Building high-end 'tables cheap at Home Despot II

Hi Michael, if you can't adjust the speed properly at the brackets, then you need to go further into the machine and adjust at the joint which shifts the idler-wheel assembly. This is the circular bit with two screws which pivots around a nut and bolt arrangement: loosen the screws, and move the idler sled backward or forward (with the two screws sliding and changing position on the two arcs) until you get a good range of + or -33 1/3 with the bracket in the middle, then tighten again.

As to the tonearm, does sound like an arm-lift problem as Harry said. Even though the Denon is burning in, and probably the phono stage too, it shouldn't sound so bad. Remember: the tonearm should be parallel to the record with the stylus in the groove. Once this is done, then use the nifty dynamic VTF arrangement on the Rega to increase mass to suit the low-compliance Denon: shift the counterweight as far back as is conmfortable on the end-stub, and then use the spring to achieve 2.5 grams tracking force. Can't do that with an RB-250! I LOVE those RB-300s, especially with MCs (here they stand up to the best, their biggest problem being they're too cheap, and too ubiquitous). However, with Grados I do believe the RB-250 sounds better, but will know more in the future.

09-06-06: Fishwinker
I've got the speed sorted now (thanks 4yanx) - I'd connected the speed lever control to the idler control arm at a very different point on the slide plate to that which it had originally been fixed. Obvious really - feel rather foolish now!
Still can't get rid of the vibration (it's not a bent cone/rotor as far as I can see), but it seems to have reduced slightly over the last couple of days. Maybe it'll bed itself in and sort itself out, but I'm not sure.

Hi Fishwinker,

What is vibrating? The motor, or the idler itself?

-mosin

Hi Mosin,

It was the motor itself vibrating. I tried everything to sort it out, right down to re-centring the coils, but I just could not nail it. Gave up in the end, and got myself another motor which I was able to make a LOT quieter.

Philip

Has anyone tried a power conditioner with adjustable voltage (something like a PS Audio Powerplant) to lower incoming line voltage? I read somewhere that this was a very effective addition; lowering voltage = lower motor noise+ better timing stability...... THis seems like basically the same thing as the Loricraft PSU. Incedentally, I cannot get a response from Loricraft regarding their products... even with repeated atempts.

Thanks

Chris

PS another thought; has anyone ever experiment with a wooden platters?

Yes I use a power conditioned Variac into a Lenco.Firstly I have a power conditioning box that the preamps and turntable plug into.Before the turntable I have the Variac which is set for 220v the rating of the Lenco motor and the Variac goes into the power conditioning unit,turntable into the Variac.I haven't made direct comparisons because it is too clumsy to change around all the time but it seems to be fine.