Magnepan Unitrac

[Descartridge]

Looking for a technician to work on my Magnepan tonearm.
PLMK.

 

[bang4buck]

Bump. I think @Blue Shadow is our resident expert.

 

[Blue Shadow]

I've replaced the cable connector on one of mine, the end in the arm and the end on the phono cable but @Russellc has rewired one IIRC. I don't know that rewiring is much more work than replacing the connectors as the arm is disassembled to a point that shoving some wire through the tube and locking it in place is just a step or two more.

Would be good to know what kind of work you need done on the arm.

 

[Russellc]

No, I never rewired mine, but someone here did. I queried them on it, but mine works so /i didnt fix it...Member who did this was successful, I remember that. I remember it took the tiniest wire.

Russellc

 

[Russellc]

I've replaced the cable connector on one of mine, the end in the arm and the end on the phono cable but @Russellc has rewired one IIRC. I don't know that rewiring is much more work than replacing the connectors as the arm is disassembled to a point that shoving some wire through the tube and locking it in place is just a step or two more.

Would be good to know what kind of work you need done on the arm.

I probably asked back when you did it, what did you replace the connector that plugged into the arm with? I recall the Amperall part was no longer available.
Whoever did the rewire did away with it and hardwired to the arn IIRC?

Russellc

 

[Blue Shadow]

I used a Cardas connector and installed the mating end to the Magnepan tonearm cable. Since that cable had what appeared to be puppy teeth marks on the short suspension mobility jumper, I replaced that piece with a chuck of Mogami wire that is very similar. Needed to keep the suspension mobility to use the arm on a TD-125. Happy with the results.

A rewire to include the RCAs to the phono amp would be a step up, I'd guess but that means rewiring the arm and I didn't need to do that.

 

[Russellc]

I used a Cardas connector and installed the mating end to the Magnepan tonearm cable. Since that cable had what appeared to be puppy teeth marks on the short suspension mobility jumper, I replaced that piece with a chuck of Mogami wire that is very similar. Needed to keep the suspension mobility to use the arm on a TD-125. Happy with the results.

A rewire to include the RCAs to the phono amp would be a step up, I'd guess but that means rewiring the arm and I didn't need to do that.

Let me make sure what you mean, you replaced the part that plugs into the bottom of the the tonearm? So you used a cardas on end of cable, and replaced matching plug in the bottom of arm with matching cardas? As I recall, the one in bottom of arm is not compatible with standard din plug, right? Or no?

Russellc

 

[Russellc]

I guess we should hunt up that repair thread and link to it. It is the only instance of one being repaired that I recall seeing. Most consider the arm toast if the cable is dead.

Russellc

 

[Blue Shadow]

Yes, I removed the Amphenol connector and installed a 5-pin DIN and used the matching female on the cable end.

It was not hard taking the arm apart enough to do this but care taken to prevent any broken wires. The connector had to be creatively installed in the arm, too but that is one thing I'm not bad at accomplishing.

I did not look into the arm for the possibility of using new wires but that would only be a problem if the arm had a restriction and I'm guessing it does, that would prevent running the wires through the arm. Just another obstacle, it would seem.

 

[Blue Shadow]

I guess we should hunt up that repair thread and link to it. It is the only instance of one being repaired that I recall seeing. Most consider the arm toast if the cable is dead.

Russellc

This thread: http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/in...onearm-almost-a-rebuild-detailed-long.753688/

Notice I did not separate the unipivot and there is plenty of wire to be able to remove the connector from the arm if the wiring held with tacky material on the bottom of the cueing platform is loosened enough to allow it to move freely. You can see the wiring exiting the tonearm and this is how new wire would need to be installed, or from the other end. At the other end, I don't know if it would be easy to connect new wiring to the four pins and one might have to just use cartridge tags on the ends of the wires and not use the Magnepan wiring harness.

 

[hifitommy]

blue shadow....are you capable of rewiring a grace 707?

 

[Blue Shadow]

blue shadow....are you capable of rewiring a grace 707?

Don't know, never had one. I've had a Magnepan since early 81 and have mounted a few of them so getting further into them was not a problem. The gimbal on the 707 appears to need two-pin wrenches to open and I don't see how the DIN connector is captured in the arm base and it would need to come out. I don't think it would be too difficult if these issues were known.