[78-L] The ultimate turntable

[Michael Biel]

Robert M. Bratcher Jr. wrote:
>
> Astatic also made an 
> 83-d cartridge with 2 LP needles that were built into the cartridge 
> and could not be removed. This was used in the library of congress 
> talking book machine record player. When both needles wore out you 
> just put in a new cartridge.

This series was known as "Power Point" because the ceramic element is 
built into the slide-in replaceable element.  The device that stays in 
the tone arm is actually just a holder.  Astatic and the other 
aftermarket manufacturers made replacements in several formats that 
included either two microgroove points or one microgroove and one 
widegroove point.  The widegroove points were probably all sapphire 
while you had choices of whether one or both of the twin microgrooves 
would be sapphire.  There might have been a special key-slot in the LC 
verson to avoid use of one with a 78 point.  There were a lot of 2-speed 
school phonos in the 70s that also used the dual microgroove versions, 
and often the suppliers for school machines had these replacement styli 
in their catalogs.

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com