The Suspense is Killing Me

[thebes]

Second day in a row I'm all in a tizzy. Anxious, wringing my hands, pacing back and forth, can't sit still.

Poor Thebes nerves are worn to a nub.

Why you ask? No why is what I want to ask you.

Just acquired an Ariston RD11S turntable. Basically a cheaper Linn 12.

It's a suspended turntable and I've never dealt with them before. Spent a good bit of time leveling the stand, leveling the platter springs using a bubble level, installing a cart, aligning same etc. Sounds ok so far but I've only got an hour or so on it.

Two question are making me fraught with worry though.

One. The armboard it came with didn't fit the Rega RB300 I'm mounting on it so I made one out of pine. Now I'm wondering if armboard materials make any kind of difference with a table like this or is all this armboard material stuff just snake oil?

Two. I'm watching the platter spin around (starting to get dizzy) and I'm noticing it doesn't spin level. Seems to wobble a bit from side to side, up and down. Is this normal behavior in these tables? Did I screw up the balancing? Could it be indicative of a worn bearing (spindle shaft does have some light scrapes at top of shaft)?

Oh no, now my knee is starting to bob up and down. Better get some answers soon or I'll have to take my medication.

[oldtimer]

Get on the hotline to Allan Songer! Personally, I would take you to the woodshed for using pine instead of some fine american hardwood. Then of course you'd get a beating with either pine or hardwood, letting you choose. There is no way there should be wobble, Oh the tragedy!

Anyway, good luck, and Allan would be the guy I would go to for help.

[oldbuckster]

Thebes, take your medication, NOW ................... relax, some one out here has your answers !!!!!!!

[dtel]

I have no clue Thebes, but what you could do is put a twin in each hand and you will forget all about it, I promise ! []

[thebes]

Don't tell me that OT (holding his head between his heads and muttering "what have I done this time")!

Thanks for the encouragement guys but it's not working. I'm sitting here, fidgeting, drumming my fingers on the desktop.

Will no one ease my mind?

[oldbuckster]

Will no one ease my mind?

Gee, your the one with the TWINS ....... Today is the day Thebes, your answer is on the way .... Relax Big Man !!!!

[LarryC]

How's that Roberts RTR workin' out for you? Need anything?

I cleaned out my attic last week and found an old Tandberg RTR deck. I think it's kaput, as it had really bad flutter the last time I played it, but you're welcome to mess around with it if you don't have anything to do until all the advice rolls in on your new turntable.

Larry

[thebes]

Are you sure OB? I've taken to bitting my nails.

Hey Larry, I still haven't actually recorded on the RTR but hope to do so this weekend. I managed to reinstall the belt on the wrong pully (they have pully's for 50 and 60 mhz) and had to disassemble, then fix a problem with a balky wheel.

Sure I'd be happy to play with that Tannenberg. Can probably come get it next weekend. By flutter, do you mean the tape moving around or like flutter from the heads? Could be a simple mechanical solution. What's the model number by the way?

Another major bummer, Larry, is that while moving this new TT I managed to drop it and wreck the needle on that Ortofon you admired so much. Also broke the mounting tags on the cart but they seem to have superglued up nicely That needle only had about 100 hours on it and the new tip with set me back $170.

Uh, oh my foots started tapping again.

[oldtimer]

Bad joss? You think it might be haunted?

[LarryC]

Sure I'd be happy to play with that Tannenberg. Can probably come get it next weekend. By flutter, do you mean the tape moving around or like flutter from the heads? Could be a simple mechanical solution. What's the model number by the way?

Another major bummer, Larry, is that while moving this new TT I managed to drop it and wreck the needle on that Ortofon you admired so much

Hate it when that happens. Please don't ask about the cleaning lady and my Transfiguration, once upon a time.

It's a Tandberg (Tannenberg was a WWI battle) 64X. I totally forgot I had it and apparently tossed the manual, which didn't have Roberts-level detail anyway. The workers reorganized the attic, so we'll have to find it again.

I mean flutter sound. It was never a great deck, but it was TUBE, by golly. EDIT: See http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/archive/index.php/t-77514.html.

Let me know if you wanta drop by. Is Lindsey around?

[oldbuckster]

I can't believe no-one has stepped up to the plate to give ol' Thebes a hand !!! ... I would if I could, Bud, sorry ... if it's not an AR belt drive, or Technics direct drive , I'm at a loss ...... be calm, it will all turn out fine ............

[funkyhambone]

alcohol and drugs will solve ALL your problems. i'll drink one to you too my friend.

[oldtimer]

So true funky, I just wish they didn't create as many as they solve....

[funkyhambone]

details. details.

[thebes]

Sure I'd be happy to play with that Tannenberg. Can probably come get it next weekend. By flutter, do you mean the tape moving around or like flutter from the heads? Could be a simple mechanical solution. What's the model number by the way?

Another major bummer, Larry, is that while moving this new TT I managed to drop it and wreck the needle on that Ortofon you admired so much

Hate it when that happens. Please don't ask about the cleaning lady and my Transfiguration, once upon a time.

It's a Tandberg (Tannenberg was a WWI battle) 64X. I totally forgot I had it and apparently tossed the manual, which didn't have Roberts-level detail anyway. The workers reorganized the attic, so we'll have to find it again.

I mean flutter sound. It was never a great deck, but it was TUBE, by golly. EDIT: See http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/archive/index.php/t-77514.html.

Let me know if you wanta drop by. Is Lindsey around?

Woops! Just finished reading Alexander Solzhenitsyn's book 1914 about the battle of Tannenburg. Must have it on my mind. Found a schematic online and it should be fun to fool around with, do the easy stuff first and then maybe lap the heads. Working most of this week but maybe towards the weekend. Mike's project maybe on hold. He was here last week but not sure if every thing's been resolved.

Hey Jim, how's the Scott 299 doing? Hope it sounds as sweet in your house as it did in mine.

This is getting serious. My right eyelid is starting to twitch. Hope somebody helps me out soon.

[LarryC]

Woops! Just finished reading Alexander Solzhenitsyn's book 1914 about the battle of Tannenburg. Must have it on my mind. Found a schematic online and it should be fun to fool around with, do the easy stuff first and then maybe lap the heads.

Man, you make it hard to stay one-up. Well...many years ago, I read Winston Churchill's The Unknown War: The Eastern Front, with a chapter or two on Tannenberg. Funny, WC's WW I series (World Crisis, Unknown War and The Aftermath) is about the only thing by him that's never been reprinted. Individual copies cost in the $hundreds, and even incomplete and mismatched sets sell in the $1,000s or $10,000s.

What's lapping heads mean?

[Mike Lindsey]

I'm there next week Marty. After that, I'm not sure. We'll know more about my situation on Wednesday or Thursday.

I'm going to see Marc Cohn at the Birchmere on Wednesday night, but am available on the other evenings. Let me know if you want to do dinner one night.

Mike

PS. If I get to stick around I'll see if I can help with the table.

[funkyhambone]

what it do Martinous. the 299 is pushing a pair of belles and a pair of khorns (with a little help from niles) in a very large cool audio room. very sweet indeed.

[scott0527]

Now that's a thread title.

Pine for an armboard...nobody uses soft woods for amrboards. Stiff and hard just like the twins like it. I don't really know why but it is true. People seem to like Ebony #1. I will trust the everybodies in this case and steer clear of soft wood arm boards.

Does the Ariston have a two piece platter? In other words, an inner platter that has the spindle and an outer platter that sits on the inner. If so, are you sure you have the outer platter properly placed on the inner platter? There's no goo, funk, metal burrs where the two platters meet?

I wait for you answer before going further.

[thebes]

Woops! Just finished reading Alexander Solzhenitsyn's book 1914 about the battle of Tannenburg. Must have it on my mind. Found a schematic online and it should be fun to fool around with, do the easy stuff first and then maybe lap the heads.

Man, you make it hard to stay one-up. Well...many years ago, I read Winston Churchill's The Unknown War: The Eastern Front, with a chapter or two on Tannenberg. Funny, WC's WW I series (World Crisis, Unknown War and The Aftermath) is about the only thing by him that's never been reprinted. Individual copies cost in the $hundreds, and even incomplete and mismatched sets sell in the $1,000s or $10,000s.

What's lapping heads mean?

I'd completely forgotten about Winston's work on WW1. He made his living by writing and cranked out a lot of stuff. I'll have to see if I can get one from the library. He's a great writer and I've read extensively about WW1. Strongly recommend Allister Horn's books covering that era.

As far as lapped heads, it means taking off heads and using several grits of very fine sandpaper and very fine oil to gently smooth out the grooves that have grown in the sides caused by wear from the tape. You don't want to do this if you can at all avoid it because it would necessitate a realignment of the heads which calls for a realignment tape and other special stuff.

Well I think I'm breaking out in hives.

Spent most of yesterday fiddling with this table, Remove and reseat all the springs, adjusted, adjusted and adjusted again but still some pretty good wobble. Viewed from up top the spindle appears to spin true. The bottom lip of the spindle where it meets the bearing appears to be flat and no score marks on its concave portion. The bearing is fixed and can't be removed but it looks shiny as far as I can tell. There are some light scoring marks on the spindle stem but not too bad. When seated I can't feel any play but if I pull the spindle up a bit I can feel some play so I'm thinking maybe the top sleeve (appears to be brass) maybe worn out.

Don't know what I'm doing so maybe they are supposed to wobble a bit.