C-800 Contemporary coming home....
- Thread starter larryderouin
- Start date
FISHER to my knowledge never used PECAN as a stain color or veneer. They pretty much stayed with the stuff listed on the sheets. I've seen sheets dating back to the late 40's and it doesn't vary much if any from the 1960's listing. The letters denoted the cabinet styling 1st and the finish usually stayed with a cabinet style thruout.
BACK ON TOPIC Installed the Grill cloth today. I broke out the 3m Fabric adhesive and the staple gun. My staple gun crapped out after 1 side, and not having enough to buy another one, I got out the Thumb tacks. 1 tack every 1/2" and hammered in. I can never get the top and bottom aligned straight. It's damned near drum tight. I appropriated the badge from the C-55 carcass and angled it instead of horizontal. I think it gives it some additional charm.
I removed the disintegrating "Kimsulation" (the Black/Brown pleated paper stuff), and glued in batt's of R-11 to the sides, bottom and the back of the cabinet, along with the top with cutouts for the chassis screws, and stuffed the holes for the antenna's, and speaker wires. That by itself tightened up the bass a lot, and reduced the rumble from the cartridge by at least 75%. I haven't replaced the 2uf and 20uf caps yet, as my cap checker show's they are still good and not leaking. Power factors for them are correct also. Refinishing the outside is slated for summer 2016.
BACK ON TOPIC Installed the Grill cloth today. I broke out the 3m Fabric adhesive and the staple gun. My staple gun crapped out after 1 side, and not having enough to buy another one, I got out the Thumb tacks. 1 tack every 1/2" and hammered in. I can never get the top and bottom aligned straight. It's damned near drum tight. I appropriated the badge from the C-55 carcass and angled it instead of horizontal. I think it gives it some additional charm.
I removed the disintegrating "Kimsulation" (the Black/Brown pleated paper stuff), and glued in batt's of R-11 to the sides, bottom and the back of the cabinet, along with the top with cutouts for the chassis screws, and stuffed the holes for the antenna's, and speaker wires. That by itself tightened up the bass a lot, and reduced the rumble from the cartridge by at least 75%. I haven't replaced the 2uf and 20uf caps yet, as my cap checker show's they are still good and not leaking. Power factors for them are correct also. Refinishing the outside is slated for summer 2016.
TheRed1
Console Conservationist
I like the babushka on your C-800, Larry. Listening to mine now. Had to sort out antenna issues this morning. One of the co-ax couplers outside had rusted and ceased passing signal. Amazingly, it was still picking up most stations but they were noisy and the Micro-Ray was barely budging. Made the mistake of leaving it on while I sorted the problem. When I came back in the house it was blaring. WAMU now closes the EM-84 to within about 1/4".
Dulles is using 1R/19L today so I can track each arriving flight by watching the tuning eye bounce as the multipath goes into and out of phase. I'd switch over to AM except my favorite station, WKCW 1420 has been off air since the big snow. Hope they are OK and can start transmitting again.
Dulles is using 1R/19L today so I can track each arriving flight by watching the tuning eye bounce as the multipath goes into and out of phase. I'd switch over to AM except my favorite station, WKCW 1420 has been off air since the big snow. Hope they are OK and can start transmitting again.
relaximus
Consoles 'Я' Us
I was very lucky and shocked to find the insulation in mine completely intact and in amazing condition.
Dave
On initial presentation it looked good, but when something rubbed against it (like a wire), it literally fell apart. With it that fragile I'm surprised it held up the 65 miles over DC's and Md.'s notoriously crappy main roads (I-295 and such). I had a 10ft length of R-11 batt that was the right width, so in it went after testing it with out any insulation. Bass is somewhat subdued now, but that's due to the loss of boominess and the woofer probably doesn't go below 80-100Hz. And because of that the mids have pushed their way out some more, the whole becoming more balanced.
So the C-800 is except for a couple of things that will be taken care of as time allows, DONE!
So the C-800 is except for a couple of things that will be taken care of as time allows, DONE!
OH YEAH!!!
The Lighter color and the weave are a better fit than the darker original. I think it will repel staining better than the original also. Gotta get another can of Scotch-Guard before my klutzy 3 year old grandson comes over next weekend, and spray the grill. 
I need a couple more yards of this stuff for my Futura. It's a good mix with the Dark Walnut and looks really good.
The Lighter color and the weave are a better fit than the darker original. I think it will repel staining better than the original also. Gotta get another can of Scotch-Guard before my klutzy 3 year old grandson comes over next weekend, and spray the grill. I need a couple more yards of this stuff for my Futura. It's a good mix with the Dark Walnut and looks really good.
relaximus
Consoles 'Я' Us
I wish I had more to send you. I bought the end of the roll just before the company folded. I have no idea if they sold the pattern to someone else as the contact I had there seems to have fallen off the face of the planet.
Dave
No problem, Dave.I've got a 61 Coronet cabinet I'm using for donor parts. The grill cloth on that one is in really great shape and it's a bit larger than the '65 Futura. I'll see what I can do with that cloth. .
Your donation was greatly appreciated and embodied the ideals of AUDIOKARMA.
Thank you Sir.
Larry
Your donation was greatly appreciated and embodied the ideals of AUDIOKARMA.
Thank you Sir.
Larry
I've been fiddling with the RC-121 for the last few days. After serious cleaning of the chassis and lube, all systems work fine. It did have a lot of flutter which I traced down to the motor. The bronze bushings and the shaft were in excellent shape and were degreased with acetone, and relubed. Still fluttered. So meggered the windings and got a fairly low reading, so i broke out the Electrical DeGreaser and degreased the rotor and stator housings and windings. Let them dry overnight and tried again with the megger. Still low. So into the oven @ 170 for 8 hours. In the meantime I tore the motor out of a parts donor RC-88. Turns out the stator windings are slightly larger on the RC-88 motor than the RC-121's motor so I broke out the dremel and did some trimming on the motor mount just in case I ever needed it.
After the motor baked for 8 hours and cooled, I meggered it again. No change. So I trashed it salvageing the little parts. Installed the RC-88 motor and fired it up.
Put on the 1939 Carnegie Hall Concert by Glenn Miller. The sax's didn't sound like yodeler's in the swiss alps now and the strobe was stable and showed less than 1rpm off. Auto functions all work fine, and I got the RPX to Under 4.5grams. It's still got a low hum (rumble) and I need to put a ground strap on it, but otherwise it's done. Now i can listen to all my old Mono records. Gonna have to check out these other 3 phono EQ's. I've been setting it to RIAA so I haven't noticed any difference from any of my other FISHER's.
After the motor baked for 8 hours and cooled, I meggered it again. No change. So I trashed it salvageing the little parts. Installed the RC-88 motor and fired it up.
Put on the 1939 Carnegie Hall Concert by Glenn Miller. The sax's didn't sound like yodeler's in the swiss alps now and the strobe was stable and showed less than 1rpm off. Auto functions all work fine, and I got the RPX to Under 4.5grams. It's still got a low hum (rumble) and I need to put a ground strap on it, but otherwise it's done. Now i can listen to all my old Mono records. Gonna have to check out these other 3 phono EQ's. I've been setting it to RIAA so I haven't noticed any difference from any of my other FISHER's.
Need an RC121 motor? I have the remains of a 121 chassis here if you need parts. It did run, but i never did any further testing on the motor. I seem to remember it having speed problems. I scrapped it when I couldn't make it run right. That console ended up with an AT6 in it, which I think is a much better changer anyway. I actually originally bought the RC88 to put into that console, but it wouldn't fit. The 88 with its RPX became my 78 changer.
Thanks but other than the motor it works perfect. I've got the RPX balanced about 4.0gr which is as low as I can get it and still sound good. I ran that Glenn Miller LP @ 11 with both Bass and treble all the way up.
1 o'clock jump was OUTSTANDING! Then I threw a Harry James LP on it and played 1 o'clock Jump again. This time was better with Harry James going to F over high C during solo. I played trombone in Orchestra, Marching and Jazz band in High School and I could feel the guys sitting or standing around me when I had my eyes closed!
1 o'clock jump was OUTSTANDING! Then I threw a Harry James LP on it and played 1 o'clock Jump again. This time was better with Harry James going to F over high C during solo. I played trombone in Orchestra, Marching and Jazz band in High School and I could feel the guys sitting or standing around me when I had my eyes closed!
I think the problem with the RC-121 motor is that the stator windings were wrapped in heavy cloth that was shellac'ed. Over time they became oil soaked and the windings lost resistance between them. The RC-88 motors have a plastic wrap that is sealed and the windings don't get oil soaked.
sruddy
Super Member
Larry,
If you are interested in adding a little sparkle to the top end, these Foster horns from a Zenith Allegro speaker are a drop-in replacement for the cone tweeter. Same size, same screw spacing.
Dave
Larry, Just catching up on your thread. I thought I was watching it but I was mistaken and missed everything except first page. I added one of the above tweeters to mine and it didn't add any sparkle at all. I have been wanting to get the treble back but don't know what the issue is so I think I'll visit the speaker forum experts.
BTW Nice job!!!
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Its actually shellac and not varnish? I would expect varnish for electrical insulation and durability. Shellac also doesn't cure like varnish does, it simply dries out. Apply some alcohol and its liquid again.
Have you replaced the original caps in the crossover?
+1 on changing the caps too. I haven't done that on mine yet as it has plenty of high's and mids.
sruddy
Super Member
Yep
