaper along the edge of the idler wheel. Nice that it works great in spite of all the kiddos messing with it back in the day.

  • @Greg-et2dp
    @Greg-et2dp3 ай бұрын

    Amateur Repair Time your KZread video are awesome my friend

  • @ray73864
    @ray738644 ай бұрын

    Rheem hot water systems :) Here in Australia, Rheem had an awesome 'Install a Rheem' jingle. Here's the lyrics to the 1988 version (One of the best versions out there): When your old hot water system gives up the ghost. When the old geezer leaves ya. like a piece of cold toast. You don’t despair. You take advantage of it yeah. Install a Rheem. Install a Rheem! Install a Rheem! Install a Rheem! For the hottest of hot hot water you’ve ever seen. Rheem comes on steady hot and strong. When your old heaters had the gong. Install a Rheem! Install a Rheem! Install a Rheem!

  • @dennman6

    @dennman6

    4 ай бұрын

    On February 20th a new Rheem water heater relpaced my 18 year old Whirlpool unit. Seems to run a treat thus far!

  • @mauryfeskanich4523
    @mauryfeskanich45234 ай бұрын

    Different brand, but I remember these all throughout school from the late 60s through the 70s. The first time I ever heard Springsteen’s “Born to Run” album was on one of these in geometry class. This one has the audio quality I remember! 😂

  • @naytch2003
    @naytch20034 ай бұрын

    What a beautiful machine

  • @ReallifeBambiDeerattheFarm1
    @ReallifeBambiDeerattheFarm14 ай бұрын

    I remember our school had Newcomb record players, and they used the heck out of them in Elementary school! I would think that they switched to cassettes or something like that in the late 80's or something. Not sure what happened to those old machines. They did sound good.

  • @cheeseparis1
    @cheeseparis14 ай бұрын

    Thank you! another record player saved

  • @hughdavis8769
    @hughdavis87694 ай бұрын

    I''m pretty sure that Rheem is still a big name in HVAC units now. We would have had used a player like that middle to late 60's when I was in grade school,

  • @cjmarsh504
    @cjmarsh5044 ай бұрын

    I just recently bought two newcomb record players for 20 dollars, and they both are from the 60's. One is a ED -10 an I have a ED -10C

  • @d.g.n9392
    @d.g.n93924 ай бұрын

    I remember those kind of record players in school in the 1960’s 70’s

  • @robertdolby
    @robertdolby4 ай бұрын

    Ron -- I'm 54 (I think almost 10 years older than you are) and my elementary, middle and high schools in Maryland all had this exact series of record players. Seeing it is giving me bad flashbacks. ;) I remember it so clearly and I haven't seen one of those since the '80s. I remember third grade me in 1977 thinking how horrible these sounded -- but they were built like tanks. They have to be with all the abuse us kids did to equipment like this. Thanks for doing these videos, as always. And the 8-Ball Deluxe LE series was straight FIRE! Loved it.

  • @kenlanier2131
    @kenlanier21314 ай бұрын

    Flashback... I remember them. I can also remember using the record player to accompany a slide projector presentation, at the BEEP advance the slide. God help you if you got out of sych with the record. God I am gettin old. LOL

  • @AmateurRepairTime

    @AmateurRepairTime

    4 ай бұрын

    i remember the beeping, but I think it was a cassette tape at our school!

  • @zaptainkuboom5520
    @zaptainkuboom55204 ай бұрын

    Functional and built to last

  • @jpalberthoward9
    @jpalberthoward94 ай бұрын

    I see you have a Gumby. Art Clokey was the creator of the series, and he was good friends with Frank Zappa. I used to have a Kay Silvertone guitar that was the same color. I called it "Gumby,", and it was pretty good. Our school got rid of about 100 of those record players, one year at a big yard sale in the cafeteria. $5 each. They had tubes, and they sounded like Tweed Champs when you plugged a guitar into the high impedance mic jack. i got one. I used to play "Gumby" through it, and it sounded like John Lee Hooker. I wish I still had it, and the Silvertone guitar. My favorite Gumby and Pokey episode is called "ZOOPS". It's right here on KZread, check it out. It's great.

  • @Jimmyhaflinger
    @Jimmyhaflinger4 ай бұрын

    i was born in 1979, our music teacher used record players in our school up to the late 1980s

  • @bobengle2734
    @bobengle27344 ай бұрын

    you can get a zoom spout at any hvac supplier.

  • @divittokelly5603
    @divittokelly56033 ай бұрын

    I have a Califone 2155. It sounds great except one of the channels is not as loud as the other. Both speakers work. Any suggestions?

  • @AmateurRepairTime

    @AmateurRepairTime

    3 ай бұрын

    Might be a dried out capacitor but it also may actually be the needle is slightly bent, I heard if they are riding one side of the groove it will do that, but I'm not sure.

  • @mikekelly9129
    @mikekelly91294 ай бұрын

    Power supply power supply power supply 😁

  • @tangothecat237
    @tangothecat2374 ай бұрын

    I have one of them .

  • @Greg-et2dp
    @Greg-et2dp3 ай бұрын

    Amateur Repair Time i have a vintage zenith Trans oceanic transistor shortwave receiver I want to restore it let me no ware I can get Russian germanium transistors ?

  • @bentboybbz
    @bentboybbz4 ай бұрын

    The larger your driving "gear" the faster your driven "gear" spins and the reverse for driven, smaller is faster,🎉

  • @Greg-et2dp
    @Greg-et2dp3 ай бұрын

    Amateur Repair Time my hobbies are painting pictures 🖼 and listening to shortwave and ssb iam thinking about getting my Grms license

  • @danielknepper6884
    @danielknepper68844 ай бұрын

    RTVPN would approve