Turntable speed accuracy


There is another thread (about the NVS table) which has a subordinate discussion about turntable speed accuracy and different methods of checking. Some suggest using the Timeline laser, others use a strobe disk.

I assume everyone agrees that speed accuracy is of utmost importance. What is the best way to verify results? What is the most speed-accurate drive method? And is speed accuracy really the most important consideration for proper turntable design or are there some compromises with certain drive types that make others still viable?
peterayer
Halcro, it is a tragicomedy, perhaps the brass and woodwinds are just not getting on with the stringed instruments.
Could be any number of reasons, but most thread drives are designed with high mass platters and very small concave pulleys. I have the Final set up such that there is no slippage with the silk thread, ie quite taut, and if I turn the motor off the platter will drive the motor/pulley quite easily for a while. I still have concerns about how well the 2 motors on the Raven are synchronised. As you have highlighted our ears are better than many measuring instruments. If the thread is taut it is more direct coupled than a rubber belt which could magnify motor drive issues. Purely conjecture of course.
Just watching Berdych take the first set against Rafa in a tie-breaker in the Australian Open.
This looks like a possible match to be 'bottled'?
Dear Geoch & Dover,
Thanks for the explanations.
The Raven belt does have a smooth side and a 'coarse' side designed to grip the platter.
The platter also does not keep rotating very far after the motors are switched off indicating perhaps a bearing designed for friction so that the motors have a load against which to pull?
The thread is stretched tight.....but the side of the platter material is smooth and slippery.....although the shiny heavy metal platters of the big Micros would seem to be equally slippery?
So there may not be a satisfactory way to get the Raven to work with a thread drive?
What I still don't understand is.......accepting the thread slippage.......how does the Timeline indicate constant speed?
The Timeline is giving you one data point per rotation. So what is happening in between those 1.8 second pulses? Your ears just told you something more is happening than just precise timing of the platter. It is like peeking into the room and everytime you see the cat sleeping, but still the canary disappears. The timeline is giving only one dimension of speed control- ie. timing of the rotation period. What is happening during the rotation? The platter could be cogging, it could be wobbling or even have Wow due to an out of round pulley or out of round platter OD.
Beyond the speed accuracy measured by the timeline, as someone else mentioned, speed precision is also important. That means how well does the platter hold 33 1/3 during the entire rotation. This has to be measured either with a test record or with a precision tachometer. The best instrument might just be our ears. Test records have limitations- the accuracy of the center hole in records causes them to be at least one order of magnitude worse than most turntables. (Two order of magnitudes worse than Halcro's DD turntable.)
Halcro, great info and thanks for sharing. What you have mentioned has left me scratching my head and always learning.

I know "D" is a little occupied presently but hop he will be able to assist adding to this.

What Tony has mentioned above is another perspective but in referrence to out of round pulley or platter doesn't make any sense to me in relation to yours specially reading what you have experienced.

You have three motors so why not do what I had mention earlier in one of my previous threads.

Place one motor off to the left using your thread and then place another motor off to the right using a separate thread attached but only have one motor working, this will do what Dover mentions above acting as a flywheel and balancing the platter.

When I had my AC3 and spun the platter with no pulley attached it would revolve many times but did slow down fairly quickly but with my Black Knight it's appears to be totally different. Spins allot easier initially and keeps spinning consistantly for a lot longer time prior to actual slowing down, to me this was very interesting in a positive way.