"Nadeltonabspielgerät T146 Thurow KG, Berlin" is the name

[wenig watt]

I don't know why nobody writes about this device. By lucky coincidence, enough money and time I was able to acquire one.
The design is technical and no nonsense. This is not a prestige object but a measuring and playing machine. No sales figures had to be achieved, it was only about the function.
An article can be found in the radio museum, otherwise there are only rumours and speculations. I will tell you a little bit about my practice and hope that the one or other connoisseur will know something about maintenance and repair. There is probably not much documentation preserved. Have fun!

[wenig watt]

There is nothing negative to say about the built-in arm with pickup and preamplifier except a slight noise at high volume. It probably comes from the old transistors and resistors. The sound is very transparent and dynamic. The pickup tracks perfect at 3 grams. The tonal balance is very nice.
The weight is adjusted with a spring, if you are gentle even during playback.
The inner life is professional technology, the absolute hum-free and perfect sound speaks for itself.
The tone arm is lowered and raised by means of a motor without vibration, the platter is braked by an electromagnetic brake. The Connectors are called "Trennklinke" and feel very nice. The output goes directly into a 10 watt pentode single-ended amplifier. No hum and really good sound, better than my SP10, my Garrard 401 and my Lencos.
The pickup is a descendant of the MS15 from the GDR, probably equipped with a very nice diamond or strongly selected.  It is probably an MM system to avoid unwanted magnetic fields when scanning metal foils. The built-in meter can display the left and right channel in two steps or the position of the pickup above the platter.
To save the original system until I have an EMT headshell I will add a temporary Alfred Bokrand Ortofon arm. But thats for later...

[analogadikt]

Congratulations

Can you show some pics of the motor, motor control, drive system, platter?

Regards,

[vinylrayk]

Gorgeous!

More information, history, and photos please.

Ray K

[Tomcat1969]

Stunning! Very, very nice. 

[hatehifi]

Wow, I had no idea! Yes please, more detailed pics if convenient.

Cheers!

[reinderspeter]

I see you found my previous thread about it https://www.lencoheaven.net/forum/index.php?topic=6747.0
Since then Frank Schröder brought one to Beauvechain a couple of years ago.

[wenig watt]

Sure Peter,
so in the meantime, can you tell me more about the device? every info is interesting. Which model did you hear, 146 or 148? Which year? Were there any special features?

I'll post some more from time to time and maybe somebody can add some informations. The electromagnetic brake
The Platter
The transmission
So nothing surprising. In 1968 the world was already at the end of the idler path everywhere. When you see the pulley diameter you can assume a high engine speed. The double decoupling of the drive unit surely serves the purpose of low noise. Everything is in very good condition and has never been dismantled (screw lock paint).
The large bearing ball in oil bath looks polished, as do the bearing surfaces. the friction wheel is relatively soft with good grip on the slightly rough running surface of the platter.

[wenig watt]

Text from the 1969 presentation of the device:

The presented device is characterized by partly unconventional solutions. With relatively small dimensions (compared to the usual studio turntables), it is a compact system that includes all auxiliary devices (such as power supply unit, amplifier). The device is easy to operate. The achieved characteristics allow the use of the unit for measuring purposes. All drive- and amplifier-related disturbances are far below the perceptibility limit, so that the T146 is an ideal record player whose universal use is possible not only in record production, but practically at all places where optimum record reproduction is required.

at my home!!

Translated with the help of deepl and my own knowledge...

[SteveM]

Nice! Big rare beast.

[reinderspeter]

Sure Peter,
so in the meantime, can you tell me more about the device? every info is interesting. Which model did you hear, 146 or 148? Which year? Were there any special features?

Not really,
This the only picture I could find (it was at the 2015 Beavechain LH meeting):



And according to Felix it is a 146: https://www.lencoheaven.net/forum/index.php?topic=17780.msg285749#msg285749

[Carlos5302]

See also: http://www.hifimuseum.de/2087.html
What triggered my attention was:

Das Gerät ist für das Abspielen aller vorkommenden Formen der Schallplatten einschließlich der produktionstechnischen Zwischenstufen (Folien, Galvanos in Norm von Nickelmüttern und Originalen) bis zum Durchmesser von mindestens 420 mm geeignet.

Translated (by Google):

The device is suitable for playing all forms of records, including intermediate production stages (foils, electroplating in the standard of nickel nuts and originals) up to a diameter of at least 420 mm.

Interesting reading, however I have no clue what may be the function of the following:

Mit dem Tonarm ist eine elektronisch arbeitende Rillenanzeigevorrichtung gekoppelt.

Someone who can provide more information concerning this?

[wenig watt]

The tonearm provides a mechanical signal which is electromagnetically transmitted to the measuring instrument and displayed. switching between signal left, right, loud, quiet and tonearm position with a rotary wheel you can see on the picture of the open chassis. The idea is to find a tonearm position/groove exactly.
I hope to get the original RTE No. 7/69 to have all the descriptions photos and measures soon.
regards
arndt

[wenig watt]

So, unfortunately there was not as much information in the RTE 7/69 as hoped and for the time being only as a photo of the German text. At least some diagrams and a block diagram. not so bad the data for a idler wheel. The frequency range of the cart is ok for my old ears and it sounds delicious. "It's a moving iron / MI cartridge. Its exact name is RFT MS-15 SD. The mode of operation is somewhat similar to the GE-VR 1000" as somebody stated in another forum.

[mantelteo]

Really interesting device, did not know it existed