Heljan Turntable

[55F]

Following a couple of years of superb operation [should be at that price!], it has been completely covered up due work in progress.  I am fairly meticulous about covering up between sessions.

 

On return to service it worked fine for a few operating sessions and then started operating jerkily. I tried various things......vacuuming, careful oiling according to the instructions etc.  Then recalibration.  Several repeats of this process.  No joy.  Tried a re-set and re-programme.  During the calibration it rotated almost normally but during re-programming it is extremely slow with un-commanded stops and just doesn't appear to do anything as it should.  Have tried the usual, switching off etc.  No joy at all.

 

Thoughts please and any help/suggestions will be appreciated.

 

55F

[bécasse]

One obvious possibility is that one of the plastic gears has split. Those who have had a loco with similar problems will recognise the symptoms!

[The Black Hat]

It might be that the contacts are dirty and need to be cleaned. I had trouble with mine and need to brush them to remove dirt so that the table flows well.

[66C]

One of the things that you need to be aware of in regard to the Heljan turntable is that if the wiper contacts in the centre do not make good contact, the table will behave as described or possibly not at all.  Adjust the sping contacts carefully so that when the turntable bridge is put in place you can just feel the "spring" of the contacts being taken up.

 

Another potential problem is ballast grit or other particles getting caught up in the gear train.  The cover can be removed and the gears persuaded out in order to clean them - be aware that considerable care is required to do this!  One bit of ballast can be enough to stall the whole mechanism - no guesses for how I know that!

 

Regards.

[roundhouse]

On Roundhouse I have often had problems with the brass wipers where the spigot of the deck fits. It can take quite osem time to adjust them so that the track pickup and deck roation all work at the same time. I know some who dont have this problem at all.

 

With regards dirt in the gears on the turntable deck I regualarly clean them out moving them on a bit by putting back into the turntable well and moving just a fraction before lifting it out and cleaning thegears a bit more. Laborious but wroth it.

 

I also use a small Dyson hoover to clean out the well before each operating session to make sure that any loose grit / ballast sonet get into the teeth in the well.

[55F]

Thanks for the helpful suggestions.  I have done much meticulous cleaning of all the relevant parts and, although I didn't find anything specific, it is now working Ok. I would have liked to 'find' the cause of the troubles.......but beggars can't be choosers!!

 

Thanks again all. 

[roundhouse]

I know. I have been in exactly the same situation.

 

Some times it works fine. Other times it doesn't.

 

Despite that, its still a great bit of kit.

[Austrag]

I have had two and both are scrapped with similar problems. I now have an ADM unit, more precise, reliable and easy to set up. When swiched on it recalibrates the table without any hiccups. Uses a pecision stepping motor for accuracy.  Not cheap but well worth the extra effort.