Turntable lovers - Please Gather Here!

Many moons ago, I bought a Pro-Ject Alignment gauge which is somewhat similar to yours. But there's two things that I wasn't satisfied with. Its not easy to determine a Rega tonearm pivot center with this instrument for spindle to pivot distance. (i have my reasoning after some analysis). Second, the markings aren't for Stevenson, so you've to mark out your own for future use.
So its back to the VE Stevenson protractor and so far it works out good.

Where to buy simple alignment protractor and tracking force gauge.
What the price range for above. Agak agak la.

cmboy- read that u normaly get cartridge from e-bay, is that including denon dl-160. Saw in ebay, cheapest 150usd excluding shipping. can get this one in malaysia?

Thanks for all the info/advise guys.

The barang (except protractor) can all be found by googling some online shops or various Ebay power sellers. Email the seller and ask all the questions you want before committing to a purchase.
Well...just print out the protractor for a start and learn the ropes.
Actually, don't waste money on buying a protractor. That free printout protractor is all you need for now.
Maybe tomorrow I'll check if I've a spare one...buy me a tea and I may give it to you.

it may be harder but not impossible to use universal gauges on tonearms that don't have pivot markers. But since all rega owners know its 222mm being the pivot distance, that takes alot of the guesswork out to point the pivot mark already. Unless the RB arm does not move in a nice centrally pivoting motion, then its an entirely whole set of equations altogether.

sam7810, just remember that the given protractors from Vinyl Engine are meant specifically for the RB tonearm with a mounting distance of exactly 222mm (spindle to pivot) always. Anything else, and u got to either make your own protractors (using Adobe Illustrator, CorelDraw, or any vector graphics software) or get a universal alignment gauge.

As for the trackforce settings, the manual (u can d/l this from the rega website) has some crude instructions to get it in the ballpark. First set anti stake to zero. Then they tell u to balance the tonearm horizontally, and once you've pretty much "balanced" the arm, turn the counterweight X-turns or angles to set the tracking force. This is a really crude way to do so. But no worries, if you aren't anal about 3 decimal precisions, this ballpark method will get u there.

Or u can buy a Shure SFG-2 gauge. probably a 30 year old design, but still relevant today. If u wanna get those electronic scale mini-weighing machines, be prepared to fork out RM500 or more for it. Some "hifi branded" ones can even go for RM2K+.

But one nagging problem with the RB tonearm is that even after setting the anti-skate to zero, the damn arm still wants to swing out ! This is one tricky lil' fish to catch....

... and remember to get that bubble leveller too... a good made in Japan one would cost u RM20 or 30 bucks only from your local DIY store. Get the circular-bubblers, saves u the trouble of having to reposition linestyle-bubblers it to measure front/back slants and right/left slants.

To Turntable Lovers,

I do not mean to be an expert in whatever oil is suitable to turntables spindle, miniature motor that is inside the turntable. I owned two units Rega P3 and have been using 'This Oil ' since then quite 25years back for the first unit.
This is a very light oil, quite like SAE 5, hydrocarbon base, it was intended for use in precision compressors. I found that this oil is silky smooth for my Regas.
Anyone interested to try 'This Oil' welcome to PM me the address and and I shall send them FREE of charge, where this oil is already stored in a 1 cc syringe make easier to administer.
Just 2 drops is enough for Rega spindle and one drop for its motor shaft. Be careful not to spill to the rubber belt.
Of course, for those who owned other machines are also welcome.
So, for half of CC, it could last you many years, even if you want to share with your friends and neighbor.
I intended to share with more people, if the response is good and each syringe shall be filled with half cc.
I had about 25 cc to give away, meant that I had about 50 pcs of syringes.
Welcome for those who would like pick up, from Kelana Jaya, PJ.

My past experience: NEVER USE SOMETHING LIKE (WD 40) for your
precious machines.

cmboy wrote:The barang (except protractor) can all be found by googling some online shops or various Ebay power sellers. Email the seller and ask all the questions you want before committing to a purchase.
Well...just print out the protractor for a start and learn the ropes.
Actually, don't waste money on buying a protractor. That free printout protractor is all you need for now.
Maybe tomorrow I'll check if I've a spare one...buy me a tea and I may give it to you.

Thanks for the offer. I'm quite free to have for cup tea/coffee. Just let me know the time/place. will pm my h/p and where i stay. Of course I'll belanja. ( but prepare to bombard by all questions from newbies. ha..ha..).

mugenfoo wrote:it may be harder but not impossible to use universal gauges on tonearms that don't have pivot markers. But since all rega owners know its 222mm being the pivot distance, that takes alot of the guesswork out to point the pivot mark already. Unless the RB arm does not move in a nice centrally pivoting motion, then its an entirely whole set of equations altogether.

sam7810, just remember that the given protractors from Vinyl Engine are meant specifically for the RB tonearm with a mounting distance of exactly 222mm (spindle to pivot) always. Anything else, and u got to either make your own protractors (using Adobe Illustrator, CorelDraw, or any vector graphics software) or get a universal alignment gauge.

As for the trackforce settings, the manual (u can d/l this from the rega website) has some crude instructions to get it in the ballpark. First set anti stake to zero. Then they tell u to balance the tonearm horizontally, and once you've pretty much "balanced" the arm, turn the counterweight X-turns or angles to set the tracking force. This is a really crude way to do so. But no worries, if you aren't anal about 3 decimal precisions, this ballpark method will get u there.

Or u can buy a Shure SFG-2 gauge. probably a 30 year old design, but still relevant today. If u wanna get those electronic scale mini-weighing machines, be prepared to fork out RM500 or more for it. Some "hifi branded" ones can even go for RM2K+.

But one nagging problem with the RB tonearm is that even after setting the anti-skate to zero, the damn arm still wants to swing out ! This is one tricky lil' fish to catch....

... and remember to get that bubble leveller too... a good made in Japan one would cost u RM20 or 30 bucks only from your local DIY store. Get the circular-bubblers, saves u the trouble of having to reposition linestyle-bubblers it to measure front/back slants and right/left slants.

Need to google more on this.
Will definate try out. Thanks Bro.

any of you know good vintage turntables to grab?

Thorens la bro azri...after that upgrade SME arm...dont want any hassle go for rega P3 24...

Is there any shelf life for cartridges? Will it deteriorate after sometime in humid cond like malaysia?

7810sam wrote:Is there any shelf life for cartridges? Will it deteriorate after sometime in humid cond like malaysia?

yes there is .. the o-ring or the grommet suspension for the cantilever might harden over age, but also depending on its mileage as well. Also, cart mfgs would tell you that the diamond stylus-tip would be worn after approx 3000 to 5000 of playing hours.

But there are instances of vintage cartridges that are still playing fine even after 20+ years. There is a Shure M75ED in my household that is testament to the above.

Cartridges would constitute as a "consumable" item in the vinyl eco-system.


Another thing to note is that cartridges should be "demagnetised" regularly after about 200~500 playing hours. There are specialist gadgets + some homemade DIY solutions to do so. U can Google them up.

I happen to have an old DUAL (as in Dual TT brand) cartridge. The cantilever is stiffed up... entirely useless.

i found one garrard but reviews said > better chance with DUAL

Azri....

Ahhhhh.....you have be poisoned to the Analog side ....... I would recommend you get a Thorens ( used ) or if a new units go for a Rega P3-24 with the coloured plinth.

If you can top up a bit more try a P5 you would never regret the investment, and its a real keeper for budget analoggers.

Get a bubble Leveller, as recommended by Mugen....ensure the TT is level from all angles.

cheers

Never buy those el-cheapo bubble thingys from you know made in where for pennies as they're not exactly precision or highly accurate..for construction can lah.

u know mr wingman, theres a studer revox with linear tracking in freaking MINT condition on ebay for sale!!

> is it like having wadia 171 or c.e.c transport?? come on gip me an analogy !!

azri wrote:i found one garrard but reviews said > better chance with DUAL

Bro Azri...i have Dual TT 505...which Dual u ask about???

azri wrote:u know mr wingman, theres a studer revox with linear tracking in freaking MINT condition on ebay for sale!!

> is it like having wadia 171 or c.e.c transport?? come on gip me an analogy !!

Azri....

Won't go so far back unless you have all the reels to swing along, guess not. If its for your collection, its your call.

cheers

Aaah...Dual TT.
My first TT was 505-1 and Nagaoka mm. On solid open stands and lots of bitumen pads glued to the underside of plinth they served me well for a couple of years.

the Dual 505 is an automatic or semi-automatic right ?
It can auto cut-off once the arm reaches the end-tracks?

I had one stored away for more than a decade till I sold it off to plough back to finance a new Rega. Performance was at best compared to some 80's Japanese entry level TT's, nothing more. Glad I got rid of it, can't have too many TT's at one time.

hi guys,
i've been buying cheap LPs kat amcorp mall and some of them r really noisy w extraordinary cliks and pop and hiss sounds. these albums r really great finds to me (Amazing Rythmn Aces, Quicksilver, Electric Flag, Curved Air etc). I had them professionally cleaned but the noise is still there.
my question is would playing these discs damage my stylus/cartridge? i sayang also la my benz L2.

mad.onenad wrote:hi guys,
i've been buying cheap LPs kat amcorp mall and some of them r really noisy w extraordinary cliks and pop and hiss sounds. these albums r really great finds to me (Amazing Rythmn Aces, Quicksilver, Electric Flag, Curved Air etc). I had them professionally cleaned but the noise is still there.
my question is would playing these discs damage my stylus/cartridge? i sayang also la my benz L2.

Don't worry, these noises won't damage your cartridge.

If the surface of the record is visually good, then there is no risk of stylus damage. But the noise u hear could be due to stubborn dirt still in the grooves, or in-groove damage from previous usage.

Only if the surface is physically damaged bad enough , then there is a risk of damaging the stylus, usually by pulling apart the diamond from the cantilever.

A quick way to check is to gently run your fingernails over the deep scratch areas and if it catches your fingernails, then better not to play these records anymore.

Benz L2 is a good & expensive cartridge! ... mind asking you what turntable & tonearm are u using the Benz with ?

ade bran?

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Clearaudio-Performance-SE-Turntable-BARGAIN-LOOK-/190424039918?cmd=ViewItem&pt=AU_Electronics_Home_Audio_Turntables&hash=item2c562841ee#ht_2011wt_930