Rega P2 tracking issues, stylus not engaging with start of any records

[Alun Rains]

Hi. Asking on behalf of a friend. He has a Rega P2 with a recently fitted AT VM95E cartridge, the cartridge was fitted around 2 or 3 months ago. It all played fine until recently. Now the stylus is not engaging with the start of the records at all. When the arm is lowered the stylus simply sits in the outer run in area and does not engage with tracking the record. I have suggested a few trial fixes such as cleaning the rubber top of the tonearm support guide with Isopropyl alcohol. Also to increase the tracking weight from 2 grams to 3 grams of higher. None of which seem to make any difference. He lives a god distance away from me so I am unable to check things personally.
Any ideas ?

 

[gavreid]

Is the deck spinning? Sounds silly but the pulley can come loose...

 

[Alun Rains]

Is the deck spinning? Sounds silly but the pulley can come loose...

Yes it is, also checked that the deck is perfectly level. When stylus is lowered to outer run in edge of the record, it picks up a cracking sound but then fails to engage with the record grooves. I am wondering if the stylus itself is damaged or the horizontal tonearm bearings are sticking.

 

[Eoin]

Get him a little stylus brush it’s probably got some fluff on it

 

[Alun Rains]

Get him a little stylus brush it’s probably got some fluff on it

I will get him to double check that once again..

 

[TonyScarlett]

Is the armlift lowering fully? I have heard of this happening on Rega decks before.

TS

 

[Alun Rains]

Is the armlift lowering fully? I have heard of this happening on Rega decks before.

TS

Thanks. I will get him to double check that too. Will also ask him to lower the stylus onto the grooves of the record itself to see if it then tracks the grooves…

 

[gavreid]

If the VTF was too light, I guess fluff would give this effect too, then the stylus would skate across the record. I like the faulty arm lift suggestion. Otherwise, unless it's had a hard knock, then suspicion has to be with the cartridge itself...

 

[Mike Reed]

Get him a little stylus brush it’s probably got some fluff on it

Is the armlift lowering fully?

Has to be one of these. Not a good idea to raise the VTA (playing weight) above the max. recommended though. Easy to spot fluff but a bit surprised the stylus is keeping to the outer groove unless hindered by the arm-lift not lowering enough; again, easy to spot if you lower it beside the record edge. You can clearly see the drop difference then.

 

[Alun Rains]

Has to be one of these. Not a good idea to raise the VTA (playing weight) above the max. recommended though. Easy to spot fluff but a bit surprised the stylus is keeping to the outer groove unless hindered by the arm-lift not lowering enough; again, easy to spot if you lower it beside the record edge. You can clearly see the drop difference then.

Yes I have sent him a message to double check those things. Raising the tracking weight just as a short test would help to check if the arm bearings were sticking. If the higher weight allowed the stylus to track then that might suggest the arm bearings were sticky..

 

[Eoin]

Not impossible but I’d suggest unlikely.. - it’ll be one of the 3 above
Stylus damaged
Fluff
Problem with the lift (try pushing the lift rest gently down when the arm is stowed)

Most likely fluff or the arm lift.

 

[Joolzdee]

Think the arm lift/ lower platform can be re raised or lowered as required via a small grub screw on the pillar. A 1.2mm Allen key is required IIRC

 

[Alun Rains]

Not impossible but I’d suggest unlikely.. - it’ll be one of the 3 above
Stylus damaged
Fluff
Problem with the lift (try pushing the lift rest gently down when the arm is stowed)

Most likely fluff or the arm lift.

Thanks..

 

[Alun Rains]

Think the arm lift/ lower platform can be re raised or lowered as required via a small grub screw on the pillar. A 1.2mm Allen key is required IIRC

Many thanks.

 

[Hazelberry]

Is the armlift lowering fully? I have heard of this happening on Rega decks before.

TS

Yes, it’s happened with my Rega. Also, sometimes the platform height needs adjusted to suit different cartridges, so that the stylus either clears the record when cueing or makes proper contact with it when playing.

 

[Tim Jones]

I have a Benz Ace SL cart which I liked a lot, but which, after playing a particular piece of vinyl (which I've had problems with in the past), got so gunked up that the stylus no longer connects with the groove. Looking at it with a loupe, I can see the gunk very clearly, and why it's turned the stylus into a kind of grim dome of crap. I really should let my AT stylus cleaner loose on it (although that might take a while).

Much less likely to be this rather than any of the things mentioned above though.

 

[Locheeboy]

Sometimes....just....sometimes....AT carts on a Rega arm, need a thin shim under the cartridge head. Also, as the max recommended tracking force is 2.2, ah would not set a tracking force above that max...ever.

 

[hifi-dog]

He’s not lost the diamond …?

 

[pocketkitchen]

That’s almost certainly the lift/lower device. You can adjust it so that at the start of the record, it’s around 5mm clear of the vinyl, in the UP position. Then it should be fine unless the grease has dried up, in which case it needs to go back to Rega for a service.

 

[Joolzdee]

Might be worth checking that the thin rubber strip on the lift/lower platform is correctly fitted too. It sits in a groove on top of the platform and can be gently persuaded back if it's not seated properly.