Featured Post

Beogram Commander Remote Control: Maybe This is the Final Version!..;-)

This is a follow up to my recent post about the redesigned Beogram Commander remote control board, which now works in both (DC-motor) Beogr...

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Beogram 4002 (5503): A First Look

I started working on an AC-motor Beogram 4002 (5503), which was procured from ebay a while ago.  I had provided the seller with a Beolover double boxed shipping container and detailed instructions. Luckily the seller heeded my advice and did a decent job, which ensured that the unit arrived in good condition. Here are a few first impressions:

The aluminum surfaces are dirty but in pretty good condition. Especially the platter has very few blemishes, which is pretty rare.
The keypad has the usual finger smudges on the most used keys:
One of the plinth corners is pretty nice:
The other has some veneer damage on the corner:
I found a paper clip taped to the tonearm, which indicates there may be some issues with the tracking weight adjustment:
I removed the aluminum panels and found a largely original setup:
There are the usual transport lock fragments, indicating crumbled lock bushings:
I plugged the unit in, and was able to start the carriage and the motor. But the STOP key does not work, and I had to drive the carriage all the way to the end to trigger the automatic arm return mechanism. Maybe just a broken cable or bad contact. We will see. 
The hood is in pretty good condition, but has the usual scratches and marks from storing the unit in an unkind environment. It probably can be restored.
In summary, a pretty good starting point for a restoration.




No comments:

Post a Comment

Comments and suggestions are welcome!