Got another direct drive deck. Another jvc ql-y3f.
Got it for not much as it was untested and looked a right state.
These decks are notorious for being a right pain in the arse to fix if the auto functions dont work as they use a 1970s vintage programmable ic for this. The ic is unobtainable and even if you do find one it will need programming which isnt possible.
It had no feet, a broken off arm lifter which is rather important tk the auto functions, a big gouge out of the trim and a bashed plinth, plus non working auto functions. Overall its a shed.
But it is also all original, the headshell platter mat and counterweight are all very very difficult to find and are missing from my ql-y5f, so even if it was bricked it was worth it for spares.
So far i have had to make a new arm lifter, repair the disc size switch, fit new feet, and get the automatic bits working. Which i have done, so it now sings again.
The arm lifter is very important as it is actually conductive. The original is painted in conductive paint.
The lifter and arm make contact and are in the return loop of the control servo which activates the trigger for traverse functions and the solenoid to lower the arm
So ive had to make a new one from scratch in aluminium using the little bit left of the original and working back from the remains of it
Jvc ql-y3f restoration by
anthony cresswell, on Flickr
Had to alter my order of operations to get it right, id made a rough one first to check it worked ok, and also alter the design original design a little. There is a little tail on the original which has a small pin that stops the lifter from rotating by dropping into a hole in the mounting plate. This bit is a little superfluous and positioning it perfectly in the hole would be a right nightmare, so I decided not to bother. There isn't really a way to get it positioned correctly because there isn't a surface on the remains of the arm lifter that is square to be able to take a reference off.
here you can see it marked out on the plate after cutting the front face, permenant marker rather than blue to mark it, works just as well
Jvc ql-y3f restoration by
anthony cresswell, on Flickr
and here all the features are machined, just needs breaking off the tangs I left on it so that it stayed put while the last features were cut.
Jvc ql-y3f restoration by
anthony cresswell, on Flickr
Some adjustments to the lead in and the lifter height, and a cart fitted, and the old lady is singing again
Jvc ql-y3f restoration by
anthony cresswell, on Flickr
as a side note the cart is an Audio Technica VM95ml in a RigB ally body. Think Linn k18 which I'm sure was an at95 with a metal body and a stupid bolt through the stylus. But not bloody awful. Im quite impressed with the cart.
Jvc ql-y3f restoration by
anthony cresswell, on Flickr
It is sat on some great big rubber feet, they are 60mm wide tapered rubber cups that go under the feet on washing machines to stop them walking across the kitchen. They were stuck to the underneath of my Linn Mimik cd player when I got it, got taken off, replaced with some little ones and put away.
Its just sat on them at the moment, they need to be stuck to some discs with m6 bots in the centre so they can be put on properly. Thats the next job.
maybe some more ally and do it properly.
Still needs a bloody good clean before any cosmetic work is started
Onwards!
