Gyrodec w/ 2 Arms?

Further:

I sold the RB301 and bought a Morch UP4 to accompany SME V. I ordered an arm plate for Morch along with inverted bearing, two piece suspensions, standalone motor housing and DC motor to bring my Mk3 to latest Mk5 status. Later this year I'll buy the HR power supply and latest gyro platter.

To end the loop:

I bought the Mk3. It is a real upgrade to my lovely Rega P3-24. I sold the P3-24 and keep the RB301 for future usage.

To my disappointment the Mk 3 came with the older style main bearing. I'll order the new one along with the new spring turrets and Standalone Motor housing kit. I'm still considering it, but I guess I'll also order an armboard for RB301 and try it as a second tonearm.

Thank you for everyone contributing to this thread

Hi, Firat; you might try contacting the company to see if they can provide some advice. Michell Engineering must get questions like yours fairly often so perhaps they have a document that describes the process of converting a Gyrodec to a dual-tonearm turntable.

I did find a post in the VinylAsylum archives that you might find interesting. He provides a picture and offers some advice. Be sure to read the reponses/replies...

Werner's take on converting a Gyrodec

Regards,
Tom

Hi all,

Thank you for your contribution, I appreciate it.

I' ve learned the version of the turntable: It is a Mk 3. In fact I would rather wish either Mk 1 - Mk 2 for two arms; or Mk 4 - Mk 5 for newer technology. So kind of upset now, I guess I'll postpone my dreams.

What's your opinions?

Regards,

Firat.

Firat, you'll need to pay careful attention to the suspension system since it's not designed for a second arm. I couldn't easily find the total weight of a Rega RB301 tonearm but it might be in the range of 500 to 1000 grams. You'll have to add another 500g to 1000g on the chassis to balance out the weight of the tonearm and could be looking at a total of 1 to 2 kilograms of added weight. That's a lot to ask of the stock suspension springs and you may find that the turntable doesn't perform as well. Searching for the correct aftermarket springs could prove to be a frustrating experiment.

I would contact Michell Engineering to see what they suggest before attempting to add another tonearm. Or perhaps you'll find specific information on the topic from someone who has successfully (or unsuccessfully) added a second tonearm.

I thought about adding another tonearm to my Gyro SE but after reading about the potential difficulties, I decided that if I wanted a turntable with two tonearms I'd sell the Gyro SE and buy a turntable that's designed for two 'arms.

Good luck!

Regards,
Tom

I remember seeing pictures of the Gyro SE Mk II with 2 arms. The 2nd arm gets placed where the motor housing normally sits and the motor moves to the front-left of the table. This is from memory, and I don't know what has to be done to the table technically for it to be balanced properly in this setup, but it can be done.

Yes it's possible but only with the early versions of the Gyrodec like the MK I, II. I have a MK II converted to an SE and it has holes where the motor is for a second arm board. There is a counterweight in the subchassis that is removed.

The original version had a hole in the plinth where the motor would move to.

The later Gyrodecs seem to have abandoned this option. I am not sure when it was discontinued but somwhere along the time line of MKIII or MKIV.

It has been years since I sold them but I think so; I believe I have seen them with 2 and I think it said so in the dealer lit, which I no longer have. A very good table and very good looking.