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Best water for RCM

I can only say that the difference is so obviously audible that it must be getting dirt out of the bottom of the groove. I’d put some needle drops on if it were allowed.
 
Darren L said:
Are you claiming that the Audio Systeme or Humminguru sufficiently clean LPs better than a vacuum RCM to such an affect that the results are audible?
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I think they may be ultrasonic machines, and I've yet to read/hear of an even slightly negative comment on their efficacy; even superiority cf vac. RCMs

Without any experience, I don't refute that reputation but to my mind, an RCM can be the d's b's but if it can't extract the contaminated fluid, it's flawed at first base. The ones I've seen have a vertical LP action, and even IF there's a vacuum extractor, vertical records don't lend themselves to that final evaporation process. It baffles me that such a brilliant cleaning concept (?) can't be designed to incorporate the other aspects.

Are there any RCMs which DON'T have a vacuum extractor? In other words, is just a revolving platter? Bit of a waste of a rugged electric motor if so, i.m.o.
 
Fuller said:
So what’s the best water to use on an RCM. Got a Project VCE on the way and wondering what water to purchase to use with the supplied concentrate?
Bit confused by distilled, demineralised, deionised, pure, etc.
Dealer said just go to Halfords. Mate said go to the chemist.
What’d all reckon?
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Make friends with your local coffee enthusiast that uses reverse osmosis to protect his equipment against limescale build up and so on, if you were near me I would let you take some when you needed it. Hopefully the technically clued up folk such as DV don’t disagree.

In my case all my mains water goes through softener (given I’m in the South East and except for bypassing the outside tap for the garden) and then for drinking and cooking goes through RO (Osmio Zero these days having had various under-sink systems in the past).
 
Anyone used the Zero Water filter system for this purpose? Using their TDS meter, it produces water with zero dissolved solids. Dearer than Brita, etc., but purer water. Allegedly.
 
I used to be in charge of a water plant at a silicon chip fab. You measure very pure water by its resistivity. 18 megaohm was the gold standard. To get this you first purify using RO, then pass through some DI cylinders and recirculate until sufficiently pure. You kill the bacteria using UV light and micro-filtration.

As I no longer have access to such pure water I use standard DI water.
 
JezmondTutu said:
We will see how long I’m a member for…
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Sorry, Jesmond, it's for life. Once joined, you live in an eternal vacuum whilst you have vinyl. Don't forget the new sleeves though; poly paper of Nagaoka type. Both have their pros and cons but new sleeving is essential to an RCM existence
 
Mike Reed said:
Sorry, Jesmond, it's for life. Once joined, you live in an eternal vacuum whilst you have vinyl. Don't forget the new sleeves though; poly paper of Nagaoka type. Both have their pros and cons but new sleeving is essential to an RCM existence
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How come Mike? I only replace a sleeve when it’s a nasty scratchy one. Have a load of the clear Nagaoka ones from years ago but I hate the things!
 
JezmondTutu said:
Have a load of the clear Nagaoka ones from years ago but I hate the things!
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I'm not crazy about them either as they get creased, but at least they'll fit inside any original inner. I like the poly-paper ones; much more robust and easier to use but they won't always slot into an original inner, meaning that this tends to comeout as well when you select for play.

Seriously, and anyone on here will echo my advice, If you are cleaning record for the first time, always use a new sleeve. Why put a crystal clean record in a contaminated old sleeve? After all, they're not expensive (under £20 for 50? I'm maybe out of date; Nag. type a wee bit more?)
 
Thanks for all the replies to my OP.
Not used the Project RCM yet, but note in the instructions it says to warm up the "Wash-it" concentrate for the water. Presume that actually means warm up the mixed cleaning solution? And how warm is warm? Don't want to damage the records!
 
Fuller said:
Thanks for all the replies to my OP.
Not used the Project RCM yet, but note in the instructions it says to warm up the "Wash-it" concentrate for the water. Presume that actually means warm up the mixed cleaning solution? And how warm is warm? Don't want to damage the records!
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I don't warm it.
 
Well I've cleaned over 100 albums now with Deionised water with the Project concentrate, and it's doing a very good job on the whole.
I give some records that are still a bit crackly a rinse with the DI water only and that helps considerably. Takes longer for the discs to dry with the water only though, should I add a wetting agent to the rinse mix?
Also most remaining crackle comes in the first 10 seconds or so of any cleaned albums, is that inherent in most RCM users view?
 
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