Technics Turntable Auto-Return Problem - Please Help !

[methoddan]

Hi,
I just bought a second-hand Technics SL-BD22 semi-automatic turntable. It plays fine, sound quality is great, but I'm having a *really* annoying problem....
The auto-return happens way too soon. I haven't actually managed to lsiten to an entire song yet, as it always cuts out about 3/4 through... Maybe this has something to do with the fact that I like listening to drum'n'bass, which usually has long 6-7 minute songs, maybe the turntable is set to return after 5 because most songs aren't that long, but then, that wouldn't make sense if I was listening to a full album; and a 7" would cut out only halfway through...
Now, I might have only just gotten a turntable, but I'm not *that* stupid - I *did* read the instruction manual, and there's a little screw for adjusting the auto-return. One way makes it cut out even sooner, the other way makes it cut out later. I turned it all the way both sides (just to see) and in both cases it still cuts out way too soon...
this is extremely annoying, as I have only just gotten my turntable and was hoping to listen to all my records, but they all cut out half way... is there any way to manually adjust the auto-return so it cuts out later; or even better - to disable it, making it a sort-of manual turntable ?
Thanks a lot, I really appreciate all and any help I can get here
Dan
P.S. if nothing else works, I doubt very luch it's a good idea, but how about bending the tonearm ? I don't like that idea at all, and I don't want to break anything but I'm wondering if it's the only way...

 

[Guest]

Just move slowly away from that tonearm, sir, and put the wrench on the floor!

The adjustment you're looking for is probably underneath the turntable and will most likely involve some mechanical linkages which are out of kilter. As such things rely on the arm's progress physically pushing a lever (or somesuch) they are not a good idea anyway as they put stress on the stylus.

I have restored a faulty Dual turntable simply by removing any thing hanging from the arm mechanism.

The Technics may be more advanced and use an optical sensor which is blocked or cleared as the arm moves -- figure out which. In one case remove the thing that blocks the sensor -- or in the other case put some tape over the sensor to fool it that it's always blocked. You'll lose the autoreturn, but I don't suppose it's so hard to pick up the arm yourself at the end of an LP -- I have to.

 

[methoddan]

Just move slowly away from that tonearm, sir, and put the wrench on the floor!

The adjustment you're looking for is probably underneath the turntable and will most likely involve some mechanical linkages which are out of kilter. As such things rely on the arm's progress physically pushing a lever (or somesuch) they are not a good idea anyway as they put stress on the stylus.

I have restored a faulty Dual turntable simply by removing any thing hanging from the arm mechanism.

The Technics may be more advanced and use an optical sensor which is blocked or cleared as the arm moves -- figure out which. In one case remove the thing that blocks the sensor -- or in the other case put some tape over the sensor to fool it that it's always blocked. You'll lose the autoreturn, but I don't suppose it's so hard to pick up the arm yourself at the end of an LP -- I have to.

Hi,

thanks for your answer.
I gathered that bending the arm would be turntable blasphemy, don't worry I'm not going to touch it

I've posted my problem on different sites, to have more chance of getting an answer - but what you've just told me sounds by far most promising - thanks a lot for the help; I'll veeeery carefully take apart the table and see what I can do; I'll let you know if it makes a difference. If I don't reply within a day, then I'll have probably died from some electric shock still stored in the player after unplugging it.

Oh, one thing I noticed since postibng the first message was that when I set the auto-return screw to minimum the record stops playing at exactly the same point as when it's set to maximum... so at least there's definately something not right.

I'll try what you said, it sounds like the kind of thing that's not too hard to fix once you know what to do - my problem was I didn't know what to do...

Thanks for the advice !

Dan

 

[methoddan]

Success !!!!

thank you very, very much !

I didn't even need to open up the table - I removed the platter and mat because I was going to open it; but then underneath where the platter was I could see the whole mechanism, and work it out from there.

I needed to remove one thin metal rod joining the arm to a plastic 'trigger' on the inside; now it plays record until the end; and is sort-of still semi-automatic as the 'stop' button still works, and it brings the arm back to the beginning, all I need to do is press the button when the song's over - a million times less annoying than having it cut out halfway through !

Thanks again !!!

Dan