SME 30/2 Controller

Thanks for info. It was my understanding that the new controllers offered better speed control and sounded better. Is this not the case ?

 My Koetsu Rosewood sig is being rebuilt and will be back in 3-4 months. I now know it’s a low compliance cartridge. Will it be okay on the Series V arm?

 I have a Benz Cardas Heart but that to needs to be rebuilt. I am just getting back into vinyl. Any thoughts appreciated. 
Peter
 

O-rings are commodity items. As long as they are not all stretched out you should be able measure them and purchase new ones from a industrial supply house. Get a pair of calipers and measure the cross section of the cord stock and than see if you can get the inside diameter of the ring. Not sure where you are located but McMaster Carr in the States carries a large selection of them and list them by sizes. I do it all the time.

BillWojo

I suspect that SME might simply be closed for the whole Christmas/New Year period. They probably reopen on 10/1. 

The motor control unit which you have is the original one for the 30/2 (the first Model 30 is a different matter: it had a different motor and controller).

I have a relatvely early 30/2 (serial number 133) and some years ago changed the controller (of the type which you have) for the more recent one. I think I noticed a small drop in the overall noise floor, but I would not swear to it. I think you could happily start out with the unit you have. 

I agree that a new drive belt might be a good idea, but if we are talking about a new turntable that has never been used, I can quite imagine the supplied belt still being perfectly ok. 

The colour of the platter surface is the original; SME changed to black a few years ago because the supplier of this substance ('Isodamp', I think it is called) discontinued it in the green colour. 

Good luck with the turntable: it is thunderous noise sink that allows you to hear what is on your records (for better or worse). Note that, despite the elaborate suspension, it is sensitive to what it is placed on. 

Peter

Thanks for input. Everything is wrapped in plastic so maybe belt is fine. Table is 2004 model.  As to weather locked down properly not sure. I have not removed it yet. I’m waiting for cartridge. 
 I did notice a small amount of oil around top plate of the shaft hole/motor bearing. Very small amount in a circular shape. Do I need to order oil and if so how do you know how much to add? 
 
 
 

The motor should be oiled once a year - with one small drop of the supplied oil only. A syringe of this oil is included with a new turntable. If you do not have one, you will need to order it from SME or an SME dealer. 

SME warns against over-oiling: one small drop. 

I very much doubt that you need to worry about the small amount of oil that seems to have emerged from the motor shaft. It may in fact be left over from a clumsy attempt to apply the oil on the part of the previous owner. It is, in fact, not at all easy to stop too much oil coming out of the syringe. Best perhaps to apply it first to the blade of a small screwdriver and then transfer it to the duct leading to the motor shaft.