Philips GF22103 Help Please - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

paolo · 25th Sep 2021, 12:03 pm

Hi Everyone,

It has been a while since I posted because I haven’t had any projects for quite a while. However I picked up a non-working Philips GF22103 record player today. It is the 1970’s equivalent of the Disc Jockey battery operated portables. I had an orange one in 1974 and couldn’t resist this one when I saw it.

It wasn’t working when I collected it. No motor power although the amp was working. Replaced the motor BC148 with a BC549C and all is well apart from crackling/static when the motor is running. The noise is the same no matter the volume.

Any ideas? I haven’t changed any of the caps. The noise goes away when I advance the turntable by hand, gets worse when I slow the turntable by hand (motor running of course).

Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions!

Paul

paolo · 26th Sep 2021, 7:24 am

Thought I should add some pictures. I have changed the capacitors but it hasn’t made any difference. Interestingly though there’s a variable resistor that adjusts turntable speed. When slightly slow there is no crackling/motor noise at all. When set to the correct speed the noise comes back. Adjusting the volume makes no difference.

There are three germanium transistors: an AC187 in the motor circuit plus an AC127 and an AC128 in the amp. I’ve not touched those because I don’t yet have any replacements nor means of testing them.

Paul

Records · 26th Sep 2021, 8:08 am

try replacing that variable resistor

Herald1360 · 26th Sep 2021, 8:56 am

Hmmmm.... crackles.....Lockfits......

Maybe replacing those BC148s and that BC149 with BC108s and BC109 might help. The BC149 could be most suspect since it's likely to be the first in the signal chain.

For a quick trial, pretty much any NPN Si small signal device could be used.

paolo · 26th Sep 2021, 9:10 am

Don’t have a replacement but have cleaned it with DeOxit. Slightly better but the noise is still there. Also, I was mistaken, the noise is there at any position.

paolo · 26th Sep 2021, 10:09 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herald1360

Hmmmm.... crackles.....Lockfits......

Maybe replacing those BC148s and that BC149 with BC108s and BC109 might help. The BC149 could be most suspect since it's likely to be the first in the signal chain.

I have BC549s and 550s. Swapped out the 148s and the 149 but the crackle remains the same! Thinking it could be the AC187 in the motor circuit generating noise.

paolo · 26th Sep 2021, 11:07 am

Update: I am going to call time on this until I can replace the germanium’s in the amplifier. On 60s mono singles there is lots of volume but on later LPs and singles there’s a lot of noise and distortion. I have some on order but who knows when they will arrive!

Herald1360 · 26th Sep 2021, 11:36 am

The noise could be brush sparking perhaps? Are there any suppression caps about it?

26th Sep 2021, 12:52 pm

Quote:

When slightly slow there is no crackling/motor noise at all.

That points to the centrifugal governor in the motor, stick a 100nF cap across the motor. The govenour is on the motor armature and (usually) switches off just one winding, hence the pot to get it just above speed.

ben · 26th Sep 2021, 6:41 pm

Excellent tip from Chris and Merlinmaxwell. Motor noise seems fairly common on this series of machines with the centrifugal governor.

Last week I repaired a GF110 which is slightly earlier than yours. That had leaky/tin whisker germanium transistors in the amp, so reduced volume and harsh sound. making a new heatsink for one of them provided a (temporary?) cure.

paolo · 27th Sep 2021, 5:01 am

Excellent suggestions indeed Ben. Thank you Chris and Merlinmaxwell, the cap across the motor did the trick. Obvious in retrospect! Wonder why Phiiips didn’t fit one as a matter of routine? Probably to save the 0.001p per device! I changed the remaining 548 as it was the only one I hadn’t and now have plenty of gain in the amp. There’s still distortion though so I will report back when I get my replacement 127 and 128.

Thanks all,

Paul

paolo · 9th Oct 2021, 10:41 am

Quick update on this. I am pleased to report that it is working really well now that the AC127 and AC128 output transistors have been replaced. The final issue was related to a dodgy GP200 cartridge that I thought was good but wasn’t. New one fitted and the job’s done! Thanks for all of the help and assistance!

Paul

ben · 11th Oct 2021, 5:34 pm

Good news!

Don't throw out the old head - it is quite easy to gut it and fit a Chuo Denshi clone cartridge into it. I have done this many a time. More recently I had some success by actually just replacing the internal ceramic element. One of these days I will make a thread on the subject.

hayerjoe · 12th Oct 2021, 2:11 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by ben

Good news!

Don't throw out the old head - it is quite easy to gut it and fit a Chuo Denshi clone cartridge into it. I have done this many a time. More recently I had some success by actually just replacing the internal ceramic element. One of these days I will make a thread on the subject.

a +1 vote for the thread from me Ben!

paolo · 12th Oct 2021, 4:03 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by ben

Good news!

Don't throw out the old head - it is quite easy to gut it and fit a Chuo Denshi clone cartridge into it. I have done this many a time. More recently I had some success by actually just replacing the internal ceramic element. One of these days I will make a thread on the subject.

No danger of that Ben! It is already in my spares box awaiting its autopsy

25th Sep 2021, 12:03 pm	#1
paolo Heptode Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 615	Philips GF22103 Help Please Hi Everyone, It has been a while since I posted because I haven’t had any projects for quite a while. However I picked up a non-working Philips GF22103 record player today. It is the 1970’s equivalent of the Disc Jockey battery operated portables. I had an orange one in 1974 and couldn’t resist this one when I saw it. It wasn’t working when I collected it. No motor power although the amp was working. Replaced the motor BC148 with a BC549C and all is well apart from crackling/static when the motor is running. The noise is the same no matter the volume. Any ideas? I haven’t changed any of the caps. The noise goes away when I advance the turntable by hand, gets worse when I slow the turntable by hand (motor running of course). Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions! Paul

26th Sep 2021, 7:24 am	#2
paolo Heptode Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 615	Re: Philips GF22103 Help Please Thought I should add some pictures. I have changed the capacitors but it hasn’t made any difference. Interestingly though there’s a variable resistor that adjusts turntable speed. When slightly slow there is no crackling/motor noise at all. When set to the correct speed the noise comes back. Adjusting the volume makes no difference. There are three germanium transistors: an AC187 in the motor circuit plus an AC127 and an AC128 in the amp. I’ve not touched those because I don’t yet have any replacements nor means of testing them. Paul Attached Thumbnails Last edited by paolo; 26th Sep 2021 at 7:29 am. Reason: Update.

26th Sep 2021, 8:08 am	#3
Records Hexode Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Harwich, Essex, UK. Posts: 429	Re: Philips GF22103 Help Please try replacing that variable resistor __________________ Being me is easy, its the image thats hard..ELVIS

26th Sep 2021, 8:56 am	#4
Herald1360 Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK. Posts: 16,535	Re: Philips GF22103 Help Please Hmmmm.... crackles.....Lockfits...... Maybe replacing those BC148s and that BC149 with BC108s and BC109 might help. The BC149 could be most suspect since it's likely to be the first in the signal chain. For a quick trial, pretty much any NPN Si small signal device could be used. __________________ ....__________ ....\|____\|\|__\|__\_____ .=.\| _---\__\|__\|_---_\|. .........O..Chris....O

26th Sep 2021, 9:10 am	#5
paolo Heptode Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 615	Re: Philips GF22103 Help Please Don’t have a replacement but have cleaned it with DeOxit. Slightly better but the noise is still there. Also, I was mistaken, the noise is there at any position.

26th Sep 2021, 11:07 am	#7
paolo Heptode Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 615	Re: Philips GF22103 Help Please Update: I am going to call time on this until I can replace the germanium’s in the amplifier. On 60s mono singles there is lots of volume but on later LPs and singles there’s a lot of noise and distortion. I have some on order but who knows when they will arrive!

26th Sep 2021, 11:36 am	#8
Herald1360 Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK. Posts: 16,535	Re: Philips GF22103 Help Please The noise could be brush sparking perhaps? Are there any suppression caps about it? __________________ ....__________ ....\|____\|\|__\|__\_____ .=.\| _---\__\|__\|_---_\|. .........O..Chris....O

26th Sep 2021, 6:41 pm	#10
ben Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Madrid, Spain / Wirral, UK Posts: 7,498	Re: Philips GF22103 Help Please Excellent tip from Chris and Merlinmaxwell. Motor noise seems fairly common on this series of machines with the centrifugal governor. Last week I repaired a GF110 which is slightly earlier than yours. That had leaky/tin whisker germanium transistors in the amp, so reduced volume and harsh sound. making a new heatsink for one of them provided a (temporary?) cure. __________________ Regards, Ben.

27th Sep 2021, 5:01 am	#11
paolo Heptode Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 615	Re: Philips GF22103 Help Please Excellent suggestions indeed Ben. Thank you Chris and Merlinmaxwell, the cap across the motor did the trick. Obvious in retrospect! Wonder why Phiiips didn’t fit one as a matter of routine? Probably to save the 0.001p per device! I changed the remaining 548 as it was the only one I hadn’t and now have plenty of gain in the amp. There’s still distortion though so I will report back when I get my replacement 127 and 128. Thanks all, Paul

9th Oct 2021, 10:41 am	#12
paolo Heptode Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 615	Re: Philips GF22103 Help Please Quick update on this. I am pleased to report that it is working really well now that the AC127 and AC128 output transistors have been replaced. The final issue was related to a dodgy GP200 cartridge that I thought was good but wasn’t. New one fitted and the job’s done! Thanks for all of the help and assistance! Paul Attached Thumbnails

11th Oct 2021, 5:34 pm	#13
ben Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Madrid, Spain / Wirral, UK Posts: 7,498	Re: Philips GF22103 Help Please Good news! Don't throw out the old head - it is quite easy to gut it and fit a Chuo Denshi clone cartridge into it. I have done this many a time. More recently I had some success by actually just replacing the internal ceramic element. One of these days I will make a thread on the subject. __________________ Regards, Ben.