2. analog
  3. 1210395585

Rega RB300 Troubleshooting

I recently upgraded my RB300 tonearm with the incognito rewire kit and have learned from experience that it would have been better to have this done by a professional (especially since I've just voided the warranty). It was extremely difficult removing the rubber boot that housed the cartridge leads especially since the instructions said to push it INTO the arm tube!! What I ended up doing was removing a small, critical screw from the tracking force adjustment knob by mistake that I can no longer screw back into place.

Basically, my question is what are my options? I have no idea how to get the screw back in and wind the spindle back to it's original position. The knob was set to 3 when I removed the screw. Other than this, the upgrade went smoothly (even the soldering).

Any help greatly appreciated!
hitman_hifi
14 responses Add your response
onetwothreego
54 posts
 
Are you talking about the spring inside the VTF knob? If you are trying to get it back to where it was with the proper gram calibration, you would most likely need to send it back to Rega.

If it were me, I wouldn't care. I pulled that spring out years ago because it rattles. I just use the counter weight to set VTF and it works beautifully. How does the new wire sound? Was it worth it?
pops
2,273 posts
 
Hitman, have you weighed the tonearm/cartridge with a VTF guage? I'm guessing it's at 3 grams or higher but its a start. You already know this but it sounds like its critical to get the mechanical VTF on the arm dialed back. Why won't the screw go back in? Is there some sort of threaded piece inside the VTF knob you could manually move with a tool?
2002ss335
84 posts
 
My tt came with a rewired RB300 arm and when I set it up I could not get the VTF adjuster to do anything. So I used a scale (which I think is better than using the adjuster).

I got ahold of the seller and was told that the spring was removed to reduce vibration. That was six months ago and I just keep using the scale to set VTF no problem.
hitman_hifi OP
75 posts
 
Pops -> there is a small hole but it only holds the screw temporarily. When dialing the plate back, the spring will eventually pop the screw loose. I'll probably have to get a VTF gauge.

Onetwothreego -> What's the procedure to get the spring out? By the sounds of it, the VTF adjuster doesn't seem to be as critical as I thought.
onetwothreego
54 posts
 
>>Onetwothreego -> What's the procedure to get the spring out? By the sounds of it, the VTF adjuster doesn't seem to be as critical as I thought.<<

Cutters. Snip.

You will actually find it sounds better with it gone once you get your VTF gauge.
hitman_hifi OP
75 posts
 
Well I got the spring-coil out of the knob. Thanks to TNT I found this pic.
Unfortunately, the tonearm is out of balance (insert angry face here!!). The counterweight has to be pushed way back, with about a quarter of it hanging off the edge, to get the arm floating again.
rccc
216 posts
 
Get a heavier underslung weight then your upgrades complete.
hitman_hifi OP
75 posts
 
I've been looking at the Michell TecnoWeight and it looks like a good fit.

Thanks guys for the help.
onetwothreego
54 posts
 
In the meantime, you can use some blue tack or two-sided tape to add a washer to the current counter weight so you can bring it back off the end of the stub and see how your wire sounds.
hitman_hifi OP
75 posts
 
Well my RB300 upgrade is complete. I must say, the detail is outstanding!! Not sure if it's the cables or the TechnoWeight that makes the difference but I can hear clarity that I've never heard before. Might just put the old counterweight back on and audition the cables on their own. Probably not though since I'm comfortable with the setup.

One small thing is missing though, the upper high-frequency energy seems to be washing out (ie. crashing cymbals). Could this be a sign that the cartridge is in need of retipping? If the edges of the stylus are worn out, it would make sense that they're not making contact with the top of the record groove.
onetwothreego
54 posts
 
Well done! I am glad it has worked out for you. One thing I have learned about my RB300 is that it is a detail champ. It really can dig out the detail. (It also does very well with the bass.)

Not sure what you mean by cymbals "washing out". Do you notice any unwanted resonance on some signals like strong female vocal (opera)?
hitman_hifi OP
75 posts
 
There seems to be an attack but very little decay with the cymbals. In essence, cymbals sound weak in contrast to the rest of the music. I'll try to find something to demonstrate this further and keep you posted.
hitman_hifi OP
75 posts
 
Well it looks like it's been a while since I posted on this thread :) I've made a lot of adjustments and upgrades to achieve a sound that I'm satisfied with. The treble problem has been fixed with a new belt. My turntable still had the original belt from the early eighties! Added the stellar Dynavector DV-10X5 cartridge and I can proudly say that the performance is better than my very solid Arcam 7se CDP!! As far as efficiency, absolutely no volume adjustment necessary when switching between the CDP and the TT thanks to the high output of the Dynavector cart. In my opinion, very important for a 15W tube amp.
onetwothreego
54 posts
 
Great to know that all turned out well and you are happy with the results of your hard work. Now you can sit back and worry about software rather than hardware. :)

I will probably do the Incognito rewire on my RB300 as my next project as well.
Log in to respond
More to discover
80x80
Pro-Ject RPM 10 Carbon
EVOLUTION - Performance and Beauty Merge
80x80
Palmer Audio 2.5 Turntable
80x80
Synergistic Research PHT - Phono Transducer
- Green Dream and Black Widow