Beogram 4004 (5526): Final Adjustments and Test Drive with Freddie Hubbard's High Energy!

After restoring the work keypad of the Beogram 4004 (5526) that I am restoring right now, it was time to do the final adjustments and then give it a spin. As usual I started out by adjusting the subclasses and the platter to be accurately positioned vertically and horizontally within the enclosure The platter needs to be flush with the surrounding aluminum panels, the arms horizontal in the right distance from the platter, while the sub-chassis needs to be centered between the transport lock brackets. Not an easy feat considering the many variables that go into solving this 'equation'. After that was done, it was time to adjust the tracking sensor:

The picture shows the adjustment of the light intensity of the Beolover tracking sensor light source that I implemented earlier. A convenient 'upgrade' that makes it much easier to adjust the tracking feedback precisely. After establishing proper tracking, I went on and adjusted the arm lowering limit:

When the arm is lowered without a record present, the needle should miss the lower parts of the black ribs on the platter by about a mm. This is a safety feature to protect the needle in case the record detection mechanism is malfunctioning.

After that was done, I did the final adjustment, which is the tracking weight. The first step is to upgrade the standard B&O design, which uses a locking washer to hold the arm counter weight in place:

This design may be sufficient if the deck is adjusted after setting it up in your living room, but any weight calibration done with it will not survive the rigors of shipping. Therefore, I usually replace the washer with a M3 nut and a standard washer:

This allows to secure the counterweight in place once everything has been calibrated.

The final step was to adjust the tracking weight with a digital scale:

And then it was finally time to give this lovely Beogram 4004 a spin. I selected a recent acquisition to my rapidly expanding vinyl collection, Freddie Hubbard's High Energy. I bought it via Discogs in near mint condition. After ultrasonically cleaning it with my CleanerVinyl Pro, it sounded like new. This album is usually underrated by the jazz reviewer set, who think that smooth sounding jazz is something that is inferior. All I know is that after I bought it it became rapidly one of my favorite Freddie Hubbard albums...I guess music critics are a bit like oneologists: It is helpful for their resumees if they have strong public opinions...;-). I generally follow my own advice when it comes to music and so here we go:

What a lovely sight and sound! Beolovely!