MOGAMI RCA / NEUTRIK CONNECTS / INTERNAL GROUND
MOGAMI RCA / NEUTRIK CONNECTS / INTERNAL GROUND
The following is a step by step instruction guide on how to install your purchased RCA Kit.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that while we are offering these instructions to guide you we always suggest having a professional install your items and thus take no responsibilities to any damage done while installation. Please do so at your own risk.
Tools you will need:
Phillips Screw Driver (Looks like this "+")
Soldering Iron
Wire Cutter
Small Pliers
Tools you may need:
Heat Gun (For Pro Cables if needed) See below for details.
Step 1: Preparation is always important so lets start with that. Get something to organize your screws. There will be allot of screws so it helps if you get something with allot of different slots or if you don't have any little bowel or bags will due. Make sure all your tools and of course the RCA cables with Internal Ground PCB you ordered from us are in reach. At he back of the tone arm base you will see a locking mechanism. Unlock it and turn the tone arm base height adjustment to "0". (zero). If it does not turn and it is seized, you can write that down as another thing to do to get your turntable up to par. For now lock it back up and go on to Step 2.
Step 2: This may not sound important but it is. We need to prepare the turntable to be turned upside down SAFELY. To do this you will need to remove any accessories. For example the 45 Adapter. Next you will want to make sure your tone arm is on the arm rest and LOCKED. If you notice that your arm rest is worn we suggest using a twist tie and securing it do that when we flip the turntable upside down it stays in place though the entire procedure.
Step 3: Remove the platter. Simply place each middle finger in each hole on the platter and pull gently upward. The platter should slide off. If it does not, do not worry it has just been a while. Removing a stuck platter is remarkably easy however we have seen some people go at it like it was a vault they were trying to break into. DO NOT use force. there is no reason. Here is what you do. If you are right handed. Take your left hand middle finger and place into one of the holes on the platter. Take your right hand and grab a screw driver by the shaft. Once in your hand and ready while pulling up on the platter with your left hand give the spindle in the middle of the platter and knock with the handle end of the screw driver. You will be surprised how gentle of a tap it takes and how easy it comes off.
Step 4: So now you are ready to turn your Technics 1200 over. Remember when doing this we advise using a older style lid of a road case. If you do not have that then the dust cover is also good but remember it can scratch so place a towel under the dust cover to prevent scratches. Also if using a dust cover try and apply a little tape to the side so it does not slide too much. We leave this to you depending on how you feel. The key here is to not let any weight touch the tone arm while upside down. NO WEIGHT, Zero, nada. If you do your tone arm will bend and damage needing replacement. (Refer back to our "IMPORTANT NOTICE" above). So if your ready turn it over and rest it down on the lid.
Step 5: You will now see the under belly of the turntable. You will see 4 Feet. We need to remove those by spinning them counter clockwise until they come off. Set them aside. You will now notice screws under those feet. Remove all 4 screws from each corner. Set them aside in a bowel or bag marked "base corners". You will then find 6 screws along the outer edge. Remove those and set them aside in something marked "base outer edge". You will then find 11 screws in the center of the turntable in a circular fashion. Remove those and mark them as "base center". Now that all the base screws are removed and organized its time to remove the bottom cover. When doing so we find it is always best to grab and edge and start there using the exposed bottom aluminum to your advantage. Once one corner is up then the rest seem to follow. Keep in mind when removing the rubber base that the RCA cables and power cable run through it and will need to be guided out when the cover is loose. If your turntable is North American or European then you will be able to completely remove the rubber base and set it aside. If your turntable has the British AC plug then it is too big to slide through and you will need to set it aside with the cord still through it and continue on.
Step 6: You will notice that you have in the top right of the turntable a round plate with your RCA's coming from it. We will need to remove the clamper and stopper which hold the RCA's secure. Remove the two screws and set them aside marking them as "base plate". Next you will notice that the clamper and stopper are locked into one another. Look on the side and you will see how that it done. Simply lift the edges on each side and they will unlock. Remove the clamper and stopper and place them in the same place marked "base plate". If you do not have two pieces (clamper and stopper) see below. Now you will see two screws which hold the base place down. Unscrew those smaller screws and place them in the same place marked "base plate". Ok now slide the base plate all the way down the RCA's removing it at the end.
No Clamper and Stopper? This is due to the previous person before you that opened up the turntable and did not put the stopper back in. Most people do not return the stopper piece because they have installed RCA's which are too thick for the stopper and clamper to clamp around. So they just shrug their shoulders and toss the stopper and simply use the clamper to squeeze down the RCA's when putting it back together. Big mistake and we will get into why later. For now I suggest contacting us and ordering the stopper. For now though continue on.
Step 7: By now you have the RCA's, RCA PCB, and the Tone arm wires exposed. WARNING: Tone arm wires are thin and delicate thus easy to break. If you happen to break a tone arm wire you will have to buy a new tone arm. Big expense in comparison to the RCA's with PCB you just bought so please be careful. (Refer back to our "IMPORTANT NOTICE" above). Our next task is to remove the old RCA PCB and replace it with our new one. You will need your soldering iron for the next step so lets plug it in and heat it up. Remember the iron is hot and can burn you so please be careful. You will notice 5 tone are wires. From top to bottom the colors are as follows: BLUE, WHITE, RED, GREEN or BROWN, and BLACK. (Green if its an older tone arm Brown if it was manufactured recently). While holding each wire one at a time apply the soldering iron to the solder holding it in place. You will notice the solder melt. At this point gently pull on the tone arm wire to desolder it. Set the wire aside and out of your way. Move on to the next one and do the same until all 5 wires are desoldered.
Step 8: Now that you have all 5 tone arm wires desoldered try and move them out of the way by gently twisting them together to avoid damaging them.
Step 9: Now it is time to remove the old RCA's and PCB. There are two (2) screws on either side of your old PCB. Unscrew these. You will notice that there is one short and fat screw and one long thin screw. Set those screws aside but close. Once you remove those screws you will notice that you can almost remove it but its being held by the ground wire.
Step 10: Time to cut the old pesky Ground Wire. You will notice that the ground wire is attached to a ring connector at the post of the RCA PCB. There is another wire from that running across the tone arm base and running around the base then it disappears. Well it actually runs under the black clay weight you see and is attached to the Pitch control post. The wire from the post to the pitch control does NOT get cut. The only wire you will be cutting is the one from that post that runs out of your turntable with the RCA's. If you happen to cut the wrong one that is ok. Simply solder the wire from the pitch to the extra solder pad on the PCB. (See we think ahead) lol. So once you have cut the ground wire leading out of your turntable (at the screw post) its time get ready to install the new RCA's with PCB you purchased. Discard your old rca's and PCB.
Step 11: So its time now to install the New RCA's with Internal Ground PCB we have supplied you. Simply use the two screws you just removed and install the RCA PCB. The long screw should have the connector ring with the wire going to the pitch control still attached. Once the RCA PCB is firmly installed move on to the next step.
Step 12: We will now resolder the tone arm wires. Remember the tone arm wires are delicate and can snap easy so take your time doing this. We recommend starting from top to bottom. Grab the blue wire and apply your hot soldering iron to the first solder point on the PCB. Once the solder is melted (couple of seconds) slide the exposed part of the tone arm wire into the solder point. Remove the soldering iron and hold the wire in place while the solder cools remembering you still have a hot iron in your other hand. Do this for the remaining 4 wires (WHITE, RED, GREEN or BROWN, and BLACK).
Step 13: Unplug your soldering iron. You are finished with it however keep in mind it takes time to cool down so set it aside and out of ANYONE's reach. If you have children running around put it somewhere high and out of each. Safety first people.
Step 14: Grab your base plate and slide the RCA wires though it. Be sure that the perforated or beveled side is on top. You will notice that the RCA's slide through. Slide the base plate all the way to the base. Make sure the rectangular opening to the left. Apply the two small screws you put in the area marked "base plate". Now it is time for your to put the stopper and clamper in place. These two peices go on either side of the cable and once clicked together they are screwed down to the base plate.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that while we are offering these instructions to guide you we always suggest having a professional install your items and thus take no responsibilities to any damage done while installation. Please do so at your own risk.
Tools you will need:
Phillips Screw Driver (Looks like this "+")
Soldering Iron
Wire Cutter
Small Pliers
Tools you may need:
Heat Gun (For Pro Cables if needed) See below for details.
Step 1: Preparation is always important so lets start with that. Get something to organize your screws. There will be allot of screws so it helps if you get something with allot of different slots or if you don't have any little bowel or bags will due. Make sure all your tools and of course the RCA cables with Internal Ground PCB you ordered from us are in reach. At he back of the tone arm base you will see a locking mechanism. Unlock it and turn the tone arm base height adjustment to "0". (zero). If it does not turn and it is seized, you can write that down as another thing to do to get your turntable up to par. For now lock it back up and go on to Step 2.
Step 2: This may not sound important but it is. We need to prepare the turntable to be turned upside down SAFELY. To do this you will need to remove any accessories. For example the 45 Adapter. Next you will want to make sure your tone arm is on the arm rest and LOCKED. If you notice that your arm rest is worn we suggest using a twist tie and securing it do that when we flip the turntable upside down it stays in place though the entire procedure.
Step 3: Remove the platter. Simply place each middle finger in each hole on the platter and pull gently upward. The platter should slide off. If it does not, do not worry it has just been a while. Removing a stuck platter is remarkably easy however we have seen some people go at it like it was a vault they were trying to break into. DO NOT use force. there is no reason. Here is what you do. If you are right handed. Take your left hand middle finger and place into one of the holes on the platter. Take your right hand and grab a screw driver by the shaft. Once in your hand and ready while pulling up on the platter with your left hand give the spindle in the middle of the platter and knock with the handle end of the screw driver. You will be surprised how gentle of a tap it takes and how easy it comes off.
Step 4: So now you are ready to turn your Technics 1200 over. Remember when doing this we advise using a older style lid of a road case. If you do not have that then the dust cover is also good but remember it can scratch so place a towel under the dust cover to prevent scratches. Also if using a dust cover try and apply a little tape to the side so it does not slide too much. We leave this to you depending on how you feel. The key here is to not let any weight touch the tone arm while upside down. NO WEIGHT, Zero, nada. If you do your tone arm will bend and damage needing replacement. (Refer back to our "IMPORTANT NOTICE" above). So if your ready turn it over and rest it down on the lid.
Step 5: You will now see the under belly of the turntable. You will see 4 Feet. We need to remove those by spinning them counter clockwise until they come off. Set them aside. You will now notice screws under those feet. Remove all 4 screws from each corner. Set them aside in a bowel or bag marked "base corners". You will then find 6 screws along the outer edge. Remove those and set them aside in something marked "base outer edge". You will then find 11 screws in the center of the turntable in a circular fashion. Remove those and mark them as "base center". Now that all the base screws are removed and organized its time to remove the bottom cover. When doing so we find it is always best to grab and edge and start there using the exposed bottom aluminum to your advantage. Once one corner is up then the rest seem to follow. Keep in mind when removing the rubber base that the RCA cables and power cable run through it and will need to be guided out when the cover is loose. If your turntable is North American or European then you will be able to completely remove the rubber base and set it aside. If your turntable has the British AC plug then it is too big to slide through and you will need to set it aside with the cord still through it and continue on.
Step 6: You will notice that you have in the top right of the turntable a round plate with your RCA's coming from it. We will need to remove the clamper and stopper which hold the RCA's secure. Remove the two screws and set them aside marking them as "base plate". Next you will notice that the clamper and stopper are locked into one another. Look on the side and you will see how that it done. Simply lift the edges on each side and they will unlock. Remove the clamper and stopper and place them in the same place marked "base plate". If you do not have two pieces (clamper and stopper) see below. Now you will see two screws which hold the base place down. Unscrew those smaller screws and place them in the same place marked "base plate". Ok now slide the base plate all the way down the RCA's removing it at the end.
No Clamper and Stopper? This is due to the previous person before you that opened up the turntable and did not put the stopper back in. Most people do not return the stopper piece because they have installed RCA's which are too thick for the stopper and clamper to clamp around. So they just shrug their shoulders and toss the stopper and simply use the clamper to squeeze down the RCA's when putting it back together. Big mistake and we will get into why later. For now I suggest contacting us and ordering the stopper. For now though continue on.
Step 7: By now you have the RCA's, RCA PCB, and the Tone arm wires exposed. WARNING: Tone arm wires are thin and delicate thus easy to break. If you happen to break a tone arm wire you will have to buy a new tone arm. Big expense in comparison to the RCA's with PCB you just bought so please be careful. (Refer back to our "IMPORTANT NOTICE" above). Our next task is to remove the old RCA PCB and replace it with our new one. You will need your soldering iron for the next step so lets plug it in and heat it up. Remember the iron is hot and can burn you so please be careful. You will notice 5 tone are wires. From top to bottom the colors are as follows: BLUE, WHITE, RED, GREEN or BROWN, and BLACK. (Green if its an older tone arm Brown if it was manufactured recently). While holding each wire one at a time apply the soldering iron to the solder holding it in place. You will notice the solder melt. At this point gently pull on the tone arm wire to desolder it. Set the wire aside and out of your way. Move on to the next one and do the same until all 5 wires are desoldered.
Step 8: Now that you have all 5 tone arm wires desoldered try and move them out of the way by gently twisting them together to avoid damaging them.
Step 9: Now it is time to remove the old RCA's and PCB. There are two (2) screws on either side of your old PCB. Unscrew these. You will notice that there is one short and fat screw and one long thin screw. Set those screws aside but close. Once you remove those screws you will notice that you can almost remove it but its being held by the ground wire.
Step 10: Time to cut the old pesky Ground Wire. You will notice that the ground wire is attached to a ring connector at the post of the RCA PCB. There is another wire from that running across the tone arm base and running around the base then it disappears. Well it actually runs under the black clay weight you see and is attached to the Pitch control post. The wire from the post to the pitch control does NOT get cut. The only wire you will be cutting is the one from that post that runs out of your turntable with the RCA's. If you happen to cut the wrong one that is ok. Simply solder the wire from the pitch to the extra solder pad on the PCB. (See we think ahead) lol. So once you have cut the ground wire leading out of your turntable (at the screw post) its time get ready to install the new RCA's with PCB you purchased. Discard your old rca's and PCB.
Step 11: So its time now to install the New RCA's with Internal Ground PCB we have supplied you. Simply use the two screws you just removed and install the RCA PCB. The long screw should have the connector ring with the wire going to the pitch control still attached. Once the RCA PCB is firmly installed move on to the next step.
Step 12: We will now resolder the tone arm wires. Remember the tone arm wires are delicate and can snap easy so take your time doing this. We recommend starting from top to bottom. Grab the blue wire and apply your hot soldering iron to the first solder point on the PCB. Once the solder is melted (couple of seconds) slide the exposed part of the tone arm wire into the solder point. Remove the soldering iron and hold the wire in place while the solder cools remembering you still have a hot iron in your other hand. Do this for the remaining 4 wires (WHITE, RED, GREEN or BROWN, and BLACK).
Step 13: Unplug your soldering iron. You are finished with it however keep in mind it takes time to cool down so set it aside and out of ANYONE's reach. If you have children running around put it somewhere high and out of each. Safety first people.
Step 14: Grab your base plate and slide the RCA wires though it. Be sure that the perforated or beveled side is on top. You will notice that the RCA's slide through. Slide the base plate all the way to the base. Make sure the rectangular opening to the left. Apply the two small screws you put in the area marked "base plate". Now it is time for your to put the stopper and clamper in place. These two peices go on either side of the cable and once clicked together they are screwed down to the base plate.
Once the stopper and clamper are locked proceed to use the two longer screws found in your area marked "base plate" to screw it down. The part is now installed and complete.
Step 15: You will now need to guide the RCA cables through the "round hole" in the rubber base and the power cord through the "oval / rectangular hole" in the rubber base.
* If you noticed when removing the cover two small plates fell out the back side... simply place them behind the hinge plates and slide the cover on with them in between the rubber base and the hinge plates. They are used to thread the hinge plates on if you decide to use them later.
Now seat the rubber base in place making sure to guide your RCA's completely through the rubber base as they can at times get squished under the rubber if not pulled through completely.
TIP: Before proceeding: We are almost done but I would like to point something out before proceeding. Look at each corner of the turntable and try to imagine where the long rubber base screws go in once the base is back on. If you are looking in each corner your looking in the right place. Notice that all 4 corners have a spot threaded for the long screws into the aluminum cabinet. All expect one. The one in the bottom right hand is actually threaded into the plastic mold for the Power / Start Stop / 33 / 45 buttons. Because this is plastic when you are screwing this particular screw back in only tighten it until you feel resistance otherwise you will crack the threaded post and the screw will no longer stay in place. Just a tip.
Step 16: Grab the long screws found in your area marked "base corners" and screw them into the 4 corners of the rubber base. REMEMBER the bottom right one only tighten lightly to avoid breaking the threaded plastic post. the rest can be firmly tightened.
Step 17: Grab the screws in your area marked "base outer edge" and screw them into the 6 holes found along the entire edge.
Step 18: Grab the screws in your area marked "base center" and screw them into the 11 holes in the circular center area.
Step 19: Install all 4 feet by screwing them back in clockwise.
Step 20: Turn your turntable back upright and put your platter back on.
Step 21: Plug the power cord in and RCA's into your mixer / sound card / or amplifier and test your sound.
Step 22: Pat yourself on the back as a job well done.
IMPORTANT: If you are having any ground hum or noise issues after install please review that you have followed the instructions above. If you need further technical support feel free to call us at 1-833-751-2007 or email us at contact@technics1200s.com as we will try and help.
Step 16: Grab the long screws found in your area marked "base corners" and screw them into the 4 corners of the rubber base. REMEMBER the bottom right one only tighten lightly to avoid breaking the threaded plastic post. the rest can be firmly tightened.
Step 17: Grab the screws in your area marked "base outer edge" and screw them into the 6 holes found along the entire edge.
Step 18: Grab the screws in your area marked "base center" and screw them into the 11 holes in the circular center area.
Step 19: Install all 4 feet by screwing them back in clockwise.
Step 20: Turn your turntable back upright and put your platter back on.
Step 21: Plug the power cord in and RCA's into your mixer / sound card / or amplifier and test your sound.
Step 22: Pat yourself on the back as a job well done.
IMPORTANT: If you are having any ground hum or noise issues after install please review that you have followed the instructions above. If you need further technical support feel free to call us at 1-833-751-2007 or email us at contact@technics1200s.com as we will try and help.