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Hello everybody,
before I start the story of my DIY-Turntable Projekt, I want to tell
something about my past.
I always was working on my turntables ?it started in 72 or 73 when i got my
first Dual.
It was the old one of my parents and the Idler weel was broken.
So my father and I fixed it and T.REX /Led Zeppelin were rocking again in
33,3.
Many Players followed in the next 25 years ?from Direct drivers to Belt
driven turntables, but I always opened the cabinet and fixed, tuned or did
"something" in this way (changing arms motors etc.)
I know meanwhile many folks who do the same (after all: it뭩 a great thing to
tune up turntables!)
So I started 5 years ago to create my own turntable. The Idea was to built an
open System, so it was no problem to change things "here and there".
Let뭩 start with the Platter:
It뭩 massive Aluminium / Weight around 20kg. Diameter 310mm.
High: 60mm.
In the middle of the Platter, there is a phase for a belt. So there뭩 the
option a belt can run in the phase or on the normal surface of the platter.
The bearing is like in this picture:
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The Cabinet of the player is a block of solid Multiplex Plywood.
The whole cabinet is standing on a combinaton of 4 brass / rubber feet.
On the right side there뭩 a plate of solid steel fixed on the Cabinet.
On this plate several bases for different Tonearms can be changed
quickly.
On the Picture you see a 10" selfbuild arm.
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The angle construction is from an old Elac Arm, some Telefunken Parts and the
rest is DIY.
The base plate of this arm is also solid steel.
In combination with this arm I use Grados and Ortofon moving - magnet
pickups, but also a Denon dl103 sounds very good.
The motor section:
As a base I used a block of solid beech. It?a good "vibration-killer".
The whole base is standing on small felt-feet.
On top, the motor is housed in a solid-steel case.
The motors are always changing: Sometimes Maxon or like on the picture a
motor from an old marantz tape-deck.
Power-suply:
For a power supply, I use a 12v/6.5 Ah accumulator.
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In the past I used different regulated power-supplies, but the accumulator is
the most noiseless solution.
In the beginning I talked about the string.
A Nylon string of 0.2mm diameter works very well. I tried thicker rubber
belts,
but after all experiments I landed by the nylon solution.
The platter is turning so easily, that there are no problems with wow and
flutter.
Second Arm ?Plate:
On the left side of the turntable, there뭩 a wooden plate for a second
Arm.
It뭩 still in construction and at the end it will carry an old Lenco-Arm (9")
from the 70뭩.
I tried many materials like brass, solid-steel etc. but arms like this
one
work (for my taste) the best way on a wooden base.
So if you have any questions, please feel free to send me an e-mail:
jochen.straceny@t-online.de
Photos and text by Jochen Straceny | 1.jpg){kind=logo}
