Collaro F-200-C "Custom" changer

[electra225]

This is the changer out of my old Magnavox Imperial stereo. It needs lots of help.....

I made a "Shango" hookup kluge for the connector that goes to the tuner so I could power it up. The first attempt resulted in a dead short, the second attempt was successful. Go figure.... I used a couple hunks of small wire I had cut off the tails of capacitors. I always save those. I make a hook on the wire, then soldered those to a power cord I had saved. The motor runs. IT will shut off with the on-off control. It will run on any speed you want, as long as it's 78 rpm. The speed control will not move. The tone arm is really stiff to move to the center toward the spindle. Of course, it won't cycle.

Okay, changer gurus! Where do I start? I promised Bill I would hold the WD-40, pending the input of more professional service suggestions. I have never in my life did more than rudimentary service on a Collaro changer. I am at your mercy....

Observations:
*The drive tire has been replaced and is soft and pliable.
*It pulls 14 watts nominal.
*You have to shut off the changer to change speeds. Correct?
*Motor mounts have been replaced and are soft and pliable. Motor steady.
*Cycling wheel won't move.

I know you guys like pictures......

The cartridge is a Euphonics E-1. I thought it was bad. Now I'm not so sure. Maybe I couldn't figure out how to change the needles.

The drive tire does not run in the middle of the speed step. Adjustment?

The motor has been removed, taken apart and cleaned. This is in my notes. It seems free and runs fine.

I always thought this was a Conquest changer. Maybe one of you guys will straighten me out. This changer only has one knob, most Conquests I have seen have two knobs.

[electra225]

Progress! I found the spring contraption that holds the turret to the motor shaft had become displaced. This allowed the drive tire to be out of sync with the driveshaft. This also allowed the drive pulley to slip on the motor shaft when the changer cycled, causing it to stall. With that spring back in its "better" location, I not only aligned the drive tire better, but now the changer will cycle. There is a linkage somewhere that sticks, causing me to have to turn the control to "auto" more than once in order for the changer to cycle. Once it takes hold, it cycles just fine. The tone arm does not strike the edge of the record when you drop records. If I guide it to the edge of the record, it will drop in the right spot. I have done some light oiling and greasing and have most of it working. I played an Al Martino record, and the cartridge sounds just fine. The needle is even still usable. Now that I know I have a living, working device, I can fine tune it. Any suggestions in that regard would certainly be welcome. I believe that a Collaro Custom changer looks like the older Conquest, but has the guts like the later S-600 models.

I connected the changer to my Harmon-Kardon Stereo Festival and a couple of spare speakers for test. The H-K could use a good going over, itself.....

[TC Chris]

Did you use the magnetic-cart input on the H-K? How did it like it?

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

I did not. I used the "Extra" input, whatever that is. I assume line level. I have to run the volume fairly advanced, but it's just for test and certainly better than nothing.

This changer is a 45-changing fool! It's not a VM, mind you, but quite competent in its overly-formal British sort of a way. The cycle mute feature is really neat. No noise from the changer in the audio and you can't hear the scratch in the lead-in strip. The platter mat is hard as a rock, so the first couple of records can slip on the platter mat. The weight of additional records seems to fix that. Something is still sticking when I go to "auto". It is better, but not right. Plus, the changer does not shut off after the last record has played. It did it once, but usually returns the tone arm to rest and the motor stays running. Maybe the two conditions are related? Also, some records have briefer lead-out grooves than others. The tone arm "sets there" for a couple seconds on these records before it cycles. There might be an adjustment to get it to cycle a tad quicker. I played maybe 50 records and it didn't miss a beat. The reason the tone arm wasn't hitting the record for the cycling process is that I didn't have the 45 adapter seated well. The reason for that was a spot of gunge on the spindle that held up the adapter from seating. Some Scotchbrite and some PB Blaster (I didn't use WD-40, Bill!) I had it polished up a bit, the 45 adapter fits nicely, and now the tone arm hits the records and drops records flawlessly.

I had never heard a Euphonics cartridge before. I don't like it better than an EV 26, but it is every bit a peer of the 26. Brilliant, clear highs, with full bass, and clear midrange. I am impressed. I was a real idiot when I did this stereo in 2014. I was gonna junk one of the best ceramic cartridges I have ever heard. I need to figure out a way to clean the cartridge really well. I'll get a new platter mat and a couple needles and I'll be in business.

The styrofoam base I'm using is something I dug out of the trash. It works REALLY nice when you are watching a changer work..

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

Greg, what are the remaining problems

with the changer, please ?

[electra225]

It won't shut off after the last record has played, and it is tricky to get the reject function to work. You have to do it a couple times and you have to hold it on for a bit. As a minor matter, some 45 rpm record labels are larger than others, which makes the lead-out strip narrower. This changer lets the tone arm sit a bit in that strip until it decides to cycle. 99% of the records there is no problem. There is service information in Downloads and according to that, I need to remove one of the assemblies so I can get to the top of it. That is next. I'm gonna be brave.....

[TC Chris]

Your photo shows your H-K with its output tubes way up front, where they can cook all the other components to death. Most of the tube receivers had them in the back where they were more exposed and easier to ventilate. Interesting layout choice....

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

Actually, the H-K receiver runs fairly cool for something with 20 tubes in it. Of course, there is no cabinet on it, so it sets out where it gets plenty of air.

I sat for a couple hours this afternoon, watching this changer work, watching the gears turn and levers move. Whomever invented such a contraption certainly deserves my respect. How you take a bunch of grooves and gears moving levers that don't look like they do anything then make all that drop and play records is simply amazing to me. That said, there is no shortcut I can see to removing the main gear assembly, cleaning the dirt and gunge off, then seeing what I have. I have read the instructions multiple times and have watched it work. I don't see a lot of little doodads that can fall out and not be able to be put back. It looks to me like I remove the cartridge wires from the mute switch, raise the tone arm, remove a bolt that holds it to the hex shaft. This will allow the tone arm to be removed. Then remove the platter. There are three screws under the platter and two screws by the pivot for the tone arm. I'll take documentation pictures, of course, but I think I can do it. I need to make an adjustment in where the tone arm sits at rest. I need about a fly hair more travel in the tone arm when it gets to the center. I need to make the mechanism think the tone arm is more advanced than it is. The motor fails to turn off about once in every ten attempts after the last record has played. I hope that cleaning up the main gear assembly will cure that.

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

Greg,
There are some procedures/helpful hints that are not in the F200
service file I posted in downloads that I hope to explain.
Here are some initial items.

1. I would tape a leader wire to the tonearm wires, and
leave the leader wire threaded through the changer base
tonearm wire routing openings.

It makes it easier then to gently pull
the tonearm wires back through to re-solder
them on the mute switch.

2. The motor will need to be released from its mounts
before you can remove the sub-plate assembly.

Does your motor have an aluminum fan attached to
the rotor ?

[electra225]

Thank you, Mr. Mogul! My motor has an aluminum fan. I wondered about whether the motor was going to be moved before the assembly would come off. Thank you for the clarification and for the tips about the cartridge wires. I was thinking about removing the motor in any case. The spring that holds the turret on is still not positioned correctly. It will be easier to position with the motor off the changer. Even though I am out of my wheelhouse on this, I feel more confident that I'm on the right track. Keep your fingers crossed.

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

Greg,
1. The reason I asked about the fan is that I did not remove
the fan on the Westinghouse Collaro.

I undid the motor bolts and pulled off the bottom
bearing housing to clean and lubricate.

It is VERY difficult to safely remove the aluminum fan, so I
did not do that.

I just lubed the top bearing with turbine oil, and that
worked well.

2. It looks like your motor AC leads are short on this F-200-C.

What I did on the W620 which also has short motor AC
leads, is to stack some boxes under the motor.

The motor was on a platform and out of the way
for dis-assembly of the sub-plate, cleaning of
the speed control assembly, and cleaning the motor.

[electra225]

I wasn't smart enough to know not to try and remove the fan. I've done that on two changers to date, and have had hassles getting the turret to work right on both of them. I'll know better next time.....

I have plastic boxes I can stack to support the motor. Thank you for that tip. I have some "honey-do" projects to get out of the way this morning, but I intend to attack this thing this afternoon. We have to get the grapefruits off the tree before they get too hot and fry in the summer heat. They are sweet as oranges now, so I'm going to juice a bushel basket full. Yum, yum.....

[electra225]

I don't believe it....

I took a Collaro apart, messed with it, put it back and it works. Not only works, but works perfectly. You just turn the reject knob barely past "on" and it cycles. It drops 45's like it should, hits the record, drops the record, it will change the Epic records with the short lead-out cycling grooves, it will shut off after the last record has played. It gets crabby if you put on more than ten records. I'm not brave enough by any stretch of the imagination to take one of these apart to the last part, mix them up, then put it together again and expect it to work. But I do feel confident enough to tune one up if it basically works to start with. I don't know about one that is really broke, haven't had to work with one like that.

I'll order up a platter mat and a couple of needles, then it will be ready to put back into the cabinet. I'll try LP's tomorrow to make sure we are good there. All I have in the shop is 45's.

The main problem with this one was "Lever E" on top of the cycling cam was really stuck. Apparently that was the one that affected the reject as well as the cycle activity.

[TC Chris]

I kept wondering why a guy who restores cars was so intimidated by a little record changer. The only real danger is that the small parts will try to escape and sometimes they succeed. At least in my shop, which has many hiding places.

I looked at your photos again. What about that "SUSPECT CARTRIDGE" sticker on the bottom?

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

That sticker is not on my changer. Mr. Mogul posted that picture.

Why is a guy who can take the engine out of a freshly restored '54 Skyklark with the hood still on, before the manifolds get cold, why would a guy who can do that be afraid of a record changer? Because I messed up a record changer once before and felt like an idiot, but I never messed up a '54 Skylark, I reckon. Record changers, guitar amps and two cycle engines were/are on the list of things I don't mess with. I reckon we can take record changers tentatively off that list.....

This is thanks to the good folks on this forum who encouraged me to give it a shot and were sure I could do it.....

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

As they used to say in medicine: Strong Work.

[electra225]

My work would not have been nearly as strong without your expert guidance, Mr. Mogul. I cheated a little with the motor. I loosened it up really good, taking two nuts off so I could move it a bit out of the way, but still have a place for it while I worked on the mechanism. I removed the overarm and cleaned the shaft of all the white stuff that was on it. Then I used Simichrome and polished the tone arm, overarm, and 45 adapter. The worst part, by far, was removing the cartridge wires from the mute switch. THAT was a pain in the butt, I hated that part. I wonder if one could remove that switch and keep the wires attached. Would there be room to maneuver the assembly with the wires still connected? That was not designed to be worked on, but I think if I had an inkling I would ever have to have it apart again, I might come up with some better way to handle the wires on the mute switch.

Thank you for your help and consideration with this Mr, Mogul!

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

The worst part, by far, was removing the cartridge wires from the mute switch.
I wonder if one could remove that switch and keep the wires attached.

Would there be room to maneuver the assembly with the wires still connected?

Thank you for your help and consideration with this Mr, Mogul!

Greg,
I did not un-solder the tonearm wires.

From your post, you got ahead of me, or I would have mentioned
that.

I removed the mute switch, and carefully moved the tonearm
and mute switch around, so there was always slack on
the tonearm wires.

It is slightly difficult to re-mount the switch, but not like taking
off the tonearm wires.

[electra225]

I thought about removing the mute switch. I loosened the screw, but it didn't act like it wanted to move. I didn't press my luck, so just unsoldered the wires. That was what the printed instructions said to do.

In fairness, the printed instructions are not very helpful to a novice. Like the part about unsoldering the mute switch wires. And not mentioning that the motor might be in the way of removing the gear assembly. It took me all afternoon to do what you would do in 20 minutes. I took pictures of each process, sat and looked at it for a bit, hoping it would "fix itself" if that makes any sense. I felt like a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest. But, I worked thru it, took my time, learned something, and was successful. There was a lever on top of the motor board, under the platter that was hanging up. The instructions said to clean it up with crocus cloth. Having none, I removed the lever then polished it with 0000 steel wool and Simichrome so it would slide with no lube. It was dragging on the edge of a cutout in the motor board. The instructions said to bend that lever so it would clear. I didn't feel comfortable doing that so I put some phono lube on a paper towel and ever so gently wiped that area with just enough lube to say there was some, invisible to the eye it is so slight. I took your suggestion on the upper bearing of the motor. I used the spout on the turbine oil and put a couple drops on the upper bearing. The exploded view of all the parts in the service literature is nonsense. I never could make heads nor tails out of one of those exploded view diagrams.

If I had totally removed the screw from the mute switch assembly, would that let the switch swing away from the changer?

I appreciate your help. I will probably never be a changer mechanic, not sure I want to. There was nobody else around to do it, it needed done, so I was the guy on deck. You guys have forgotten more about changers than I'll ever know, so there is that. My goal is to learn enough to bail myself out if I need to. You guys can be the experts. We all do things differently. I jump around and get ahead of myself sometimes.

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

I thought about removing the mute switch.
I loosened the screw, but it didn't act like it wanted to move.

If I had totally removed the screw from the mute switch assembly,
would that let the switch swing away from the changer?

Yes, as I remember, the switch should be released.
Some of the machine screws do fit very tight on the
holes of the changer base.

When I first did one of these, I watched how the mute switch
interacted with those levers and things.

Because even with photos, I was bound to forget how it was
re-assembled to work properly.

You breezed through this much faster than I ever did on my
first Collaros.

In downloads, there is a factory manual on the S600/W600 types of
Collaros.
That manual has some very helpful diagrams of various mute switches
and cartridges that were used in them.

I posted the Sams for these, but the factory manual is best imo.