Accessories & Spares
Spares
The only spares the turntable really requires are a decent set of rechargeable batteries, a 6 Volt power supply 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. There’s some more info on my cartridge quest here.
Batteries
I have settled on Sanyo’s Eneloop rechargeable batteries for my PS-F5. Sanyo have been consistently leading the Ni-MH revolution.
The latest version are 2,000mAh, come pre-charged and even after a year of not being used they will retain 85% of their full charge and can be recharged 1,500 times.
Here’s a detailed (if somewhat old) Enerloop review.
Stylus (Needle)
Styli are still readily available for the PS-F5 and PS-F9. Please see the Styli Page for a detailed report.
Power Supply
W A R N I N G
Please beware that the PS-F5 and PS-F9 power (AC Adapter) sockets are non standard. The pin (inner) is negative and sleeve (outer) positive. This is the opposite of today’s norm and the coaxial plugs on the vast majority of power supplies. Please don’t blow up your turntable by plugging in any old 6 V DC power supply- be sure to check its polarity!
The original Sony power supply accessory was 6 Volt @ 500 mA (that’s 0.5 A).
It’s also possible to power your PS-F5 or PS-F9 from a USB socket. 5 Volts @ 500 mA just happens to be the USB standard and works well.
The USB connector provides a single 5 volt wire from which connected USB devices may power themselves. A given segment of the bus is specified to deliver up to 500 mA.
pinouts.ru
Richard contacted me to say that he’s using a switched mode power supply which gives 2,300 mA (that’s 2.3 Amps) at 6 Volts, model L06BR from Maplin in the UK.
See below for information on original Sony power supplies
Dust Cover
A fellow owner is now offering reproduction 3D printed dust covers in white or black (the originals are dark blue). Great if you’ve lost or broken yours, or it was missing when you bought your player. See the blog post here for further info and a link to buy.
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 120 V/60 Hz : U.S.
- AC-456-C 220 V/50 Hz : Continental Europe
- AC-122 120 V (110 V, 220 V & 240 V adjustable by Sony personnel); 50 Hz & 60 Hz : Japan
- AC-4A 110 V, 120 V, 220 V & 240 V; 50 Hz/60 Hz, 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.
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 Adapter
DCC-127A for use with a 12 V vehicle accessory socket