I recently acquired another Beogram 4000 from the UK. The unit is in fair shape; importantly, the MMC cartridge mount is undamaged and the sensor arm insert is present. The control panel for the cueing and tonearm lift detached during shipping, highlighting the wisdom of securing such parts. Thankfully, the seller had protected the turntable with a durable plastic sheet, preventing any damage. Reattaching the panel should be simple.

Internally, all parts appear to be present:

As with many vintage units, this one has experienced some careless handling and shows signs of wear. The power cord, for instance, had been cut—a recurring theme, as my recently acquired local unit had the same issue. I purchased a replacement plug and connected it to the cord:

Next, I tested the voltage rails, a standard procedure for Beograms with unknown histories. Measuring at C1, the rectifier output for the 6V control system rail should be around 12V:

At C2, the regulated 6V rail measurement:

These readings appeared normal, indicating the capacitors retained some functionality. While I planned to replace them eventually, their condition was sufficient for an initial power-up.

Pressing the start button yielded a positive result: the strobe lamp illuminated:

The carriage also began to move (another good sign!), but an issue arose as the tonearm should have descended into the lead-in groove of a 12-inch record. The solenoid produced a loud noise, and its plunger rapidly oscillated. A two-minute video can convey this more effectively than words; the video demonstrates the problem and documents its resolution.

The fix turned out to be straightforward: reattaching the disconnected lead between TR4’s emitter and the current limiting resistor on PCB #7:

This Beogram’s restoration is just beginning!