Operational Issues

When I start my turntable, the tonearm just goes up and then back down on the tonearm rest and the turntable shuts

off.

In the tonearm assembly at the rear of the tonearm there is a small plastic guide that has worn down. This is an inexpensive part

to replace. It does require some skill to replace it. If you are not mechanically inclined, this job is best left to a person experienced

in the repair of Dual turntables.  Fortunately this guide usually lasts about 25 years, so it doesn't have to be replaced that often.

My cue control no longer works or doesn't lift the tonearm high enough to clear the tonearm rest.

In the cue control mechanism there is a reservoir that contains a silicone damping fluid. This cylinder has a plastic cap on it. Over

time the cap cracks from age and the fluid leaks out.  To repair it, a new cap must be installed along with replacement silicone

fluid. Depending on the model turntable, part of the tonearm assembly may need to be removed.  This may be a job for a

person familiar with the repair of Dual turntables. South Street Service has a repair kit that contains a new cap and a small

amount of the silicone fluid so that you can repair this yourself.

My tonearm lifts off the record before the song finishes on some of my 45 RPM records.

Back in the days when 45 RPM records were popular, the record companies were more concerned about getting the records

out there for sale rather than worrying about the quality of each disk. On some records the lead out groove (which lets the

turntable know when the song is finished playing) was printed on the record either too early or too late and this causes the

turntable to think that the song is done playing.  You will find that this usually does this on a few records only. If it is troublesome

we suggest that you have the turntable adjusted at a repair facility. This is a very delicate setting, and if you mess it up you can

actually cause more problems than you originally had.  This can also happen when playing some 78 RPM records as well.

My tonearm does not set down properly at the beginning of a record.

You will need to adjust the tonearm set down screw. The location of this screw is in various places on the turntable, depending

on which model you have. On the 1245 it's under the DUAL logo on the top of the turntable, On the 601 the screw is in a hole

under the speed control lever that is only exposed when the 33 RPM speed is selected. On 700 series turntables the hole

os between the speed control and the cueing lever.  It's best to have the service manual for your turntable. And remember,

a small turn of the screw goes a long way! On some of the 1200 series turntables locking down the tonearm and selecting

"start" one time can also correct this problem.

My turntable is acting sluggish and I have to "help" it get started

This is a classic case of lubrication dry out. What happens over time is that the original lubricants used in your turntable

have dried out and hardened up. This causes parts to stick and not move as smoothly as they once did. To repair this

you will need the service manual for your turntable and then will need to clean off all the old lubricants from the parts and

then apply new ones. The best way to do this is to use Isopropyl Alcohol and Q-Tips. It's a tedious job, but it's one that

most anyone can do provided they go slowly.  We once had a Dual 1229Q that wouldn't even spin up. It just sat there

and chirped like a bird. We cleaned it up and applied new lubricants and the turntable performed as good as new.

Some of the lubricants that were originally used in Dual turntables are either NLA (no longer available) or are available

only in large quantities. We have a list of suitable replacements on this page.

The tonearm slips out of the grooves (skips) while playing records     There are a few things that could cause this:        1. The tonearm is not balanced properly. Use the procedure outlined here.        2. Is the turntable located on a firm and solid surface? Floor vibrations can also cause this, especially if this happens            when someone walks across the floor while the turntable is in operation.       3. The Anti-Skate control is not set properly. It should be set the the same setting as the tracking force dial.       4. The stylus on the cartridge may need replacement. Look at it under a magnifying glass to analyze its condition.