Dual 1216

[TC Chris]

2nd try; the first disappeared. Tonight I fixed the old Dual 1216 we got for my Dad back when those were new. I had built a base for it so it could ride on drawer runners, and pull in and out of a cabinet. By 15 years ago it seized up. I removed it and took it to the cottage as a someday project. Thanks to the big storm, tonight was the night. But I'm not at home, so I have limited tools, solvents, and lubricants. Let's make do....

So I put Frank Sinatra on the CD changer and got to work. It was the usual issues--stiff grease on various pivots. Hard to fix without solvents (the paint thinner is down in the garage, 100 cold feet away). So I used some rubbing alcohol and then found that a good-quality light oil loosened things up very nicely. Now it's all up and running--it cycles, starts, stops. But no initial flight tonight--I don't have an LP here!

The one mystery is how to get the idler wheel off on this model--does anybody have a clue?

Let's try a photo.

Chris Campbell

[TC Chris]

Sorry about the two photos. The adding-photo process still trips me up.

Chris

[electra225]

Congrats on the triage on a family heirloom. What will be the first record you play on it?

[TC Chris]

Congrats on the triage on a family heirloom. What will be the first record you play on it?

Whatever I can lay hands on! I've got an old JVC boombox with a mag phono input so the first outing will be sorta lo-fi.

Internet wisdom says the 1216 was sold 1971-73 or so. That makes it 50 years old. Not a wonder that the grease is a bit stiff, I guess.

Chris Campbell

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

The one mystery is how to get the idler wheel off on this model--does anybody have a clue?
Chris Campbell

I have files of the 1216 operating and servicing manuals.

Send me an email if you want them.

[TC Chris]

I have files of the 1216 operating and servicing manuals.

Send me an email if you want them.

I just sent a PM.

Chris

[TC Chris]

I was just trying to clean the pins on the cartridge holder/headshell of the 1216. I rubbed a bit hard and the plastic cap that holds the spring-loaded tiny pins popped off. @#&^*%!!!!! Note to self: stop doing dumb things.

I'm trying to glue it back together after getting the tiny pins and their springs all in exactly the right position. But gluing plastic is always iffy so I went to the internet for a replacement. The ones that are shown (and in the service manual sent by Mr. Mogul) are all "TK-14" with pins staggered. Mine has pins in a straight line. Inspecting the arm part, it looks like the contacts would accept either staggered or in-line pins.

Any knowledge on whether I can use the staggered-pin device? Nobody shows in-line pins in a Google search.

Chris Campbell

[macgolf]

Any knowledge on whether I can use the staggered-pin device? Nobody shows in-line pins in a Google search.

Chris Campbell
[/quote]

Chris,

Went through my photos of my long gone (6 years) Dual 1216 to see how it was configured. No luck. There is an original on EBAY with pins in a row. I don't recall, for sure, if the pins on mine were in a line or 2 staggered rows as the new sleds show.


Mark

[TC Chris]

I looked and looked and did not see the in-line version. I'll look again. Last night I placed an order for a staggered-pin version. I looks as though the contacts on the arm portion of the headshell would probably accommodate both varieties. But this morning I got curious and tried scraping the surplus glue off the plastic and it wold not budge with a sharp knife blade. I was using plastic model cement. Usually if I have guessed wrong about the plastic, the model cement will flake right off. Because it did not, I tried installing the cartridge portion and bingo, it was working.

It was quite the chore to get all 4 tiny pins and their associated tiny springs in place and the plastic cover over them. Let's guess 15 attempts before getting everything right.

I'm going to check again for the in-line item on eBay. If I end up with extras, I can use them for a mono cartridge and a 78 rpm stylus, since the changer plays all speeds.

Chris Campbell

[TC Chris]

I am sitting here playing an LP on the 1216, via an elderly boombox with a mag phono input. The old headshell is working. The new one arrived but I have not tried it out yet. I'll fit it to eh arm and then see if there's continuity from the headshell leads to the audio cables If yes, then the in-line vs. staggered issue is not a problem

Except that the Achilles' Heel of the changer is its audio cables. One has an intermittent discontinuity at the amplifier end. Move it just so and all is well. Jiggle it wrong and you get audio with hum or hum with no audio. Seems to me that this was a common problem with Dual OEM cables.

It's also a problem with the boom box--the switches need cleaning. The "phono" position has to be jiggled a bit sometime. By the way, I'm guessing that the mag phono input was included so the user could copy LPs to cassette.

But the changer works just fine now that its parts are freed from the epoxy grease.

Chris Campbell