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Avoiding problems

Posted in Cable, Cleaner, Home Automation, Household Appliances, Major Appliances, Media Players, Televisions on May 18, 2008

Whether cheap and simple or astronomically expensive, all decks are averse to dirt and debris which is statically attracted to the vinyl record. It then damages the stylus resulting in the all-too-familiar click, pop and jumping of the track.

Sound is stored on a vinyl record on a continuous groove starting at the outer edge and finishing at the centre of the disc. The groove has microscopic ridges proportional in size to the sound wave that created them. When the record rotates, the stylus is deflected by these ridges as it runs in the groove. These minute deflections are then amplified. Two requirements must be met for the stylus to track correctly. The first is that the groove of the record is free from all blemishes and foreign matter to which the stylus would react. The other is that the arm holding the stylus must apply just enough weight to hold the point within the groove (usually 1-2 grams) but not so much as to create excessive wearing of the groove.

The stylus travels as far as 426m (1,400 feet) along the groove during the playing of only one side of a record. The point of the stylus moves extremely quickly as it reacts to the thousands of ridges it continuallyencounters. All this results in friction which, in turn, creates heat. Surprisingly, the temperature at the tip of the stylus may be as high as 500°C (932°F).

If dirt and grease left on a record come into contact with the hot stylus, a hard crystalline deposit forms on the stylus. This not only reduces the playback quality but also tends to wear away the higher frequency ridges on the record, resulting in permanent damage. Debris within the grooves and surface of the record can include cigarette ash, household dust, chemicals such as tobacco tar, aerosol sprays, mildew and grease and acid from fingerprints. Correct cleaning is therefore essential to maintain sound quality and record life and to reduce the frequency of stylus renewal. Make sure a high-quality cleaner is used

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The stylus

There are over 1,500 different types of stylus in use today, but they all have several things in common. To operate correctly they need to be cleaned regularly and handled with care to avoid damaging the tip. Remember that a build-up of dirt or a damaged stylus will not only give poor sound reproduction when playing a record, but will eventually cause permanent damage to the groove of the record. To prevent this, the stylus should be cleaned

at least once every 20 LPs. A stylus cleaning kit is available which contains cleaning fluid and a specially designed brush. Each kit comes with detailed instructions which must be followed to eliminate the possibility of damage to this delicate piece of equipment.

At some point, whether due to wear or damage, the stylus will need to be replaced. To postpone replacement is a false economy, as permanent damage to your records would be inevitable. You will need to have available all possible information about your player and the type of stylus it uses to ensure that you obtain the correct replacement.

  • Ensure you have the brand name of your product.
  • Most makes also have a model number.
  • Look closely at the old stylus, it should have a unique number.
  • Make a note of the colour of the stylus body (this often helps to locate the correct type).

As with any repair, make a note of the correct position of the stylus before removal and take care when

removing and refitting. Fixings differ greatly from simple clip-in types to those which require a fine watchmaker’s screwdriver to remove and refit them. Some may come in a cartridge form which clicks in and out of position. Ensure that connections or contacts are correctly positioned before refitting and do not use excessive force for removal or refitting. Often the angle at which the cartridge is removed and refitted is critical, so take care and avoid rough handling.

Television

This is another appliance with internal functions that are best left to those with the relevant skills and tools, the proper manuals and an in-depth knowledge. Even though it is quite easy to do so, do not be tempted to remove the cover, which would expose parts that are not only easily damaged, but may carry high voltages. Leave all internal faults, service and repair to qualified engineers.

Nevertheless, many things can point to a fault within the appliance which turns out to be something external to it and within the realms of D-I-Y. This does not extend to roof-mounted aerials. Although the fitting and adjustment of aerials is essentially a simple task, the correct equipment for gaining safe access to the roof is essential: a good set of ladders, including roof ladders, combined with a good head for heights. This work is better left to the professional. In areas with good reception, aerials can be mounted in the loft space, pre-empting any problems of damage due to weather conditions, corrosion or poor connections caused by the elements.

Picture problems

Picture problems may result from a poor or weak signal being received by the set. This can happen with both indoor and outdoor aerials. The cause can be as follows.

  • Adverse weather conditions (temporary fault).
  • An incorrectly tuned set (one channel poor, others all right).
  • Poor reception area (house situated in a valley).
  • Incorrect aerial direction or a faulty cable or connection.

A simple process of elimination may ascertain if the problem is an external fault or if the set itself has a fault. The remedies are as follows.

  • Check with neighbours to see if they are having the same picture problem.
  • Check tuning of faulty channel. Refer to the manufacturer’s instructions, as tuning differs between makes and models.
  • Check with your neighbours. Poor reception will not be intermittent but continual and might be alleviated by using a signal amplifier like the one shown. As its name implies, the signal is amplified by the unit before the video or television receives it, thus enhancing your picture quality.
  • Check aerial direction by observing other aerials in the street and comparing their direction. This is not so simple in a loft, so use a compass. When in the loft, keep the compass at arm’s length and away from other objects (cables and metal items), otherwise a faulty reading may be given. External aerials may be moved by high winds and correction is best done by an aerial fitter.

When a cable or connection fault is suspected, check each cable (there may be several if a video is linked) by slowly flexing them while watching the screen for an intermittent good/bad picture to appear. This should pin-point the fault in the cable.

A common problem with cables and connectors is oxidation (corrosion). If this can be cleaned off easily, do so, but fitting a new cable complete with ends may be wiser. They are readily available for D-I-Y fitting. Take your old cable with you to ensure that you obtain the correct replacement as there are several variations. If after obtaining a new cable the fault still persists, the socket or internal connection on the set may be at fault and this will require the services of a trained television engineer.

More Help'n Tips: aerials, Cable, check, correct, damage, ensure, fault, groove, obtain the correct, permanent damage, picture, point, quality, record, ridges, simple, sound, stylus, within.

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