Hello everyone. I am completing the restoration of my record player, radio and the mercury switch is non operational when I open and close the door to the phono. It looks like there are two caps in a block near the switch, but the schematic that is available here does not give cap values, does anyone have any idea on what values to use on these 2 caps? Would they cause the switch to malfunction? I currently have the switch bypassed.

:Hello everyone. I am completing the restoration of my record player, radio and the mercury switch is non operational when I open and close the door to the phono. It looks like there are two caps in a block near the switch, but the schematic that is available here does not give cap values, does anyone have any idea on what values to use on these 2 caps? Would they cause the switch to malfunction? I currently have the switch bypassed.
:
Got me. Never encountered one with caps for the switch...since I don't have the scheme for it..I have no idea..But...Have you thought of using a open/close type switch in it's place? There are so many out there.

::Hello everyone. I am completing the restoration of my record player, radio and the mercury switch is non operational when I open and close the door to the phono. It looks like there are two caps in a block near the switch, but the schematic that is available here does not give cap values, does anyone have any idea on what values to use on these 2 caps? Would they cause the switch to malfunction? I currently have the switch bypassed.
::
:Got me. Never encountered one with caps for the switch...since I don't have the scheme for it..I have no idea..But...Have you thought of using a open/close type switch in it's place? There are so many out there.
:
Would it be a 49-1401?
http://www.nostalgiaair.org/PagesByModel/645/M0013645.pdf
Carl T

:::Hello everyone. I am completing the restoration of my record player, radio and the mercury switch is non operational when I open and close the door to the phono. It looks like there are two caps in a block near the switch, but the schematic that is available here does not give cap values, does anyone have any idea on what values to use on these 2 caps? Would they cause the switch to malfunction? I currently have the switch bypassed.
:::
::Got me. Never encountered one with caps for the switch...since I don't have the scheme for it..I have no idea..But...Have you thought of using a open/close type switch in it's place? There are so many out there.
::
:Would it be a 49-1401?
:http://www.nostalgiaair.org/PagesByModel/645/M0013645.pdf
:Carl T
:
It is 46-1401, and the schematic is on the site, but does not list the values of any of the caps. This is a mercury switch, not a regular switch. It is activated by a cable attached to the door that drops down. There are definitely 2 capacitors hear the switch that show in the diagram with the schematic.

have the Sams for the M-7 turntable. Capacitors have nothing to do with the mercury switch. This mercury switch is similar to what would be found in an old wall thermostat. The angle or tilt would determine if it makes contact or not. I also have the Sams for the Philco 49-1401. The only capacitor in the phono is a .01

:have the Sams for the M-7 turntable. Capacitors have nothing to do with the mercury switch. This mercury switch is similar to what would be found in an old wall thermostat. The angle or tilt would determine if it makes contact or not. I also have the Sams for the Philco 49-1401. The only capacitor in the phono is a .01
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Thank you, I will adjust the switch and see what that does.

It would be better to see if the mercury switch is still working as a switch. Connect an ohm meter across the switch. Tilt the unit back and forth. One way should read open, the other way closed. It may be the mercury is long gone. If this is the case, that old wall thermostat has a glass filed mercury tube type switch. This can be fabricated for use as a replacement. It is see though so you can get the angle right.

:Hello everyone. I am completing the restoration of my record player, radio and the mercury switch is non operational when I open and close the door to the phono. It looks like there are two caps in a block near the switch, but the schematic that is available here does not give cap values, does anyone have any idea on what values to use on these 2 caps? Would they cause the switch to malfunction? I currently have the switch bypassed.
:

DaveF, I can not locate a schematic on site for a 46-1201 Philco. Is the model number right? PL

::Hello everyone. I am completing the restoration of my record player, radio and the mercury switch is non operational when I open and close the door to the phono. It looks like there are two caps in a block near the switch, but the schematic that is available here does not give cap values, does anyone have any idea on what values to use on these 2 caps? Would they cause the switch to malfunction? I currently have the switch bypassed.
::
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:DaveF, I can not locate a schematic on site for a 46-1401 Philco. Is the model number right? Sorry about first post with 1201 PL
:

:::Hello everyone. I am completing the restoration of my record player, radio and the mercury switch is non operational when I open and close the door to the phono. It looks like there are two caps in a block near the switch, but the schematic that is available here does not give cap values, does anyone have any idea on what values to use on these 2 caps? Would they cause the switch to malfunction? I currently have the switch bypassed.
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::DaveF, I can not locate a schematic on site for a 46-1401 Philco. Is the model number right? Sorry about first post with 1201 PL
::
:
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Hi Dave, I have the original service manuals for this unit model M-7 , it does show the mercury switch but no caps??
are you sure someone did not modify the unit somehow in the past ? There are no caps on the turntable base anywhere on the service manual, I can scan the manual and e-mail it to you if you like?
Thanks
Elton

::::Hello everyone. I am completing the restoration of my record player, radio and the mercury switch is non operational when I open and close the door to the phono. It looks like there are two caps in a block near the switch, but the schematic that is available here does not give cap values, does anyone have any idea on what values to use on these 2 caps? Would they cause the switch to malfunction? I currently have the switch bypassed.
::::
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:::DaveF, I can not locate a schematic on site for a 46-1401 Philco. Is the model number right? Sorry about first post with 1201 PL
:::
::
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:Hi Dave, I have the original service manuals for this unit model M-7 , it does show the mercury switch but no caps??
:are you sure someone did not modify the unit somehow in the past ? There are no caps on the turntable base anywhere on the service manual, I can scan the manual and e-mail it to you if you like?
:Thanks
:Elton
:
I disassembled the mercury switch "assembly" which is mounted on a Philco Bakelite Block Capacitor # 390300G, which on the schematic, two caps, .001 according to the description of this block on the Philco repair site. I have not tested this block as of yet, I am wondering if one of the caps is open which would result in the phono not going on with the switch. The unit powers up, just the mercury switch assembly which is connected to the motor does not actuate. I have to bypass it in order for the phono to work.

Test the mercury switch with your ohm meter across it. Tilt it one way, it's open, the other way it's closed. It is a simple on-off switch. With no capacitors at all it would work.

:Test the mercury switch with your ohm meter across it. Tilt it one way, it's open, the other way it's closed. It is a simple on-off switch. With no capacitors at all it would work.
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I replaced the defective mercury switch with one from an old themostate, worked fine. The new issue is just that when the "lid" of the 1401 is upright, the phono plays the record without distortion right from the begining, but when it is "closed or down" , the phono sounds muffled and distorted until it is about midpoint on the record. I cannot find anything that could be causing this, does anyone have a suggestion on where to look?

The problems seem all mechanical. You would need to run the turntable out of the cabinet to observe what’s going on. Maybe set the turntable on blocks to watch it in action. The Sams shows all the adjustments to be made, but from what you describe it sounds like a tone arm fault. Tilt, drag, weight, binding ?? This is what you should be looking at as the cartridge and needle track the record. The lid cables do have some effect on the tone arm action. Might be just an adjustment there.