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VPI Single Motor Flywheel / SDS / Aries 3

I just purchased a new VPI Single Motor flywheel for my Aries 3. I have an SDS. It seems like I get answers a little quicker from this forum than VPI, although I have a call in to them.

Here is my dilemma: When I have the Single Motor Flywheel plugged in to the SDS or the wall outlet, the motor turns the flywheel too slowly and I am several HZ below the 60Hz/33RPM on my SDS. The sound is very slow and clearly under 33 rpm on the platter. The flywheel seems we lubricated and turns easily. The motor is quiet. It's just slow. So slow, I have to turn the SDS up to 65-66 HZ to approach strobe disc accuracy and acceptable sound for 33 rpm. Haven't even tried 45 rpm yet.

The motor is placed within proper distance to the flywheel. It came with two small brown belts for the motor to spin the flywheel and one larger black belt which appears to be the same size as the belt used on the Aries 3 regular 300 rpm motor.

Is this normal? Anyone with VPI single motor flywheels or experience with them that could give me advice would be greatly appreciated.
philb7777
philb7777 OP
401 posts
 
Thanks for the feedback everyone. The Flywheel seems a little more finicky than the simple 300 rpm motor, but I'm still at work at it. One thing interesting is it does seem like it takes the flywheel a good 5 minutes or so to get to a stable speed. If I work on adjustments on speed using the strobe disc immediately, I wind up chasing my own tail! After five minutes, its seems like it has reached a stable speed and I can start adjusting.

I ordered some VPI magic lube for the bearing of the platter and flywheel and applied them last night. It seems to make the flywheel run smoother and quieter, but i have seen no real improvement in stability of speed or being able to lower the Hz on the SDS back to where the single 300 rpm motor was set.

I did get a response from Mike at VPI and he suggested the Magic lube and he is also sending me an HRX pulley. My flywheel has the dual sized pulley for playing 33 and 45 rpm without the SDS. He said since I had an SDS, the HRX pulley should be much more stable and I may be able to use only one belt from the flywheel motor pulley to the flywheel.

The saga continues....
philb7777 OP
401 posts
 
By the way, anyone replaced the black plastic/delrin motor pulley on a 300 rom motor or single motor flywheel before? How do you do it? It hasn't arrived from VPI yet, but I'm just trying to be prepared. Thanks....
tfkaudio
591 posts
 
Hi Stan,
I've noticed that the voltage on my SDS will sometimes read 72, and at other times will read 84. And this happens without making any changes to my system. I've often wondered why this happens.

Cheers.

Tom
stanwal's avatar
stanwal
3,147 posts
 
Tom, the same thing is happening to mine. After I did my last post I went back downstairs and, still plugged into the dedicated line, it read 84 again. Now it reads 72 but switches to 84 when I turn the motor on. I have had it on the Scoutmaster, I am going to put the Aries back up this afternoon and see what happens. I earlier tried it with the Scout and the pulley didn't rotate, just vibrated, I don't know what to make of that at all.
philb7777 OP
401 posts
 
Guys, mine does the same thing: 84v to start and then quickly to 72v in 33 rpm and up to 115v to start and down to 102v in 45 rpm. I think this is normal activity and its the way the SDS 'kick starts' the spinning to get things moving then back to the optimal operating voltage once spinning start equilibrating.

Repeating a quick question: has anyone out there replaced or changed out the black delrin motor pulley on a VPI 300 rpm motor or single motor flywheel? Just wondering how you do it. Thanks.
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