Vintage DD turntables. Are we living dangerously?

Lewm, my thinking is that the vibrating transformer adds to the general hash of noise we live in and that the stylus needs to decode. So, even though I don't hear it specifically, it can't be making things better. Also, the EMF generated by the transformer may be effecting various electronics including the cartridge and again, none for the better.
Gary

As this is a vibration / distortion hobby using a stethescope makes alot of sense to me. Yelling at your cartridge to see if direct sound pressure affects it - now that borders on questionable.

Lew /Gary /Henry – what brand of scope would you recommend. I figure I can also play doctor with my dog if I get bored. Before you reply Nikola - remember they are mans best friend.

Great info on this thread.

I have a question about an SP10 4 lb copper mat I own. Opinions seem divided over the years on whether these heavy mats do any harm to the DD Servo in the longer term with a SP10 MKII or equivalent other brand. Has anyone had any problems using them ?

I haven't used mine much as I actually like the sound from the stock rubber one. But am wondering ?

Cheers Chris

stethoscope. I use my to listen to my neighbours. She is
unbelievable beautiful and I am waiting to 'hear' any mistake he may make.

Ahh Nicola......what would we do without you? :^)
Yes Lew.....stethoscope is good for finding 'nodes' on a shelf however we have to be careful how we interpret these as.....on a wall-hung shelf....the only way to find these are by dynamic loading.......ie tapping.
There is....as far as I know.....no direct correlation between this and air-borne sound transmission?
The TT-101 (like all Japanese-only products) is designed to run on 100 volts.....not 110v as you have in USA. Could that be the cause of Gary's hum?
I have a 240v to 100v step-down transformer between the GPO and the TT-101.

Dear Henry, 'what would we do without you?' This is an easy
question: some will (I hope) laugh less, some will be (I am sure) less annoyed.
BTW the sequence or the order of our actions should be: ask
first and buy there after. However nobody can forbid the other to buy an stethoscope first and ask what to do with this instrument there after.

Regards,

Chris, this is from the manual for my SP-10 Mk2A:

"The quartz phase-locked control system and the DC servo motor with large torque can maintain each rated speed of the turntable even with a load torque of up to 5 kg-cm (4.3 lbs. in.). If 500 tonearms of 2 g. tracking force were placed on a record at the same time the turntable would still maintain each rated speed."

From the way this is stated, I assume it applies to the sum of the weight added on top of the platter. There was an accessory Audio Technica disc stabilizer (vacuum) designed for placement on top of the SP-10 platter (perfect fit after the mat was removed) which I believe weighed 1.4 kg. So mats heavier than the standard rubber mat have been used.