[ansermetniac]

The speed control indicator no longer lights.

Is there anything easily replaceable?

Does the mirror I found when I opened the base have anything to do
with it?

To use a disc on the spindle, do I need a fluorescent light or is any
60HZ electric light okay

I can't find my General Radio Strobotach:-)

TIA

Abbedd

[Mark D. Zacharias[_3_]]

"ansermetniac" wrote in message
...
The speed control indicator no longer lights.

Is there anything easily replaceable?

Does the mirror I found when I opened the base have anything to do
with it?

To use a disc on the spindle, do I need a fluorescent light or is any
60HZ electric light okay

I can't find my General Radio Strobotach:-)

TIA

Abbedd

Usually a bad neon lamp. Modern neon's are mostly made-in China crap and
don't last long. Any 60 hz lamp would work, but neon is better since the
glow isn't quite as persistent as incandescent.

Mark Z.

[Arny Krueger]

"ansermetniac" wrote in message

The speed control indicator no longer lights.

Is there anything easily replaceable?

Usually, a neon tube.

As others have pointed out, neon tubes have become crap, but it should be
possible to work something out with a LED.

Does the mirror I found when I opened the base have
anything to do with it?

It reflects markings on the underside of the turntable.

To use a disc on the spindle, do I need a fluorescent
light or is any 60HZ electric light okay

Fluorescents work better, but a low-wattage incadescent should work, sort
of/

I can't find my General Radio Strobotach:-)

[Dave Platt]

In article ,
ansermetniac wrote:

Does the mirror I found when I opened the base have anything to do
with it?

If I recall correctly, the mirror (on turntables like this, not
necessarily the TD 126 specifically) is there so that you can down
into an opening in the table, and see the strobe-disk which is
actually fastened to the underside of the platter. The mirror isn't
part of the electrical system.

According to the manual, the strobe bracket can be moved to different
positions, letting you see different portions of the strobe disk - one
for 50 Hz operation, and one for 60 Hz operation.

To use a disc on the spindle, do I need a fluorescent light or is any
60HZ electric light okay

An incandescent 60 Hz light won't work well, as these don't flicker
appreciably - the filament remains hot and emits light even during the
zero-voltage-crossover part of the 60 Hz waveform. A fluorescent will
work.

The service manual for the TD 126 MK II (available as a free download
from http://www.vinylengine.com/library/thorens/td126.shtml) says that
the strobe uses a neon bulb, in a socket of some sort. Neons are the
lamp-of-choice for simple built-in strobe-disk applications like this,
as they flicker nicely and are inexpensive and long-lived.

I'd suggest that you download the manual, and read the procedure to
access the neon bulb and remove it (unplug power first, there's line
voltage on the socket contacts!) and then look for a suitable
replacement. My current Mouser catalog lists three different
sizes/styles of neon bulbs with bases of one sort or another -
possibly one of these will fit the socket in the Thorens.

If worse comes to worst you might be able to remove the socket for the
neon bulb, and hardwire-in a new-style neon indicator somehow.

--
Dave Platt AE6EO
Friends of Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!

[Chris Hornbeck]

On Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:08:54 -0500, ansermetniac
wrote:

The speed control indicator no longer lights.

Is there anything easily replaceable?

Does the mirror I found when I opened the base have anything to do
with it?

To use a disc on the spindle, do I need a fluorescent light or is any
60HZ electric light okay

Other folks have already covered the bases, but in case you can't
find a factory lamp:

In those days a strobe lamp was typically a GE NE-2 bulb with a
series 100K or so resistor (at 115 volts). Sometimes as large as 220K.
Modern resistors' voltage ratings become important here, so a two watt
or larger resistor might be surprisingly important these days.

The whole contraption ran at line voltage, so safety considerations,
when "re-engineering" become very, very important. Do NOT procede
unless you are capable of the safety level required. I **** thee not.

All the best fortune,
Chris Hornbeck

[Trevor Wilson[_2_]]

"ansermetniac" wrote in message
...
The speed control indicator no longer lights.

Is there anything easily replaceable?

Does the mirror I found when I opened the base have anything to do
with it?

To use a disc on the spindle, do I need a fluorescent light or is any
60HZ electric light okay

I can't find my General Radio Strobotach:-)

**I've done a few of these with LEDs. The original neon was a big
(expensive) sucker. MUCH larger than NE-2 and other types. If you can find a
friend with some electronic nouse, ask them to wire up some nice, bright
LEDs (blue ones look way cool) in place of the neon. The result will be a
long lasting, bright and clear speed indicator. Naturally, you need to drive
the LED with mains frequency. This is not difficult stuff.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

[Chris Hornbeck]

On Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:27:58 +1100, "Trevor Wilson"
wrote:

**I've done a few of these with LEDs. The original neon was a big
(expensive) sucker. MUCH larger than NE-2 and other types. If you can find a
friend with some electronic nouse, ask them to wire up some nice, bright
LEDs (blue ones look way cool) in place of the neon. The result will be a
long lasting, bright and clear speed indicator. Naturally, you need to drive
the LED with mains frequency. This is not difficult stuff.

Several caveats:

NE-2's should be free from anybody over a certain age, if you know
what I mean. Geezers have boxes of 'em. No magic was involved in
their manufacture and they last for many decades.

Neons fired bidirectionally (120Hz for 60Hz Edison). LED's don't.

Neons arc'd over at about 60 to 80 volts. LED's are semiconductors
and operate a little differently...


But an easily visible green LED would be a substantial improvement
for strobe use, if all else were taken into account.

All the best fortune,
Chris Hornbeck

[Arny Krueger]

"Trevor Wilson" wrote
in message

**I've done a few of these with LEDs. The original neon
was a big (expensive) sucker. MUCH larger than NE-2 and
other types. If you can find a friend with some
electronic nouse, ask them to wire up some nice, bright
LEDs (blue ones look way cool) in place of the neon. The
result will be a long lasting, bright and clear speed
indicator. Naturally, you need to drive the LED with
mains frequency. This is not difficult stuff.

LEDs should give a really clear strobe pattern because they turn on and off
very much faster than incadescent, flourescent, or gas-discharge bulbs.

LEDs are the active ingredients in TOSlink transmitters, which flash on and
off cleanly up to 50 MHz. The only trick is driving them, as they are a
capacitive load at high frequencies.

Seems like a regular LED, and maybe a 2 watt 27 K resistor in series would
work for 110 volts, and a 5 watt 47K resistor for 220.

Here's a web site with data and resistor calculators:

http://www.theledlight.com/technical.html

[jakdedert]

Chris Hornbeck wrote:
On Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:27:58 +1100, "Trevor Wilson"
wrote:

**I've done a few of these with LEDs. The original neon was a big
(expensive) sucker. MUCH larger than NE-2 and other types. If you can find a
friend with some electronic nouse, ask them to wire up some nice, bright
LEDs (blue ones look way cool) in place of the neon. The result will be a
long lasting, bright and clear speed indicator. Naturally, you need to drive
the LED with mains frequency. This is not difficult stuff.

Several caveats:

NE-2's should be free from anybody over a certain age, if you know
what I mean. Geezers have boxes of 'em. No magic was involved in
their manufacture and they last for many decades.

Neons fired bidirectionally (120Hz for 60Hz Edison). LED's don't.

Neons arc'd over at about 60 to 80 volts. LED's are semiconductors
and operate a little differently...


But an easily visible green LED would be a substantial improvement
for strobe use, if all else were taken into account.

All the best fortune,
Chris Hornbeck

Off the top of my head, wouldn't a pair of LEDs, each firing from the
opposite phase of the AC, visually sum to a 120Hz 'flicker'?

jak

[GregS[_3_]]

In article , jakdedert wrote:
Chris Hornbeck wrote:
On Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:27:58 +1100, "Trevor Wilson"
wrote:

**I've done a few of these with LEDs. The original neon was a big
(expensive) sucker. MUCH larger than NE-2 and other types. If you can find a

friend with some electronic nouse, ask them to wire up some nice, bright
LEDs (blue ones look way cool) in place of the neon. The result will be a
long lasting, bright and clear speed indicator. Naturally, you need to drive

the LED with mains frequency. This is not difficult stuff.

Several caveats:

NE-2's should be free from anybody over a certain age, if you know
what I mean. Geezers have boxes of 'em. No magic was involved in
their manufacture and they last for many decades.

Neons fired bidirectionally (120Hz for 60Hz Edison). LED's don't.

Neons arc'd over at about 60 to 80 volts. LED's are semiconductors
and operate a little differently...


But an easily visible green LED would be a substantial improvement
for strobe use, if all else were taken into account.

All the best fortune,
Chris Hornbeck

Off the top of my head, wouldn't a pair of LEDs, each firing from the
opposite phase of the AC, visually sum to a 120Hz 'flicker'?



Right..You can also use a bridge to drive one. I think the orinal neon
was fairly long, but that no problem. You can use a light guide or multiple LED's
My preference is blue, but blue has a lot more fogging effect than red or orange.
You can use large resistors to drive from HV lines. It's
just is way less efficient.

greg

[jakdedert]

GregS wrote:
In article , jakdedert wrote:
Chris Hornbeck wrote:
On Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:27:58 +1100, "Trevor Wilson"
wrote:

**I've done a few of these with LEDs. The original neon was a big
(expensive) sucker. MUCH larger than NE-2 and other types. If you can find a
friend with some electronic nouse, ask them to wire up some nice, bright
LEDs (blue ones look way cool) in place of the neon. The result will be a
long lasting, bright and clear speed indicator. Naturally, you need to drive
the LED with mains frequency. This is not difficult stuff.
Several caveats:

NE-2's should be free from anybody over a certain age, if you know
what I mean. Geezers have boxes of 'em. No magic was involved in
their manufacture and they last for many decades.

Neons fired bidirectionally (120Hz for 60Hz Edison). LED's don't.

Neons arc'd over at about 60 to 80 volts. LED's are semiconductors
and operate a little differently...


But an easily visible green LED would be a substantial improvement
for strobe use, if all else were taken into account.

All the best fortune,
Chris Hornbeck
Off the top of my head, wouldn't a pair of LEDs, each firing from the
opposite phase of the AC, visually sum to a 120Hz 'flicker'?



Right..You can also use a bridge to drive one. I think the orinal neon
was fairly long, but that no problem. You can use a light guide or multiple LED's
My preference is blue, but blue has a lot more fogging effect than red or orange.
You can use large resistors to drive from HV lines. It's
just is way less efficient.

greg

How efficient do you need to be for this application?

jak

[Richard Crowley]

"ansermetniac" wrote ...
The speed control indicator no longer lights.

Is there anything easily replaceable?

Does the mirror I found when I opened the base have anything to do
with it?

To use a disc on the spindle, do I need a fluorescent light or is any
60HZ electric light okay

I can't find my General Radio Strobotach:-)

A fluorescent with an old-time magnetic ballast will produce
mains-frequency flicker. But the new compact fluorescents
(CFL) use high-frequency (many KHz) electronic switching
ballasts and are useless for stroboscopic use.

LEDs with appropriate circuitry driven directly from the mains
power are likely the practical answer today.

[Trevor Wilson[_2_]]

"Chris Hornbeck" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:27:58 +1100, "Trevor Wilson"
wrote:

**I've done a few of these with LEDs. The original neon was a big
(expensive) sucker. MUCH larger than NE-2 and other types. If you can find
a
friend with some electronic nouse, ask them to wire up some nice, bright
LEDs (blue ones look way cool) in place of the neon. The result will be a
long lasting, bright and clear speed indicator. Naturally, you need to
drive
the LED with mains frequency. This is not difficult stuff.

Several caveats:

NE-2's should be free from anybody over a certain age, if you know
what I mean. Geezers have boxes of 'em. No magic was involved in
their manufacture and they last for many decades.

**And NE-2s are not suitable for the TD126. They're way too small and dim.


Neons fired bidirectionally (120Hz for 60Hz Edison). LED's don't.

**Yep. Again, it is easy enough to organise an LED to work properly in this
situation.


Neons arc'd over at about 60 to 80 volts. LED's are semiconductors
and operate a little differently...

**The Td126 is thoughtfully fitted with a low Voltage AC supply system.



But an easily visible green LED would be a substantial improvement
for strobe use, if all else were taken into account.

**Indeed. Blue looks way cooler though. I've used red, green and blue LEDs.
The blue ones are much preferred by most people.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

[Arny Krueger]

"Chris Hornbeck" wrote in
message
On Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:27:58 +1100, "Trevor Wilson"
wrote:

**I've done a few of these with LEDs. The original neon
was a big (expensive) sucker. MUCH larger than NE-2 and
other types. If you can find a friend with some
electronic nouse, ask them to wire up some nice, bright
LEDs (blue ones look way cool) in place of the neon. The
result will be a long lasting, bright and clear speed
indicator. Naturally, you need to drive the LED with
mains frequency. This is not difficult stuff.

Several caveats:

NE-2's should be free from anybody over a certain age, if
you know what I mean. Geezers have boxes of 'em. No magic
was involved in their manufacture and they last for many
decades.

Neons fired bidirectionally (120Hz for 60Hz Edison).
LED's don't.

Neons arc'd over at about 60 to 80 volts. LED's are
semiconductors and operate a little differently...

Yes, but strobes stop repeated images like a strobe disk, when you flash
them at submultiples of the design frequency, so it doesn't matter.