Do T/T belts make a difference.

Ihave just fitted my Thorens 850 T/T with a new motor previous one expired. I bought an origin live Ultra Motor kit it has a DC motor which i fitted in a stand off position.
Now a problem with a belt it needs to be a lot longer than the old rubber belt of the Thorens AC motor. I have tried several different things Silk -Polyester sewing thread-Audio Tape now i have settled on a materal that is used for threading pearls.
It is very strong looks like a type of nylon not easy to knot but
sounds good . One thing i can say for sure the DC Motor makes
a big difference.I have a SME 309 arm Micro Grove Plus Phono
Wharfedale Opus3 Speakers Speakers and T/T all sitting on
Vibrapods and Cones I am using a Benz Glider L Cart.
Noel W.

 

Obviously.

A belt-driven turntable is a complex system of rotating masses
(platter and motor), compliances (belt), damping (bearing), and noise injectors (motor, cartridge). Such system has a complex resonance behaviour and changing any part of it can lead to quite dramatic differences.

 

Have you tried freezing the belts prior to fitting ?

 

Hi Happy Chappy
No i had not thought of freezing the belts.
Will give it a try . Thanks for the tip
Noel W.

 

I just fitted a new belt to my Voyd Valdi. The new (and correct) belt is substantially wider and tauter than the one it replaced. The deck now sounds vastly more dynamic and airier than before. Not subtle!

 

I tried freezing my belt, it snapped on the first revolution and was very cold putting it on and a bit of a faff through all that nitrogen mist and frostbite, although the only note of Pink Floyd I did hear clearly benefitted from correctly aligning the molecules on the £15 belt material.... not!




Get some decent powdered chalk to act as a clutch and use disposable cotton gloves to keep the oil from your fingers contaminating the interface. Works every time. I'd like to have a thread driven TT, but at the moment I have a thread driven bank account!

 

HI SMEagol
Love you to have a thread driven TT Bank account sounds like it has Swine Flu. I really cant beleive the
difference the DC motor makes overall it just sounds great.When i bought the motor kit from OL. i did not expect it to be this good .What gets me is the things that you can use
to drive a 10 lb platter cotton fine polyester thread audo tape
the list is as long as your arm . I have a metal platter nylon
pulley on the motor no more spending wife gets cagey.
Regards Noel W.

 

Hello Papa.
Now that is really a great set up you have
would love to hear it in action. Speakers and cables cant do any better than that . WIll add it to my wish list now Wife is cagey
Regards Noel W.

 

Yes Noel I agree, I had the Origin Live motor on my LP12 and liked it very much, even though the linnies claim it has speed stability issues, I suspect if it had LINN on the case and was named after some Greek God, they'd be queuing up to buy it!

 

Thanks Noel. You're always welcome to pop in for a listen if ever near Milton Keynes!

 

HI EAGOL.
Motor seems to be holding speed quite well. Bit
early to tell yet. Mate keep an eye on those Linnies they are all over the world . You know what they say .
Its hard to listen to music When all around you is Turkeys.
Must have Bird Flu. Noel W.

 

Actually OL and Linn use the same Maxon Re-Max motor ...

 

Hello Werner
Yes i looked into a Maxon RE-Max motor and their drive unit was not quite sure if it would work on my deck.
One thing for sure it would have been a lot cheaper way to go.
did not know it was the same motor at the time i ordered my OL. Fools rush in.
Regards Noel W.




..

 

Yes.

There are two kinds: adequate and inadequate.

 

Hi tuga
Good one mate. Am trying different tensions.
Love to keep going until i have tried all that i have read.
Dont believe all that you read. Tough one this.
Regards Noel W.

 

I have just renewed the belt on my TD124..It was 85% diameter of the worn out one..
My other car, sorry, turntable is a Cranfield Rock (first model) and I cannot find a belt supplier for it (and the black rubber stuff formodel aeroplanes that I have made do with in the past is no longer avlbe).
Any ideas?
Its 1/4 inch..Catapult rubber has also been tried but its sq. section and speeds the thing up of course..
The Thorens with the new belt is really rather good..it has been modded to run at 33 only and had lots of bits and bobs removed down below. In the granite plinth 'wot i cut myself ' it is a real challenge for the Rock..
It wasnt me that chopped up the Thorens - wouldnt dream of it..!

 

Hi Rocket 88.
Try Originlive they have made me several belts
get on to the boss MARK. pretty sure he can help you. Makes
them any size. quite helpfull to. Regards Noel W.

 

Im right on it - thanks Noel..
Actually I have had dealings with Mark in the past (around the time of his first kit tt) and B4 rega mods. Yep, I dub him 'Aftermarket Mark'..

 

Apols for going a bit off topic but this is interesting - I fitted the cheapest OL dc motor to my TD160 2 or 3 years ago - made a big difference and I'd been wondering about upgrading. Quick visit to the Maxon site shows an initially bewildering range of models -anyone know specifically what would be needed or point me in the right direction to find out?

 

Why not ask Max Townsend ?