Ultrasonic record cleaners


I have a modest lp collection, mixed bag of original college age purchases, used records before the current renewed interest, and some newer albums to replace some older issues from the p mount needle days.  Have a vpi 16 machine and audio intelligent form 6 fluid. I’m not finding a significant improvement on my noisier issues.  The price of ultrasonic cleaners have come down to a price I would consider.  Appreciate the experiences of those who have purchased the ultrasonic machines, are they superior to my vpi and are the less expensive models effective?

TIA

tennisdoc56

I'm careful what I download too. Vinyl Press has caused no (0) problems for me. @antinn How do you clean Tigercloth without compromising it's properties? Thanks!

I have modified my practice as a result of reading Neil's thoughts (I must have missed it in the book, if it was there). I now de-gas each morning before cleaning my first disk. And that is not some sordid reference to the bathroom.

So far, I can say it has done no harm. It makes good sense technically, so I shall continue the habit as it costs nothing and might add something important (like making my expensive Degritter work better!)

@terry9,

WRT to cleaning the Tiger-cloth - the only thing I do is once dry - I shake it out.  Used only during to assist with drying the record after DIW rinsing, the Tiger-Cloth only sees DIW.  So, after use, I hang to dry and then shake it out and store in clean bag.  The cloth is a very fine weave and anti-static, so it does not hold on to particles/lint - ergo a good snap-shake dislodges any lint/particles, and this has been verified with the UV light (the cloth does not fluoresce).   I have been using the same Tiger-cloth for >2yrs.  Otherwise, I periodically inspect the cloth with the UV light and someday when it shows that its 'dirty' I will just toss and use a new one; they are not expensive.  To me, it's not worth the effort trying to clean it and then use multiple DIW to rinse out the cleaner which if you do not, when you use the cloth to assist with drying the record, it will leave a very slight haze which is the diluted cleaner residue, which I have seen with those microfiber cloths with some nap. 

Note that I use a PVA sponge (as discussed in Chapter V of the book) to remove the bulk of the DIW; using the Tiger-cloth only for the final-dry which is not intended to fully dry the record, but to leave a thin-film that prevents any static being developed and then the record air dries in 3-5 minutes.  

@dogberry,

The book addresses Degas as follows:

XIV.2.1 Dissolved Gases & Degas: Fluids exposed to air will absorb air and the solubility of air in water is inversely proportional with temperature and can decrease by about 25% between 20°C/68°F and 40°C/104°F. Air that is dissolved in the fluid will interfere with cavitation. As the cavitation bubble forms, the dissolved air in the fluid migrates into the cavitation bubble preventing maximum cavitation intensity when the cavitation bubble collapses. The degas process operates the ultrasonics with a tank of fresh liquid to remove some or most of the dissolved air. Degas efficiency is dependent on frequency, power and volume. Low frequency 40-kHz and less can take 30 minutes or more to fully degas a large tank, while 80 kHz and greater can accomplish degas in as little as 5 minutes. During the degas process, bubbles may be seen rising in the fluid; the fluid may go from cloudy to clear; there may be a change in sound; and the surface can change to smooth with just a slight rippling effect caused by the ultrasonics.

The book does not state to degas each day if using the same bath although it is implied with the first sentence above. If the book is ever revised, XIV.2.1 will be revised to be more explicit.