VPI Scout - slow speed , help ?


Hi

I've recently purchased a KAB speed strobe which has indicated that my Scout is running very slow (notches moving counter clockwise); over 100 notches in 60 seconds.

I have the newer black belt with unknown time on it; I've cleaned the belt, motor grooves and platter grooves. I get power from a dedicated 15amp plug, through an Audience AR-6 conditioner and stock power cord to the motor. I've tried using different notches on the upgraded 300 rpm motor pulley, with little effect.

I suppose the cheapest experiment is to buy a new belt, and lube the spindle bearing (for which I'll have to purchase oil) and see if that changes things. Short of buying the VPI SDS, are there any other actions which may help here for little money? Perhaps a used Variac would essentially do what the SDS does?

Your constructive feedback is appreciated.

Regards,

Bryn
bshapperd
At least for now, you are up, and running.

Pretty much all of us, have been drawing straws as to what your issues were, and I guess all we could do is make suggestions. When problems such as these arise, one must hold every component of the drive system suspect. And then methodically check each.

While I'm not sure of this, because I have no experience with the 300rpm motors VPI uses, so I am not sure if the Motor Run Capacitor is typically the same value for either 600rpm, or 300rpm Motor?

Thos are perhaps questions others here can answer, or VPI?

There were a few unknowns about your situation, whether the Table was bought like this, or did you make the 300rpm Motor swap recently yourself, or? I'm getting the impression you may have bought the 300rpm Motor used?

That there was either A., a problem with the Motor itself, and you bought a bad one? Or B, that this Motor requires a different Run Capacitor, which was typically included in the purchase when gotten new from VPIm but you didn;t get included with the purchase? Mark
The 300 rpm motor came with the table; it does have have a different value capacitor than the 600 rpm motor (also included with the table purchase).

I'm hoping VPI can help me from here on out.

Thanks!
I thought I would update this post for future reference. Initially, the pulley was loose on the motor drive-shaft which caused the pulley to slip, resulting in slow platter speed. After tightening the pulley's set-screws, the platter ran fast.

At this point I contacted VPI who suggested I send in the existing 300 RPM pulley, as it was probably for a 12" platter, not the 11 1/2" acrylic, Scout platter.

So, I've just installed the new pulley, sent from VPI, and everything is perfect; solid speed, good sound.

Thanks for your efforts.
I don't mean to resurrect a dead thread but I am having the exact same problem. I bought a scout new almost a year ago and have noticed the sound seemed lower and slower than the CD when I did an A/B test. I just now got around to timing it and am consistently getting about a -3.2% error in speed, meaning it takes roughly 3min 5.7 seconds for the platter to go around 100 times. I haven't gotten a hold of VPI yet since they aren't open Monday, but wonder if I might be having the same pulley issue. The motor I have is the stock scout motor,and wasn't bought separately from the scout.

Any suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks
Did you try moving the belt up the pully to a smaller diameter position? (think ten speed bike)

Lower sound (volume?)is because of the phono stage output and cartidge output, and is typical and not a problem.