VPI motor - upgrade to 300 rpm?

Mike at VPI has mailed that if I am able to extend the plinth hole for the pulley, he can ship the 300 rpm motor and new pulley. The hole for the 600 rpm motor is ca 35 millimeter, the pulley is 22. A half rpm motor means a doubling of pulley diameter, so it will need to be 55 to 60 mm including adjustment space. I am searching for ways to do this mechanical adjustment.

Hello O_holter,
Seems to still have interest, and are persuing the use of the 300rpm Motor.

If it is permissible by the mods, I would like if you could further explain what it is you are not liking with your sound? Is it noise, or vibration from the Motor you're hearing-feeling? Which SAMA is this you have, the newer one, or the older one with round case?

I see you mention PRAT? What other sonic dislikes are you noting? What are you using as a Plinth Suspension? The Pucks, or Springs?

Are you still using the stock Rubber Feet on the Wood Base?

These are two areas, where the chageout to a cone foot for the Wood Base, and using something like Herbies Iso Cups-Balls, or Tenderfeet for a plinth suspension should net you some good, not subtle sonic gains.

As I believe I mentioned earlier in this thread, I too am running a modded HW-19 with newer version SAMA, SDS, 16 lb MK-IV Lead Filled Black Acrylic Platter. My custom HW-19 does not have a seperate Armboard, but uses a custom made solid one piece 1.00" thick Acrylic Plinth secured to the Steel Sub Chassis Plate.

I now use the Herbies Extra Firm Tall Tenderfeet to replace the Sorbo Puck Suspension. I use the short soft Tenderfeet to replace the stock rubber feet on the SAMA, and use Brass Audiopoint Cone Feet to replace the stock Rubber Feet on the Wood Base.

I cannot imagine my Table being any quieter than what it currently is, it is totally dead quiet in operation.

Dislike of sound can maybe be sourced to other components in your chain? Your sound will only sound as good as its weakest link. Mark

Mark, sorry for not answering. I am ordering a 300 rpm motor and a new pulley from vpi, with the lower groove 10 percent larger than the upper groove, for a silk string. The reason I do this is, mainly, slight speed or pitch variations. For some reason, this problem comes and goes a bit, it is actually less now (having changed back to a clear belt, older type). The player rests on a complex arrangement - Black magic cones, Bright Star sandbox (split top, for the Samas), and even three small bike tyres under the sandbox (the air actually helps). Still using the springs, perhaps Tenderfeet would be better. As for the rest of the chain, it should be good enough (Titan i p-up, Sme V arm, Aesthetix Io preamp, Krell 600 amp, Dynaudio consequence speakers).

o_holter, did you ever get the 300rpm motor set up on the 19?  I have been having a lot of interest in doing this but everyone I talk to about it at vpi seems to discourage it.

Four things to look at:
1. Early 600 rpm SAMA came with a flywheel.  It looks like a large stainless steel washer that slides over the motor spindle.  VPI stopped using it at some point because it wobbles causing speed variations, flutter and rumble.  If your SAMA has one ditch it.

2.  Worn belts will cause speed fluctuations.  Don't get a third party belt.  Only a few dollars more to get the VPI belt.

3.  Dirty or dry platter bearing will cause speed fluctuations.  Clean it out with alcohol and q tips and oil it sparingly with a high quality oil.  I like sewing machine oil.

4.  I've had a couple generations of the VPI speed controllers (SDS) and was never pleased with any of them.  I now use a Phoenix Engineering Eagle and Roadrunner.  They keep speed dead on to within about .004.  Unfortunately Phoenix recently went out of business but if you can find the pair used for a decent price they are great.