Vintage DD turntables. Are we living dangerously?


I have just acquired a 32 year old JVC/Victor TT-101 DD turntable after having its lesser brother, the TT-81 for the last year.
TT-101
This is one of the great DD designs made at a time when the giant Japanese electronics companies like Technics, Denon, JVC/Victor and Pioneer could pour millions of dollars into 'flagship' models to 'enhance' their lower range models which often sold in the millions.
Because of their complexity however.......if they malfunction.....parts are 'unobtanium'....and they often cannot be repaired.
128x128halcro
Gary AND I should have written "EMI", not "EMF". EMF stands for ElectroMotive Force, which is another term for voltage. EMI stands for ElectroMagnetic Interference, which is undesired low frequency radiation from a transformer or motor. I picked up on Gary's error in my response.
Lewm,
EMI it is. I can only hear the vibration using the stethoscope pressed against the plinth or top plate, not through the speakers. It is faint, not audible with naked ears (at least mine). It doesn't change with a reversal of the plug. What reduces it the most is damping the sheet metal cage on the underside of the table using a squash ball suitably squashed against the shelf.
The table was sold in Los Angeles, CA (it has an import stamp) and is actually part of a QL10. The QL-10 is three separate components: A TT-101 direct-drive turnable, a UA-7045 tonearm and a CL-P1 base board, combined and sold together. On the rear of the plinth is a metal plate showing 120V, 60hz, 23W. I am using a Technics EPA-100 that I had rebuilt by Jim Howard rather than the UA7045 at this time.
I am making inquiries on moving the AC power components into a separate box - I refer you to KAB Electro Acoustics, KAB PS-1200GX as an example of what I would like to do but can't see how I can, but I can have the transformer, etc. moved. And I will if it is reasonable. I am also going to order that TI shield. Thanks for that tip.
Based on your last post, I would not worry one bit about that hum. (Obviously your TT101 was built for 120V.) But if you like to worry, I still would not go to a lot of trouble and expense to move all the electronics out of the tt chassis, if indeed it could be done with the TT101, which as H pointed out is quite complex, and quite a bit more complex than an SL1200.

Do you like the EPA100 significantly more than the UA7045? I always thought those Victor tonearms might be sleepers and have been tempted at times to buy the 12-inch version.

The TI Shield is not going to kill the hum, because the hum is of mechanical not electrical origin, but you might find it benefits the sound and is definitely worth the effort. I ordered a 12 X 12" sheet and cut it in the shape of an LP, so it fits under my tt mat and does not show. For best results, it should be grounded to the tt chassis. If your platter is made of anything conductive, e.g., alu, that should take care of itself. Let me or let us know if the TI Shield cleans up the sound in surprising ways.
Mind you, the Littman was preferred by cardiologists, not audiophiles. As I recall, it was quite good for picking up murmurs. But another virtue if you are schlepping it around a hospital all day is that it is very small and light compared to some others that have complex and heavy bells. (The bell is the business end of the scope.)