Classic Hifi Care

This one just came in today for an overhaul.
It's out of an SK38B console.
It sure is puurty...

It is sure purty, Gary. Who made it?

electra225 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 17, 2024 11:57 pm It is sure purty, Gary. Who made it?

BSR.

And I thought Motorola only used VM changers.

4-pole motor, full size platter and a Sonotone 8T cart.

It didn't look VM-ish to me. Motorola used VM changers, but I'm not that familiar with the older, mono stuff.

Thanks for sharing, Gary. I have never seen a BSR changer in a Motorola, so this is interesting history. I Googled the model number and found it is a 3 channel but has 4 6AQ5 tubes in the output stage. So, the single woofer must be PP and the L and R channels single ended. Or maybe Motorola had some fancy circuits that powered the woofer in a PP fashion from the L and R channels. Is it a blonde cabinet. I am guessing the "B" at the end of the model number may indicate blonde. Here's the link I found:

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/motorola_ ... s_781.html

Bill

Well, the more I study this beast before I tear into it, I now don't think it's a BSR. The mech doesn't look like any BSR that I've ever seen in years past.
However, the motor and idler are identical to some that are used on a few BSR models.
It does say "made in Great Britain" stamped into a ring on the platter near the spindle hole.

Only the changer was shipped to me from the mid-west for servicing.

Yes, that is a Monarch/BSR UA-8 record changer.

Motorola used them in a few consoles and in the famous
Hi-Fi in Fiberglass "Calypso" models.

The Calypso is a heavy beast of a portable from what
I've read.

It used the nice PP 6V6 Moto chassis.

Must be Gary's is the fancier version with the deluxe trim. The Sam's photo that Mr. Mogul posted looks just like the one I have that came in a no-name brand cheap little portable one tube wonder with a crystal cartridge. The changer is really the only valuable thing in that unit. It works flawlessly, and maybe someday I will pair it with something worthwhile. I did reach out to Gary for a cartridge, but he said that pedicular one does not exist and there is no replacement.

Those fiberglass Motorola's are really cool.

Bill

Nope. Not a BSR.
It's a Galvin model number BR10RC

Totally different mech than the BSR's of that era.
A very unusual beast of a changer.

I don't have it however it's in Sams 492 folder 15.

Well, I guess I need to at least take back part of what I said. I have never heard of a Galvin changer, so I Googled it. The only thing I could find that amounted to anything was this:

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/motorola_ ... anger.html

Bill

I Googled Motorola SK38B and Radio Museum mentions this particular changer as being used in this console.

Well, I see from the Sams that it is a BSR/Monarch UA-8.

Hi-Fi manufacturers had their own model numbers, as well
as their suppliers' model numbers.

Zenith is one example I've seen regularly.

Wow. That's strange.
Radio Museum shows the Galvin changer being used in this console and no mention of a BSR.

I don't have it however it's also supposed to be in Beitman's Vol 20, 1960

I wonder what they show?

Here is a good example of a manufacturer (Motorola/Galvin)
printing their own "in-house" service publication about the
BSR changer they bought for use in their units.

That info is under the "schematics" section, if you open it up.

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/motorola_br10rc.html

If you'd like the BSR UA-8 service file, let me know, and I'll upload it.

p.s. the Beitman's only has the circuit schematic, no
record changer info that I could encounter.

That's it Mr. Mogul.
I just now checked out a YouTube vid of UA-8 being serviced and the mechs are the same.

Thank you!

I just finished servicing the motor which was very sluggish and slow. It now spins like a top.