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Old 11-20-2021, 10:33 PM
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Electronic M Electronic M is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Pewaukee/Delafield Wi
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If you have a working amp with phono input or line input you could connect it to test it, but odds are the cartridge is shot.

I've owned probably 30 phonos with those crystal cartridges and only 4 had usable carts.
The Rochelle salt piezoelectric crystals that form the heart of the cartridge are suceptible to disintegrate when exposed to moisturize and or significant changes in humidity. The ceramic cartridges that replaced them in the 50s were a major step forward.

It's possible to rebuild them with new Rochelle salt or the piezoelectric element for a modern buzzer (haven't had success with either method), west tech services will do a rebuild for something like $40.
What I do is go to eBay and buy those Chuo Denshi cartridges that new production Crosley phonos use (you can get them for $1.50 a piece) and either fabricate a metal mounting strap from VERY thin sheet steel or if I'm feeling lazy I'll cut a nice square block out of large eraser the right size that allows me to glue the block to the cart, then glue that into the arm so the needle is where I want it relative to the arm.

BTW if this recordio has a second arm for recording there's more than 50-50 odds that it's crystal too and just as dead. That one you will need west tech to rebuild since I don't think any replacement is available.
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