One of my first posts in this blog was regarding the servicing of the Pioneer PL12D turntable, and that has proven to be the most popular by a significant margin. The Pioneer PL12D had its competitors, and probably the most popular alternative was the Trio Kenwood KD-1033 turntable. I use both names (Trio and Kenwood) as the company operated under different names in different markets. In the UK they were Trio, possibly because the brand Kenwood was most famous here for food blenders. 95% of a KD-1033 is similar to Pioneer PL12D, and servicing them is very much the same process. Both are belt drive , have an AC synchronous motor, mechanical speed change , a main bearing, sprung top deck and rubber motor mounts. the KD-1033 uses a different type of anti skate mechanism, employing a thread and weight. The plinth is shallower with an internal cross brace. One aspect that is different is the design of the main bearing, and servicing it is a little harder than a PL12D. The Pioneer main b
SimplyLED notified me that they now stock a new range of next generation LED GU10 and MR16 bulbs. I have purchased from them in the past, and they offer a money back refund, so I thought I'd try one. In my kitchen I still retain 6 50 watts halogen GU10 bulbs as downlighters over hob, sink and work surfaces. The light quality was more critical here than in bathrooms where the bulk of LED bulbs have been used? I replaced one of them with one of the new type bulbs. While described as next generation they are actually closer to the surface mount type, but with each WMD element with a small domed diffuser on it. In other respects they look the same. However the light quality is very good indeed. The light is slightly whiter than halogen which has a warm faint orange tint to my eyes, but the brightness is superior to halogen. They use multi light sources but project it in a tighter beam. Anyway here is a picture : In the picture the light closest to the camera is a halogen, the n