In article ,
Wes Groleau wrote:

On 01-22-2013 10:36, Jon Danniken wrote:
They're just little sync motors, like you'd find in a clock. To save
money, they don't have any provision to determine which way they spin,
so direction of travel is determined by pole proximity.

That may be true of some, but most I've seen NEVER go in the same
direction twice.

Maybe so... from what your saying, I'm guessing there are both types out
there.

For the record my 4 year old Sharp usually rotates clockwise (as viewed
from above), but now and again (maybe 10% of the time) it'll start up
counter clockwise. On one page of the manual it says "It is normal for
the turntable to turn in either direction" and on another states "The
turntable will turn both clockwise and counterclockwise."

I've always had a hunch it has a shaded pole motor sans the 'shade'...
thus saving a penny or two in copper per unit.

Will such an unshaded motor start itself? It's on my list of things to
look into some day.

Erik