Looking for Some Help with Princess 1493

[gskillic]

I've been blowing off the dust after several year with  a restored and previously functioning Princess 1493. The push-button selector panel functions erratically. I push the left letter button followed by the number button in the right column. The number button pops back out and I can hear a motor sound, but the record selection function does not occur. This happens most of the time. There seems to be no correlation between letters and numbers selected and can't always be repeated. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

[jukenorman]

Are you saying that the number pushbutton doesn't latch?
Norman.

[Ron Rich]

Can one assume this phono has not been used in several years-- can we assume you have read our "Hi Newbies" post in the FAQ's section here--and you have the Service Manual ? Ron Rich

[gskillic]

Thanks Norman and Rich. Yes, the numbers sometimes latch but not usually. That seems to be the primary issue. When they do latch the mechanism continues to place and play the record normally. There doesn't seem to be any consistency with which letters or numbers are played.

Rich, thank you for pointing out the Newbie post. I'll look at that. It's rarely been used. Probably several since played. I do have the service manual but it hasn't been of much help for this problem. I did lubricate per the manual a year or two ago.

Gary

[Ron Rich]

Hi Gary,
If you have an air compressor, use it on the keyboard, inside and out-- use a soft painters brush at the same time. Use A very tiny DROP, of 20 wt. oil on the latch bars, where the slide or contact other metal--Do NOT get oil on, or near the latch solenoid ! If it was OK rior, it needs ZERO 'adjustment"-- Ron Rich

[gskillic]

Rich before I go too deep and risk doing damage I have a very basic operational question. I do recognize the principal "if it ain't broke don't fix it". In the operation of the selector switches should 1. I depress a letter key and the key stays down 2. Next I press a number key and the key does not stay but pops back up 3. If I hold down the number key the inner & outer selector assemblies rotate until it apparently reaches the correct position and the mechanism actuates the record selection. Is this the expected user operation and the expected result or should the number key "latch" and I not have to hold it down? Perhaps this is the way I should expect it to operated. I thank you for assistance. I'm an electrical engineer but humbled by the electromechanical nightmare of a juke box!

[Ron Rich]

No sir-- it should mechanically latch, and hold the buttons down till the selection process has advanced to the point it "writes in" the selection to memory. Ron Rich