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Rega P3-24 or RB301 anti-skating bias

Hi, I recently bought a Rega Rega P3-24 (with the RB301 arm). In setting it up, it appears that the anti-skating is radically out of adjustment. I have tried sliding the bias adjustment slider, but at all settings the arm is pulled rather noticeably back toward the arm rest/cueing lever.

For example, when trying to set the tracking control, the instructions say to "slide the balance weight along its shaft until the stylus is “floating” just 1mm clear of the record." No matter where I set the bias slider, I can't get the arm to stay in one place when it's floating. Instead, it immediately and quickly returns to the arm rest/cueing lever.

I would welcome ANY advice.
bob19096
miner42
709 posts
 
Bob,
What cartridge are you using? It may be too heavy for the standard Rega counterweight - I experreinced that with my P7/DV20XH. I had to get the Rega tungsten wt. (125g) before I could get my arm to float correctly. I know this does not answer your question about the AS but your first step is getting the arm to float so you can set teh VTF which will afect the AS setting.
gilsev
3 posts
 
I have the same "problem" with my RB 300s. This is my second RB 300 by the way. The first one had that problem too, PLUS the azimuth was way off tilting my cartridge to the right, PLUS when you cue the lever all the way down, the tonearm only goes down midway ... you must only cue the lever midway for the arm to totally drop onto the record. Rega's QC sucks! (My second RB300 is okay though except for the "strong" antiskating - which I now attribute to be normal for all RB series tonearms).

http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/91/1000953cf1.jpg
dobermann
17 posts
 
This is a normal behavior from any rega tonearm since they use magnets as anti-skating. So even set at minimum, anti-skating force is present.

From Rega tonearm manual: NOTE, even at zero there will be some residual anti-skating force.

The only way to solve this, is to remove one of the two magnets.
adam18
670 posts
 
Wow.................I guess I'm really lucky...... I've been the very happy owner of a brand new P3-24/RB-301/Exact 2 combination for over two months now, and have not been bothered by any of these problems. My table was properly set up by my dealer, and everything is working well, and the music sounds absolutely wonderful.
learsfool
1,215 posts
 
I would agree with Adam - although I have the RB700 on my P5, which I do think is a better arm, you shouldn't be having any problems with your RB301, assuming it is set up properly, meaning how Rega intended. My dealer set mine up for me, and I only had to make a very small adjustment to my anti-skate once I had it on my equipment rack and made sure it was perfectly level. The arm will return slightly because of the magnets, as some have said here, but only very slightly, it should not be causing any sonic problems.
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