SL-1200 Tonearm Rewiring by KAB
In undertaking the project to upgrade the wiring of the SL-1200 tonearm there were several things I wanted to accomplish.
In working up the models, 2 solutions were worked out. A top wiring version that would terminate in RCA jacks and a bottom wiring version that would terminate in the Cardas 5 pin DIN. The individual parts are available for separate purchase for those who want to do this on their own
The top wiring version description follows. I decided that working with the fine wand wire would require an intermediate termination point. This point would allow me to connect a more robust sheilded cable that would then exit under the dust cover and into the phono connector plate that houses the twin RCA's and ground post. I had the machinist design and fabricate a bracket that would hold the terminal strip and clamp onto the gimbal mount.
This gives full access to all 5 connections. The advanced hobbyist will see the flexibility in this approach, especially if he wants to dabble in balanced cartridge connections or directly connect bypassing a second set of connectors.
The new wire will exit out the back of the tonearm instead of going down into the base. The wire is twisted and each wire insterted into a terminal pin and soldered. It is also a good idea to apply a drop of epoxy on the back side to keep the wire from comming out when the interconnect is soldered to the terminal pins.
The terminal bracket will mount with or without the TD-1200 damping trough in place. These pictures show it included.
From this point, two 2 conductor shielded cables will attach to the terminal strip and go out under the dust cover to be soldered to the dual RCA's on the PC-1200 connector plate.