lts to suit a Rega Acos turntable

[orbscure]

Morning all...

I have a vintage Rega Acos turntable and would appreciate any details as to which Rega belts this model needs. Is there a standard "fits all" Rega belt or do I need to source a particular model/spec?

Cheers

Pete

 

[Anonymous]

Why not try contact Rega themselves? They'll be able to answer that question. Hang on to this TT though, the R200/ Acos arm is a very nice piece of engineering.

 

[orbscure]

Thanks for the feedback. I've since learnt that apart from the P9, the belt size was standard through the rest of the Rega range.

As for the turntable itself, I've had this bit of kit for years, but having been collecting dust in the spare room, I've decided to restore her and give it a spin in place of my current Pro-Ject 2. Once the new belt arrives, I just need to add a cartridge and then I can see how good it really is. As far as I can tell, it even has the original 'Acos Rega' tonearm with an ADC headshell...

Whilst on the subject of cartridges, any suggestions for a sub-£100 one that will suit this deck. The OM10 on my Pro-Ject seems a decent enough cartridge, so perhaps that would be a good place to start here?

Cheers

Pete

 

[Anonymous]

I personally swear by the humble AT95E (I've ran one in a Michell Orbe) and it can be surprisingly good. I'd recommend upgrading the stylus either to HE (Hyper Elliptical) or Shibata (fine line). This makes an incredible difference to the amount of information retrieved from the groove as well as the sound staging, you should be able to get both cartridge and stylus for under 100 pounds on the internet.

 

[orbscure]

Great stuff... thanks for the additional pointers. Off to see what I can find

Cheers

Pete

 

[orbscure]

Rather than start a new thread, I've also bought a nice spanking new dust cover for my Rega Acos, but the hinges don't match. Pair of metal hinges on the turntable, plastic hinges on the new cover. I've Googled hinge kits, but the hole centers on the deck hinge look like they don't line up. Any suggestions welcome!

Cheers

Pete

 

[Anonymous]

Can you post a link to a photo so we can get an idea of the problem? Its hard to suggest a practical solution without this although my immediate response would be changing either the hinge type or location on the back of the turntable. I'm assuming it's plinth is MDF and this would be easier than drilling into a (new) perpex cover as well as cosmetically less problematic.

 

[orbscure]

Thanks gain Mr Spectre... I thought images would be a better solution and will take some and post them later. Incidentally, the Acos has a solid lump of metal as a plinth, so drilling is not something I'd be happy with or capable of doing. The simplest solution would appear to be is drilling holes in the covers part of the hinge, but a couple of photo will better explain 🙂

Cheers

Pete

 

[orbscure]

Right... here is an image of the plinth with the existing hinge holes:

...and here is the same plinth but with the dust lid in place with the hinge arrangement covering the holes:

My idea was to mark the holes on the dust lids hinge, drill and screw in place... but if somebody has a better idea, please fire away 🙂

Cheers

Pete

 

[Anonymous]

It looks like you have the best solution, I was assuming the new cover came pre-drilled but it looks like you'll just about get away with the hinge location. Remember that perspex will heat up quickly once you get a dill on it and that its also quiet brittle and inclined to crack if you apply too much pressure, hope all goes well.

 

[orbscure]

Yep.. all sorted. Used a small soldering iron and made small holes that lined up with the holes in the plinth. Screwed in place and the cover now lines up perfectly with the plinth.

Just need to sort out a cartridge, connection leads and bolts/screws to fit to my ADC headshell, then I'm ready to give it a go... 🙂

Cheers

Pete

 

[orbscure]

Right... I'm back to square one again. Cartridge bought and fitted, but when I fire the deck up, although the small flywheel is rotating, the belt slips in its groove. The same is for both speeds. For the record, the Rega belt I bought from eBay was, according to the seller "these original replacement belts fit all Rega turntables past and present"

So any suggestions?

Cheers

Pete

 

[Lost Angeles]

Rega advise when switching on spin the platter by hand to ease the strain on the motor and do not switch off when changing sides or the LP.
This will probably not help here but may in the future.
Is the platter free?

 

[orbscure]

Cheers for the input LA... its funny you mention the starting proceedure, as that was one of the ways I tried. The platter does spin, but then begins to judder and jump. Both the fly-wheel and platter are free and move without any issues. I'll try again tonight and see if it just needs running in a bit...

Cheers

Pete

 

[orbscure]

This is so frustrating... even after trying several hours of running the belt in, still no joy. It jumps and judders around and barely gets up to speed on both flu-wheels. If somebody could suggest a source for a suitable belt to suit this turntable, I'd be very much appreciated...

Cheers

Pete

 

[Anonymous]

It doesn't sound like an original Rega part. Imagine your buying a cheap body panel for your car, these parts never fit like the original manufacterer intended and require skilled tweaking. I'd suggest biting the bullet and going direct to Rega, at least they'll either help you or give you a full refund.

 

[orbscure]

Thanks again for the input. I should have been clearer, it was a genuine Rega belt sold on eBay as compatable with all their turntables. Perhaps an email to them direct so as to (a) seek confirmation as to what type I should be using and (b) a recommended outlet is the best way to go...

Cheers

Pete

 

[orbscure]

Could be onto something... having made contact with the guys at Billy Vee's in Lewisham (a Rega approved stockist) there appears to be an issue with the really early Rega decks having special belts... fingers crossed that this solves my problem 🙂

 

[Anonymous]

Its always best to talk to a few experts that have experience of a company like Rega, I'm betting your problems will soon be solved.

 

[orbscure]

I do hope so... with regards eBay, when the seller has 100% positive feedback from 35832 transactions, you tend to trust their selling spheel for these belts when saying "These original replacement belts fit all Rega turntables past and present...", but as you say, there is no substitute for contacting an authorised dealer...

 

[Anonymous]

Then it sounds like a lack of in depth product knowledge rather than deliberate deceipt.

 

[orbscure]

As way of an update... with thanks to the guys at Billy Vee Sound Systems (especially Mike Olrod) after a bit of good old fashioned tlc, I'm sat here spinning vinyl on my Rega Acos for the first time in quite some time. Sure, it could do with a new arm, but with the addition of an Audio-Technica AT-95E cart, its sounds fantastic. The perceived issue with belts was purely down to the motor and checking its alignment and a small amount of lubrication has worked a treat. What a shame that dedicated high-street outlets like this are few and far between. If only I could find somebody willing to run their eyes over my Meridian 206 CD Player with its LED display issues, but that's another story...

Cheers

Pete