Throughout this post, references are made to meters and their use in continuity testing of individual parts of the appliances and their connecting wires. All testing and checking for ‘open’ (not allowing for current flow) or `closed’ circuit (allowing current to flow) must be carried out using a battery-powered multimeter or test meter. Testing should never be carried out on live items under any circumstances. Appliances must be disconnected from the mains supply. Read the rest of this entry »
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. Read the rest of this entry »
