Vintage DD turntables. Are we living dangerously?

JP, Thanks very much for your informative response. If you ever do get to do some additional experiments with DD’s toting heavier-than-OEM platters, let us know. 

Here is a question that maybe Totem or Peter can answer, particularly Peter: Will a TT101 fit into a plinth made for a DP80? Here I am asking only about the hole in the top deck and the placement of the bolt holes. My DP80 is sitting in a very nice slate plinth cut for it. I might like to try the TT101 in that same plinth, but not if it requires modifying the slate. Obviously, I could just try it, but that requires me to do work.  Hate that. Thanks.

Lewm, 

Unfortunately the metal casing that house the electronics on the TT101 is larger in diameter then on the DP80 (DP80 =10.5" Diameter) (TT101=11" Diameter).

I'll be making a very nice plinth for my TT101  maybe you want one too :-)


Good Listening


Peter

Yes, I measured the circumference of both, and I noticed that the TT101 casing/shield has a larger circumference by about ~1.5", which, divided by pi, would be consistent with an ~0.5" difference in diameter.  I had hopes that the Denon cut-out would accommodate this slight difference, but I can see why it would not; the bolt holes run pretty close to the circumference. (I supplied the water-jet guy who cut the plinth for my DP80 with a template I made according to a factory drawing. He did a superb job.)

I do have the QL10 plinth for my TT101.  I replaced the MDF tonearm mount board with one made from aluminum.  I then also re-enforced the remainder of the plinth with slabs of aluminum bolted to the bottom, wherever there was room.  One large piece of alu runs across under the tonearm mount opening, and a large bolt conjoins the piece under the chassis with the new aluminum mount board,which is drilled and threaded to receive the bolt.  Thus I've increased mass, ridigity, and created a little constrained layer dampening, between MDF and aluminum.  We'll see how that sounds.  In my opinion, the plinth is where Victor really dropped the ball by comparison with Technics, Pioneer Exclusive, and Kenwood.  It's nothing much by itself. Same goes for Denon with the DP80, which is why I am sure your DP8(?) is a huge upgrade over the stock DP80 plinth

I have a longtime friend who is a professional machinist, owns a large business making scientific equipment.  At his home, he has a machine shop that is beyond belief, analogous to what we would do with unlimited resources to put together a vintage audio system.  He has huge lathes that are no longer made and every possible accessory for them.  And he loves to mess around.  If I ask to use his equipment to drill or cut, he ends up taking the job over from me, and does the work far better than I could ever hope to do.  So, it was really he who made all the aluminum parts for the QL10 plinth. Then we get stoned.

chris74,

Or any others familiar with the SP-10 series of tables.  The mat on my SP-10 Mk 2A is the SFTG172-01.  That one "feels" heavier than Technics mats I've seen on a few other tables but I can't be sure.

So does anyone have a reference for which mats were original to which models?  Mk 3?  Mk 2A?  Mk 2?  SP-15?

Thanks

SFTG172-01 was for the MK2A and MK3.  The latest equivalent is RGS0010A which is the thicker mat that was used on the SL-1200 MK3, MK4.  I've both here, and aside from the part number I can't see any difference. 

The MKII used SFTG102-01: http://fidelisanalog.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2016/03/IMG_1031.jpg 

RGS0008 is the thinner version of the RGS0010A/SFTG172-01. 

The SP-15 used SFTG015-01: http://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=71002#p568735