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Technics EPA-100 MK2 wiring

With a help from my old friend in Tokyo i have finally managed to get EPA-100 MK2 in perfect condition. I don’t know why but this tonearm was in my wantlist for a long time (since i bought my first EPA-100). The classic EPA-100 was sold long time ago when i upgraded to Reed 3p "12, but with this craze of MM cartridges i was thingking about some decent arm to swap the cars quickly. The EPA-100 MK2 Boron Titanium is what i’ve been looking for. Well, dreams comes true. The only part i had to replace was the armlock, but it was easier because this plastic armlock is identical to the armlock of the SL1200mk2 tonearm and it was easy to fix. Another problem is that the small ring with digits (to set it up to zero when balancing the arm) on the counterweight is not moving apart from the whole counterweight. I hope i can fix it soon.

And finnaly the cable:
Everyone knows that original Technics connector accomodate 2 RCA and one ground pin in the middle. I have this ugly connector on the wire, but the wire already replaced with some Mogamy (nothing special). I’d like to use a proper phono cable cable (RCA to RCA). But i need this pin to insert the ground in the middle of the RCA’s mother on the tonearm side.

Dear EPA-100 mk2 owners, how did you solved the problem ?

I’m not sure i want to rewire tonearm internally, do you think it worth it with EPA-100 mk2 model ?


I have revired my Lustre 801 arm with Discovery internal wires, but i’ve done so because the original silver wire was broken. I use new external wires.

BTW it would be nice if someone can shape the copy of the manual for the EPA-100 mk2 
128x128chakster
genesis168's avatar
genesis168
409 posts
 
Chakster, the size of the grounding pin for these technics tonearms is the same as the male pin in an RCA jack. What I do is to remove the make pin on any rca jack and solder a wire on it and there's the grounding wire. 
chakster's avatar
chakster OP
6,144 posts
 
@genesis168 thanks, i was thingking about it last night, i also noticed that RCA's (left and right) should be standard in diameter around their pins, some modern RCA are just too big, but the ground pin hole is just in the middle of them and there must be some space to insert this ground pin between the actual RCAs. 

What about internal wiring of this arm, it's that ok to use with some modern external phono cable or worth to rewire the arm internally?  
nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 
chakster, don't mess with internal wire if this imply messing with
the bearings. BTW the new ''bullet'' RCA connectors (aka ''KLE'')
are excellent and not ''big''.
genesis168's avatar
genesis168
409 posts
 
Honestly I wouldn't mess with the internal writing and upgrading the rca sockets. Al lyou need is to build a ground wire that fits the dole and use your favourite rca cable with the arm. 

As mentioned you just just need to remove the a male rca centre pin and solder a ground wire into it. Once the male pin is plugged into the grounding hole of the arm base, it leaves quite a lot of room for your L+R cables. 
dgarretson
2,599 posts
 

@chakster

Jim Howard of Applied Fidelity(RIP) once mentioned to me that rewiring the EPA-100 is worthwhile.  He also replaced the stock ruby ball bearings with silicon nitride balls-- which were claimed to be rounded to a tighter tolerance.  I own a stock EPA-100 that I have not had the courage to modify.  I have, however, adjusted the bearings.  Try setting VTF and antiskate to zero. If the bearings are working properly, the tonearm will float so freely that a slight breeze will shift it in both dimensions.  I haven't found another tonearm with such low friction.  

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