CHANGING AN AC-201 OR AC-205 TURNTABLE FROM 60Hz TO 50Hz AC CURRENT OPERATION

Remove the cover from the unit, lift out the turntable platter and set it aside. Turn the unit upside down onto a pillow, foam or other soft material, be sure it is thick enough to support the amplifier and protect the tone arm. Remove the four screws, one near each spring foot. AT THIS POINT THE CHASSIS IS FREE FROM THE CASE AND EXTREME CARE SHOULD BE USED TO PREVENT DROPPING EITHER THE CASE OR CHASSIS. Holding the chassis and the case together, carefully turn the entire unit over to its upright position. The chassis can now be lifted out of the case, lifting the front first so as to clear the jacks on the rear panel.

Turn the AC-201 chassis up side down, control panel away from you, on a pillow or soft foam to protect the tone arm. Locate the speed control transport, the throwout (which disengages the motor in the off position), and the microswitch that turns off the motor when the speed control is in the off position (see drawing). Loosen the 2 nuts holding the throwout and slide it all the way to the right, out of the way.

Set the unit on its side, so you can see and reach both the top and underside of the system. Move the speed control so that the knob is pointing at 54 R.P.M.. Note the position of the motor and speed control transport; this is the position you want the motor and speed control transport to be in when the knob is pointing at 45 R.P.M.

Holding the motor in place, loosen the 2 screws on the sped control transport and move the knob to 45 R.P.M. and then lightly retighten the 2 screws.

Now you can plug in the power cord, put on the platter, and check if the speed is set correctly. (A unit adjusted for 50HZ current will play a 45 RPM record at 37 1/2 on 60HZ current).If more adjusting is necessary be sure to unplug the power cord before readjusting the 2 screws on the speed control transport. Do this as many times as necessary to get the speed set correctly. Only when the speed is correct should you firmly tighten these 2 screws.

BE SURE THE SPEED IS ADJUSTED CORRECTLY BEFORE PROCEEDING!

Now that the speed is set correctly unplug the unit, move the knob to the off position, and turn it over again on the pillow or foam. Loosen the screw on the fiberglass plate (see drawing) and rotate the brown microswitch until there is about 1/16 inch of clearance between the leaf and the body of the switch. Retighten the screw.

Keep the speed control in the off position, and lift the motor so that you can slide the throwout back under the motor mount (metal piece) so it rests on the ledge shown in the drawing. This holds the drive wheel away from the platter in the off position. Retighten the nuts so that they are firm but not extremely tight. If you overtighten them the speed control will bind and not move freely.

Turn the unit right side up, plug in the power cord, and turn it on. Check to be sure that the turntable strobes correctly; that the motor turns off when the speed control knob is in the off position, that the speed control moves freely, and that the drive wheel disengages from the platter when the speed control knob is in the off position.

MOTOR NOISE AT 50HZ

Turntable motors that are adjusted to run properly at 60HZ often produce more noise when run at 50HZ. This extra noise is easily lowered by adding extra capacitors to the motor. The exact capacitance is often written on the motor itself from when we did the original checking of the motor. Either one or two .022 mfd. capacitors will bring the motor back to the original noise level. In most cases it will take both capacitors in parallel to make the motor run its most quiet. The capacitors are soldered onto the terminal strip as shown in the drawing.

Reinstall the chassis in the case and the job is finished.