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Broken tag on Wilson Benesch ACT 0.5 tonearm.

gerlando

gerlando

Prog Rocker
Dismounting a cartridge, I have broken the right channel tag on my Wilson Benesch Act 0.5 tonearm.

Since it use Litz wires it was impossible for me to fix it.

I asked to Johnny7/Audio Origami to fix it for me, but he told me he's doing services and rewiring on Linn, Rega and SME arms only.

What can I do?
Is there any way to solder or at least remove the insulation cover from a tiny Litz wire?
Who is able to carry out this kind of repair?

Thank you.
Mauro
 
Really a negative point for all arms that use Litz wire for wiring.

Virtually impossible to repair easily.

An aspect that I had not considered.
 
Is there actually more than one insulated strand per cartridge tag? The way WB describe the tonearm wiring suggests that the litz aspect may well only be within the tonearm tube.

"The high quality cables are made up of a Litz wire starquad isolated with silk."​

Starquad isolated suggest that the four cartridge leads are held within a spiral wound configuration; not necessarily that the individual wires are made up from multiple individually insulated strands. Certainly, the way these wires dangle straight down under the weight of the cartridge tags and shrink-wrap suggests very fine wire and very thin insulation. I wonder if this is just one long litz lead made up from 4 individually insulated very fine conductors within an outer sleeve.

Regardless, a fellow who posts over on audio karma has come up with an easy method for soldering individual litz wire strands for DIY headshell replacement leads. Basically, he's burning the insulation off with the iron before tinning and soldering, just like one might do with plain 33ga. stranded.

If you do decide to have a go at DIY, suggest removal of the tonearm from the deck and using a sheet of silicone pot holder/trivet between headshell and wires as protector.

https://audiokarma.org/forums/index...y-free-litz-cartridge-headshell-wires.846482/
 
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Craig B said:
A fellow who posts over on audio karma has come up with an easy method for soldering fine litz wire for headshell lead repair (replacement of broken single insulation stranded with individual strands stripped from litz earbud cables for his Dad's turntable collection, actually).

Suggest you remove the arm from the deck and get it securely positioned upside down, perhaps with a sheet of silicone pot holder/trivet between underside of headshell and wires as worktop protector.

I'd start with carefully teasing out the individually insulated wires that make up the broken off lead, and then tin the ends individually (using his method) before re-braiding them, tinning all together, sliding on a bit of shrink-wrap, and then soldering the unified end onto the new or repurposed cartridge tag.

https://audiokarma.org/forums/index...y-free-litz-cartridge-headshell-wires.846482/
Click to expand...

Litz wires used by Wilson are thin like hair....

QExiYb3.jpg
 
A quick swipe with a hot iron and that silk will be gone. Trouble is, that fine of a wire will likely go with.
 
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Stuart Frazer said:
Can you telephone them?

Is it possible to open the tag which has failed t see how it is connected? I'm wondering if it's crimped in some way?
Click to expand...

the main problem is that the broken Litz wire has no bare parts with which to make electrical contact and I don't understand how you can remove the insulation, since the wire is as thin as a hair, see photo above.
 
I had to reattach a tag to tonearm wire recently and its tricky. It’s no help but those tag covers don’t make life easier. Simpler ways to identify which tag is which and also be able to adjust the tension of tag to the pin. Even in my limited experience pins diameter aren’t all the same and that means the connection requires more force than is sensible whether connecting or disconnecting as often as not.
 
MUTTY1 said:
I had to reattach a tag to tonearm wire recently and its tricky. It’s no help but those tag covers don’t make life easier. Simpler ways to identify which tag is which and also be able to adjust the tension of tag to the pin. Even in my limited experience pins diameter aren’t all the same and that means the connection requires more force than is sensible whether connecting or disconnecting as often as not.
Click to expand...
The main problem is to remove the insulation from a so thin Litz wire.
This is a crazy job!
Which are the advantages of using a Litz wire respect to a conventional one?
 
As I said it’s no help. Pushed into a corner I would get the wire in a position to magnify it. If it’s a genuine silk cover it must be woven so I’d cut through one side and it should be able to be teased away. Once you have the wire exposed you have to get enough it to the pin: hopefully there is some slack built in. I’d then look at physically make contact with the pin either with glue or some sort of tape. If you replace the tag I’d cut down the old one and get an idea of working with the wire by desoldering it nthen resoldering before trying the new wire you have exposed. Not recommending, just what I would do in the circumstance you describe.
 
gerlando said:
Dismounting a cartridge, I have broken the right channel tag on my Wilson Benesch Act 0.5 tonearm.

Since it use Litz wires it was impossible for me to fix it.

I asked to Johnny7/Audio Origami to fix it for me, but he told me he's doing services and rewiring on Linn, Rega and SME arms only.

What can I do?
Is there any way to solder or at least remove the insulation cover from a tiny Litz wire?
Who is able to carry out this kind of repair?

Thank you.
Mauro
Click to expand...

PM sent.
 
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