Spares & Accessories
Spares
The only spares the turntable really requires are a decent set of NiMH rechargeable batteries and replacement Styli (needles). I’m also trying to find out if cartridges are still available and if so, whether there are any options there. Hopefully they’re a standard mount.
Stylus
The original Sony stylus is an ND-144G.
Eliptical and spherical replacement styli are available to buy today. They are sold under a few different guises, but their main numbers are the Audio Technica ATN 51, ATN 52 or ATN 53 (Spherical, not sure of the differences between them) or ATN 51E (Elliptical).
If you’re in the U.S. you can get an elliptical for a good price at Garage A (thanks go to keyop for the tip). LP Gear also has the OEM Audio Technica replacement of the ND-144G, but they’re slightly more expensive.
There’s also a high end version which costs a good deal more at www.turntableneedles.com. Would love to hear from anyone who’s compared this more expensive version with a regular ATN-51. Is it worth the extra cash?
Battery Cover
Canadian eBay seller time*inc is selling a reproduction battery cover which will fit the PS-F5 or PS-F9.
As the original white plastic of the PS-F5 tends to yellow with exposure to UV, you may need to find a way to yellow the battery cover if you want it to match the rest of your case.
Original Sony Accessories
Soft Case
Sony sold a soft case, apparently as an option. In Japan it had Flamingo branding, but for the rest of us just a Sony logo.
Power Supply (A.C. Adapter)
The manual lists 4 different power supplies:
- AC-9W 120v/60Hz : U.S.
- AC-456-C 220v/50Hz : Continental Europe
- AC-122 120v (110v, 220v & 240v adjustable by Sony personnel)/ 50Hz&60Hz : Japan
- AC-4A 110v,120v,220v,240v/50Hz/60Hz, adjustable by Sony personnel) : other countries
I found this AC-456-C for sale on eBay in Germany for €29:
That shows the output as 6v D.C. Max. 0.5A with a 0.63A fuse.
2 owners have contacted me about pwer supplies. One had heard that a 850mA output would work.
The fact that it’s possible to power this device from a USB socket, suggests that it will run fine on 500mA or less, as that’s the USB standard.
Beware that the socket is non standard- the pin is negative and sleeve positive, this is the opposite of today’s norm and the vast majority of coaxial power sockets. Please don’t blow up your turntable by plugging in any old 6v power supply. Check its polarity.
Rechargeable Battery Pack
There is a mention on the circuit schematic in the workshop manual of a rechargeable battery BP-61. This is a solid unit containing 4 cells which would slot inside the player in place of the regular AA cells.
Car Battery Cord
DCC-127A for use on 12v car battery
