Rega RP1 motor vibration
- Thread starter spikey_w
- Start date
misterc6
Wasted and wounded, it ain’t what the moon did
Some people are never satisfied. Rega have a tremendous record of assuring customer satisfaction long after other companies' warranties have expired. Paul Darwin has an excellent reputation on this forum for resolving problems and I don't see what more he could have done than offering a f.o.c. repair on a three year old budget turntable at the OP's nearest dealer.
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paul darwin
pfm Member
badger 748,
If I wasn't on holiday in Menorca and had the address then I would do just that !!
misterc6,
Thanks, we try and do our best,
PD
If I wasn't on holiday in Menorca and had the address then I would do just that !!
misterc6,
Thanks, we try and do our best,
PD
spikey_w, I totally agree with you, and going to all the trouble of getting the deck back to a dealer only to be told there is nothing wrong with it, as sounds likely, would be pretty frustrating. The Michael Lim mod looks good to me to fix the vibs issue (not sure how he raises the spindle though) - it may drive you mad having to reset the belt tension every time you jiggle the deck however..
stevebrock
pfm Member
Rega have been brilliant to me
Had a problem with an Elicit R
While packing it up to back to the dealer the box was knocked off a table and corner went straight through the driver of my RS3 speakers !
Guess what ?? Rega supplied a new driver FOC and sent me a brand new amp
Had a problem with an Elicit R
While packing it up to back to the dealer the box was knocked off a table and corner went straight through the driver of my RS3 speakers !
Guess what ?? Rega supplied a new driver FOC and sent me a brand new amp
Yes, I too have this problem with my brand new Rega 3 purchased 2 weeks ago. I today took it back to the shop only to be told that it seemed 'normal' as they couldn't hear any hum, though we were in a shop in the middle of town so I didn't expect they would! I formerly had a Rega Planar 2 which had the older motor and so was dead quiet with or without lid. Now, I'm not sure what to do as the hum is so subtle and not so noticeable only to good listeners presumably! I'll give it a few weeks to see if I can live with it but I'm tempted to buy an older S/H RP3 with the old motor as they were great. I had thought that the 'upgrade' to this brand new RP3 would be 'it' for me but that wasn't to be. Though they undoubtedly are still a good buy, but perhaps could be that bit better without the hum. I did phone Rob at Rega originally who suggested it might be the oil drying up a bit, but the dealer put new oil in but it's still the same. Playing the TT without the lid (especially a Rega) seems strange and is inconvenient for me to say the least, and I can still hear a fainter hum with the lid completely removed. I'd be interested to hear your comments on how you're coping with this and if anything has changed? I'll let you know my end if anything changes.
I purchased £129 & fitted the 24v motor/board for my 1984 Planar 3 a couple of years ago after my old suspended 240v cap failed. Recently I serviced the deck with new ceramic bearing and 80w oil. Putting it all back together I also noticed this very low level hum from the motor. Disconnected amp & phono leads and removed white belt. The hum is present motor is spinning but also is only noticable when the lid is closed - open the lid & hum cannot be heard.
I am guessing this is due to the new cheap method of just sticking the motor to the thin plinth veneer with an adhesive foam pad so even though 'low noise' as claimed by Rega it is still making this low level hum through the plinth. Not really ideal considering the relatively high cost of this 'upgrade'o
Will try a light oil of the motor spindle/thrust bearing to see if it helps otherwise may just re-suspend again on rubber band as before if possible.
By the way trusted Rega dealer did advise me ages ago not to bother with this upgrade, should have listened.
paul darwin
pfm Member
StanLea,
Did you fit the 24v motor kit yourself or was it fitted by a Rega accredited and franchised dealer ?
The ceramic bearing is non-standard and the oil used is maybe not Rega recommended and therefore your turntable has been modified and therefore does not represent a Rega turntable per se and so any comments regarding Rega are therefore largely irrelevant.
PD
Did you fit the 24v motor kit yourself or was it fitted by a Rega accredited and franchised dealer ?
The ceramic bearing is non-standard and the oil used is maybe not Rega recommended and therefore your turntable has been modified and therefore does not represent a Rega turntable per se and so any comments regarding Rega are therefore largely irrelevant.
PD
Lost my p/w so re-registered:.
Paul, as this is a Rega 'upgrade' kit and easily fitted as Rega say, I did fit it myself. It was quite straightforward following the instructions supplied actually.
As the tt bearing with the Rega recommended oil has nothing whatsoever to do with this motor hum I will discount your comment about it, the motor hums with or without a belt attached to sub-platter. So undertaking this Rega recommended motor upgrade (on a 35 years old deck) does not mean this is no longer a Rega turntable, your comment is disingenuous and unhelpful here.
When this 24v motor is just mounted to a thin plinth veneer, as mine and many others will surely be, there is a very small but noticeable hum which can only be motor vibration as no platter spinning or amplifier connected. The 'motor upgrade kit' uses a thin adhesive foam pad to fix it to the plinth and while this is effective in reducing any wobble it does couple the motor directly to the plinth. That is a fact of the design, I cannot say if modern versions of Rega tt are constructed the same way or not but mention my experience so others are aware of this. As others have noted the hum is virtually inaudible with the lid open and only very faint when lid is closed but it is there non the less.
Like many others I love my Rega tt & RB300 ta which has given amazing service, the few little tweaks were made usually when something failed, like the motor caps, belt etc. Nothing major really and testament to how good the original design was. I just think Rega might have devised a better method of motor isolation for this new part as even with some 'wobble' I never heard any transmitted hum from the old 240v rubber band suspended motor.
Paul, as this is a Rega 'upgrade' kit and easily fitted as Rega say, I did fit it myself. It was quite straightforward following the instructions supplied actually.
As the tt bearing with the Rega recommended oil has nothing whatsoever to do with this motor hum I will discount your comment about it, the motor hums with or without a belt attached to sub-platter. So undertaking this Rega recommended motor upgrade (on a 35 years old deck) does not mean this is no longer a Rega turntable, your comment is disingenuous and unhelpful here.
When this 24v motor is just mounted to a thin plinth veneer, as mine and many others will surely be, there is a very small but noticeable hum which can only be motor vibration as no platter spinning or amplifier connected. The 'motor upgrade kit' uses a thin adhesive foam pad to fix it to the plinth and while this is effective in reducing any wobble it does couple the motor directly to the plinth. That is a fact of the design, I cannot say if modern versions of Rega tt are constructed the same way or not but mention my experience so others are aware of this. As others have noted the hum is virtually inaudible with the lid open and only very faint when lid is closed but it is there non the less.
Like many others I love my Rega tt & RB300 ta which has given amazing service, the few little tweaks were made usually when something failed, like the motor caps, belt etc. Nothing major really and testament to how good the original design was. I just think Rega might have devised a better method of motor isolation for this new part as even with some 'wobble' I never heard any transmitted hum from the old 240v rubber band suspended motor.
bbbiker800
pfm Member
Sorry i've just found this thread so a little late throwing in my 2cents !
Yes Rega do shift a lot of decks and its inevitable a few rogues get thru. I got a new RP3 from Dave and soon had to return it in Dec2014 for a motor swap (noise) and prior to that the arm had wiring issues and that was swapped too (audible 'crackle noise') - both fixes by Dave were FOC. Can't fault the service at all.
So, some time further on and the motor has slowly deteriorated and is again audible with the lid up and noisy with it down. I also had speed issues and a few belt swaps later its sounding OK and is more stable.
Whether Rega are fitting newer, quieter motors now I couldn't say but if they are then I'd be interested in a swap. Plus, if the Neo TTPSU helps reduce noise and stabilizes speed then that would be interesting to know too
regards, richard
Yes Rega do shift a lot of decks and its inevitable a few rogues get thru. I got a new RP3 from Dave and soon had to return it in Dec2014 for a motor swap (noise) and prior to that the arm had wiring issues and that was swapped too (audible 'crackle noise') - both fixes by Dave were FOC. Can't fault the service at all.
So, some time further on and the motor has slowly deteriorated and is again audible with the lid up and noisy with it down. I also had speed issues and a few belt swaps later its sounding OK and is more stable.
Whether Rega are fitting newer, quieter motors now I couldn't say but if they are then I'd be interested in a swap. Plus, if the Neo TTPSU helps reduce noise and stabilizes speed then that would be interesting to know too
regards, richard
linnfomaniac83
I bet you can’t wheelie a unicycle!
My experience of the Neo is on a P5 with an already quiet motor, I’m not sure whether the motor itself is quieter as it’s mounted with Allen bolts and has bushings on a P5 being a higher tier deck... however it brings very notable improvements is sound. Surface noise is lower, pitch is more stable, detail and dynamics are improved and the bass seems tighter/faster.
bbbiker800
pfm Member
Thanks Linnfo - that's really useful to hear. I've not seen any feedback on the Neo but that sounds like a decent upgrade. Wonder what others will say - especially Mr Darwin! However it's Interesting that it allows fine speed adjustments too. Regards Richard
paul darwin
pfm Member
StanLea,
Thanks for your observations, given the fact that the TT is 33 years old and has not been upgraded or serviced by a Rega trained and franchised dealer and has been modified and upgraded by untrained personnel and there is no verification as to its use and treatment over those 33 years then my comments are neither disingenuous nor unhelpful.
If I might be so bold as to suggest that you take it to a Rega dealer and let them have a look and evaluate the TT and assess the nature of the "problem" that you allude to.
PD
Thanks for your observations, given the fact that the TT is 33 years old and has not been upgraded or serviced by a Rega trained and franchised dealer and has been modified and upgraded by untrained personnel and there is no verification as to its use and treatment over those 33 years then my comments are neither disingenuous nor unhelpful.
If I might be so bold as to suggest that you take it to a Rega dealer and let them have a look and evaluate the TT and assess the nature of the "problem" that you allude to.
PD
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Paul,
May take your advice and ask my Rega dealer, who is first class by the way and whose knowledge I trust, if this is a known issue with this Rega High Performance Motor Upgrade Kit's motor and if anything can be done about it given it cost a whopping £130.00 as it seems unlikely anyone here knows how to fix the hum.
May take your advice and ask my Rega dealer, who is first class by the way and whose knowledge I trust, if this is a known issue with this Rega High Performance Motor Upgrade Kit's motor and if anything can be done about it given it cost a whopping £130.00 as it seems unlikely anyone here knows how to fix the hum.
paul darwin
pfm Member
StanLea,
I think it would have been appropriate to have your Rega dealer fit the kit in the first place, also I can assure you that it is not a "known issue" with the motor upgrade kit or any of our motors come to that.
It's possibly worth pointing out that we can and do offer servicing for virtually everything we have ever sold in the last 44 years and, importantly, when you take out the VAT and dealer margin the actual cost is relatively small rather than "whopping" to keep a 33 year old deck running and upto date, offering the possibility to be upgradeable further with the addition of the new Neo TTPSU.
PD
I think it would have been appropriate to have your Rega dealer fit the kit in the first place, also I can assure you that it is not a "known issue" with the motor upgrade kit or any of our motors come to that.
It's possibly worth pointing out that we can and do offer servicing for virtually everything we have ever sold in the last 44 years and, importantly, when you take out the VAT and dealer margin the actual cost is relatively small rather than "whopping" to keep a 33 year old deck running and upto date, offering the possibility to be upgradeable further with the addition of the new Neo TTPSU.
PD
Thanks guys for all your comments & suggestions on this motor hum noise which I believe a number of people have commented on. Will discuss with my Rega Dealer.
Interesting comment about the ceramic ball Craig. It would be great to see your evidence, photos etc. of this sort of bearing well damage.
Interesting comment about the ceramic ball Craig. It would be great to see your evidence, photos etc. of this sort of bearing well damage.
YNWOAN
100% Analogue
I would also recommend that you did not use a ceramic ball in your bearing. In the case of Rega I believe the bearing surface is actually between the ball bearing and the end of the bearing shaft (though this is not directly relevant). Most (pretty much all) turntable bearing shafts are made from tool steel and whilst this is very hard it is significantly less hard than the ceramic ball. Any wear taking place, and wear is inevitable, will be taken by the bearing shaft and not the ball.