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SOTA Sapphire speed issue

Hi, Gang,

I have a SOTA Sapphire turntable that I bought new in the late 1980's. it was sent back to SOTA for a refresh several years ago. They inspected it, replaced the suspension springs and put in a new bearing. 
The table is now having speed problems. It can take literally 4 or 5 minutes to spin fully up to speed. 
Have any of you seen this on your own SOTA table? Any ideas? I'd love to avoid the time and expense of shipping this beast back to SOTA if I can. 
Thanks in advance. 
rebbi

Showing 6 responses by rebbi

rebbi OP
1,326 posts
 
@regafan Thanks for the reply. I’ll have a look beneath the cover. How would I even tell if the pulley was slow? I spoke to Donna about this awhile ago when the problem was less pronounced. It may be time to talk to her again.

@goheelz I’ve thought it might be time for a new motor.
rebbi OP
1,326 posts
 
@effischer 
Thanks very much for the extremely helpful post!  
I did remove the speed control cover to have a look around. I noticed that the belt sits at the bottom of the convex pulley when the motor is off. When turned on, it "rides up" toward the center. Is this normal behavior? Also, I don't think it's exactly centered... looks a bit low to me. 
Thanks again!
rebbi OP
1,326 posts
 
@lewm Thank you very much for chiming in. Actually, the pulley in profile is convex – its midpoint is the fattest part. For whatever that's worth. ;-)
rebbi OP
1,326 posts
 
Donna suggested starting with a new belt, so one is on the way. I'll report back!
rebbi OP
1,326 posts
 
Hi, Y'all,

Well, got the new belt from Donna and it seems to have solved the speed stability issue. The SOTA manual suggests replacing the belt after three years of normal use, and mine was around 8 or 9 years old! Now I'd like to get my hands on a stroboscopic disk and see what the current speed actually is.
Thanks for all your advice, folks.
rebbi OP
1,326 posts
 
@lewm Can you point me to an example of an outboard motor controller?
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