CED VideoDisc and Player Discussion

Daxi Don · Joined: 24 Dec 2006 Posts: 57 Location: Indiana

[CEDatum recently received a carton of 25 'NOS' stylus cartridges. These were the RCA 154216 type for the SJT and SKT players. The evaluation result was: 11 good - these carts gave a nice picture and sound. 4 had corroded and weak fly leads. They made an intermittant picture with multiple forward skips. Not usable. And 10 were duds. This carton yielded only 44% good carts. Last year we evaluated a carton of 100 154100 carts - for the RCA SGT100/200 and 250 which had been stored in a warehouse. Only 4 out of the hundred were good.
The last production of CED cartridges was in the mid 1980's. So in 2012 every cartridge is at least 27 years old- not 'NEW' but Vintage. N.O.S could be No Output Signal !
If you buy a CED cartridge from an on-line supplier or auction make sure that it can be returned or you can get your money back if the cartridge is a dud when you receive it.

Amanda at CEDatum.

Beetlescott · Joined: 03 Oct 2010 Posts: 2085

Thanks for the heads up on this. Are you saying that even though they are bad, does that mean they can't be rebuilt? When I bid on a new one I expect to have John at CEDatum look at it. So the majority of these are completely unfixable?
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Daxi Don · Joined: 24 Dec 2006 Posts: 57 Location: Indiana

[Answer to Beetlescott. They are all fixable.

The 4 cartridges that have weak and corroded fly leads can be repaired. The 10 duds. The ones we find that have good diamond tips can be repaired. The others can be rebuilt with a new stylus which is more expensive to do since a new diamond tip will be installed.

The guys, Don or John usually work on the RCA cartridges. I get the Sanyo and Hitachi carts that require special techniques.

Amanda for CEDatum.

cbertra2 · Joined: 29 Dec 2004 Posts: 159

What is different about the Sanyo cartridge? I thought they were identical to the RCA cartridge.

Beetlescott · Joined: 03 Oct 2010 Posts: 2085

blindfury420 · Joined: 26 Jan 2011 Posts: 1036

Beetlescott · Joined: 03 Oct 2010 Posts: 2085

Daxi Don · Joined: 24 Dec 2006 Posts: 57 Location: Indiana

CEDatum is a loose association of CED hobbists. We happen to all live in central Indiana. Add Howard's name to the list.

To answer CBertra 2's question. The Sanyo stylus is almost the same as the 149000 stylus used in the SFT100W player. These stylus carts can be intechanged.
Sanyo mounts the stylus diamond tip on the stylus arm in a different way to the RCA cartridge. Amanda has the special equipment to re-tip the Sanyo cartridge.
Hitachi cartridges also have a different design.

Daxi Don

Jesse Skeen · Joined: 28 May 2004 Posts: 532 Location: Sacramento, CA

What was the last year RCA made stylus cartridges? In 1994 I bought two 'brand-new' ones from an RCA dealer for $50 each, the person there thought they were still making them but I wasn't sure (no internet then) so I got 2 just to be safe. I still haven't had to use them yet, and no I'm not parting with them except for an insanely rare disc or something like that!
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