Rescued turntable ( record player) how to power

TonyB

I've just rescued my JVC turntable from the roof space on a whim to play old LPs.
It was part of a HiFi unit which has long since gone together with hand books!!!
At the rear of the unit there are 3 wires, red & white plugs which I asume are phono connections & also a small black & silver female plug & info DC 11-13V
It is similar to the connectors on chargers for drills & torches etc.

How will I get power to the unit & if i can will it work through a cinema surround sound amplifier?

Grumps

Mmmm. Not many responses.

And I'm not surprised.

If you're looking for a DC voltage, then connect it to your car battery. A car battery is somewhat over 13 volts but that shouldn't make much difference. If it fails to turn, or gets hot, disconnect....Quick.

Having established that it will run at that sort of voltage, you then need to get an Ammeter to establish what current it is drawing. The current on 'start up' will be much greater than when it is running freely. Having established the parameters, and then doubling them, you then need to locate a transformer that will handle that capacity. (Plenty of suppliers available in most areas). Because a transformer will only convert AC to AC, you then need a Bridge Rectifier. And including Bridge Rectifier will, result in a slight 'loss' or 'gain' in voltage. I can't remember which. If you'd asked me the same question 20 or 30 years ago, it would have been at the tip of my tongue.

A Bridge Rectifier is simply four diodes connected in a particular way. A diode is essentially a 'one way street' in electrical terms. Arrange them all pointing North in an offset square formation. Apply the AC voltage to East and West. DC voltage comes out of North + and South -. (It's harder to explain in words than to draw a diagram.)

Once you've got some baseline fugures, try Maplins website for further information.

ianeverton

It really doesnt need to be complicated. If it does say DC 11-13v and there is a black and silver socket (socket as opposed to plug, a plug goes in, a socket receives the plug) then you just need to buy a transformer similar to the ones for hand held consoles.

These can be bought with universal atachments to fit different sockets and some also have variable output voltages that you select by a turning switch. They can be bought from either Maplins or the likes of Argos or B&Q, not sure of a price but certainly under £20.

You need to set it to 12 volt but make sure you get the polarity right. To determine polarity is easy if there is a label attached showing a dot with an incomplete circle around it and a plus on one side and a negative on the other. This shows whether the middle pin is positive or negative. Most are positive on the pin, negative on the outer casing.

The transformer you purchase will have detailed instructions on this in more detail.

Ultimately if you get it wrong you wont cause any harm except that the turntable that was just sitting in the loft will sit in the skip.

Good luck and ont be scared.