Finyl Vinyl
New Member
Funny development last night. Strobe light came on only after about and hour of playing time. Possible prognosis?
401 strobe light
- Thread starter Finyl Vinyl
- Start date
reubensm
Well-Known Member
break in wiring?
Finyl Vinyl
New Member
No. Then it would work intermittently. Maybe a gas leak?
Is the wiring for the bulb routed via the capacitor ( two capacitors in case of early 401s ) that is also known as the 'spark suppressor' ? In the case of many (most ) 401s, the capacitor would have run its life, and would need replacement. You can get replacements from some online sites. One way to confirm that your spark suppressor is shot, is to check whether the motor is still running even when the on/off switch is in the off position. Remove the platter, and see whether the brake disc is still spinning in the 'Off' position, assuming, of course, that the mains power is still on.
In the present case, it might appear that the spark suppressor capacitor is on its way out, with intermittent connection. More prosaically, it could also just mean a poor connection to the bulb terminals.
In the present case, it might appear that the spark suppressor capacitor is on its way out, with intermittent connection. More prosaically, it could also just mean a poor connection to the bulb terminals.
One more symptom of spark suppressor capacitor gone kaput is it will pick up electrical noise when an electrical switch is operated in the same room. It will produce a loud jarring sound on the speakers whenever someone operates a light switch or fan switch in the room. A rough analogy is GSM phones being picked up when they're near microphones.
If this cap is giving you the blues, buy X2 rated capacitor of the same voltage or higher (typically 680V or even 1100V) and same capacitance (typically 0.47 nF, IIRC) and replace faulty one. X2 rating is important as it handles high switch-on voltage spikes.
If this cap is giving you the blues, buy X2 rated capacitor of the same voltage or higher (typically 680V or even 1100V) and same capacitance (typically 0.47 nF, IIRC) and replace faulty one. X2 rating is important as it handles high switch-on voltage spikes.
shafic
Well-Known Member
Shouldn't neon bulb work directly with AC with no need for capacitor ? As neon strobe bulb works directly on AC line frequency. There should be only resistor attached. Capacitor if present must be for spike suppression only. There should be logically only two problems since bulb comes on after sometime that is either resistor gets too hot and gets intermittent or neon bulb has served its life since it takes time to glow. I may be wrong as I have not seen 401 turntable from inside.
Regards.
Regards.
The early 401 models (with two capacitors ) had the neon lamp wiring routed through the capacitor, if I'm not mistaken. That's what I recall, tho' it's a long time since I've opened up the plinth of my own early unit, sr no. 1482. The lamp, in this version, comes on only if you depress the centre speed control switch. Later 401s, with the single capacitor have a direct AC connection to the lamp, with a resistor in between. Here the strobe light is always on.
Mick Wright
New Member
I'm having similar issues with my Garrard 401 Strobe light. Mine comes on butafter short time starts flickering. Mine is version without push down control & ligh stays on. When switching off nothing seems to be still running.
Any advice.
Mick
Any advice.
Mick
You might have to check the two wires and clips that connect to the strobe light for firmness of contact. If that’s OK, you could consider changing the bulb itself. Replacements, I think, are available off the ‘net, and some come up on eBay as well.
Mick Wright
New Member
Thanks for that advise, I will do another check tomorrow
Bought a bulb on eBay £18 from Serbia. Totally the wrong size by 3x.
I will check the connections
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