Emerson console
 

Just scored a beautiful blonde Emerson radio/phono console for $50 today! Record player works but I can't get any sound from the record player to the speaker. The radio mode works and I get crystal clear audio but when I switch over to phono mode I hear the sound coming from the stylus but nothing from the speaker no matter how much I adjusted the volume. What could be causing this? I followed the operating directions for the record player and I am just at a loss of what is wrong here! :scratch2:

Most likely a bad cartridge (the device that the needle attaches to). This device converts the mechanical vibrations of the needle to an electrical signal that is sent to the amplifier. You can probably get a new cartridge from www.thevoiceofmusic.com.

If the set is NOT a hot chassis design try touching the terminals of the cartridge and if you hear loud hum from the amp when touching it you will know the cart is bad....You could also use a audio generator in place of your finger if you want to be fancy.

Ok now my problem is my wheel isn't making proper contact with the spinning plate the record sits on. Is it possible to use some electrical tape to add some layers and effectively rebuild the wheel?

really no satisfactory fix for an old hard idler wheel. the voice of music website might have a rebuilt one. if the rubber isnt too hard you could try turning it down to expose fresh surface. make sure all the other bearings are free of old gummy grease. if things aren't spinning and pivoting free, you might get slippage.
probably has an old crystal cartridge, they go bad with age.

Even if it is a hot chassis, you can test for a hum. That is, if you're not standing in the bathtub or barefoot on a concrete floor. :D
The hot-chassis issue has been blown out of proportion. :thumbsdn:

OK fixed the wheel problem. Now my problem is when I run a full size 33 rpm 12 inch it runs a bit slow and every revolution it slows down a bit more for a few seconds then runs faster but still not at 33 rpm. But when I run a 7 inch 33 rpm the speed is absolutely fine. What is happening?!

Odds are the wheel is still slipping and the bigger record loads it enough to be noticeable. I'd clean the idler, and the surfaces it makes contact with using rubbing alcohol, or Goof Off (which is a thin clear lacquer thinner like product).

You have to look at every mechanical part associated with the wheel....
Any friction, spring not tight enough, grease that is turning to glue, etc.
Don't overlook grease on the center post becoming like glue too.... Or the
auto-size detector on some models touching the larger record....
It's a little rubber thing on some, that comes up to touch the record....

As for the no sound, Get a short bare wire and touch the wires coming off
the cartridge if there is a hum, it could be the cartridge is bad....
Also I had got one once where the person changed the needle and the new
one did not sit on the business part of the cartridge and did not get the
vibration off the needle to where it needed to be.... It was a strange one,
but once I got the right needle it sounded great.... I guess the person
before me changed it, and no sound so they tossed it....

.

If the speed is too slow, but steady, its usually gummy bearings in the motor, if the speed changes, its usually idler slippage. Make sure your rubber motor mounts arnt crumbling or sagging, alowing the motor to droop out of the correct position, that can make the idler not have enough grip or contact the right step on the motor shaft.

Ok oiled the crap out of it and put a layer of electrical tape on the wheel and that helped a bunch. Spins at normal speed now. But for a split second every rpm it slows down but it is almost not noticeable. After about 15 minutes it sounds really nice. Am I asking for too much from this console?

If the idler can't be cleaned to work properly expecting it to work right with an electrical tape hack repair is asking too much of it....Get the idler professionally rebuilt, or replace it. Did you even bother to try my rubbing alcohol cleaning suggestion before you put the stupid electrical tape on?

Yes tried cleaning it. The electrical tape hack was my last resort. This is a temporary fix not permanent. And it works fine for me just a bit slow but it will do for now.

Could someone here maybe scan a sams for this model for me? It is an Emerson 926B

Is that a Voice of Music or Glaser Steers? IIRC Emerson used either. I have a G-S in a Philco but have not worked on it yet.

If its a V-M, make sure the motor is sitting at the right height, the rubber grommet motor mounts get dry and it drops, then the idler is not riding in the middle of the step on the motor shaft.

Also, there is a tension spring and/or rod that pulls the idler bracket toward the platter and shaft. Make sure its free to operate when the player is switched on.

Usually, i have to bite the bullet and get the tire replaced:(