Vintage DD turntables. Are we living dangerously?

As Halcro and I know, there is NOTHING in turntable land quite as complex as a Victor TT101.

Amen....😱⁉️....unfortunately...😬

By the way Lew....are you actually listening to a 'working' TT-101? 🎼🎵🎶

Nice use of emoticons, Halcro. One emoticon is worth a thousand tears.
My TT101 is working, if I leave it powered up at all times, and if I don't move it, and if I run it at least once a week. With those stipulations, it's "reliable". I have heard it play music, but my new problem is that there appears to be a short within the UA7045 tonearm wiring, such that I have no right channel. I need to change the tonearm on the QL10 plinth. Interestingly, the Fidelity Research FR64S has a requisite spindle to pivot distance that is compatible with that of the UA7045, so I should be able to pop in my FR64S in place of the UA7045.
I will do that one of these days, when there is no other "project" in the way. Also, I am enjoying the Beveridge 2SW speaker system so much that I tend to want to listen to music when I do get free time.

Interestingly, if the TT101 gets balky, usually after I have not used it in a long time, the cure is to whack the (front) side of the plinth nearest to the control panel of the TT101, with the palm of my hand. Very unscientific but works a treat. I am very convinced that there is a bad switch or a loose connection between switches that is to blame for the finickiness of the table.

For those who have a JVC TT-101 should check out this YouTube video.

DIY thread drive turntable

Looks like someone turned the TT-101 into a belt drive motor! Using string or thread that has no compliance, it retains the accuracy of the direct drive system with the isolation of belt drive.

Halcro, you should use the TT-101 to drive your TW Raven. :-)

I have used a Technics DD table that has pitch control driving a passive platter before and it worked!

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Thanks for the Link Hiho...😍
Very interesting.....and nice music as well...🎶
I have seen that done before...as well as two Micro Seiki turntables running in line....using the one motor and a flywheel arrangement..👀
I studied this arrangement shown in the video for a long time.....whilst being somewhat troubled 😧 without knowing exactly why......⁉️
(Answer to the puzzle at the bottom of the page...😊)

This video demonstrates clearly how much 'thinking' some Japanese (and European) audiophiles put into the theory and philosophy of the turntable question...🔎🎼🔍💡😍
I love his obvious 'Copernican' view of the turntable surrounded by massive armpods 😘....and the 20" straight tonearm is fabulous...😜👏
He obviously prefers the ability to eliminate skating forces (no off-set angle on the headshell)....for the slightly increased distortion of 'tracking error'...⁉️
I wish I could see how he runs the thread from the heavy stainless steel platter mat on the Victor DD turntable 👀❓That is one massive 'pulley motor' 😎
Notice also his full horn speaker system....🔝🔚....obviously being powered by SET valve amps (although we don't see them 😰).

Answer to puzzle

The advantage of the very best DD turntables over belt-drives IMO....is their ability to cope with 'stylus drag' due to their torque and correction circuitries.
With the quartz-controlled motor attached to the platter and in close proximity to the stylus....any slowing of the speed due to 'stylus drag' is instantaneously corrected AT THE SOURCE..👍
When the stylus is separated from the correction circuitry by a thread a metre or more away.......the 'stylus drag' has a 'delayed' input which simply puts the quartz control 'out of sync'....😰

Halcro, I understand your concern and it is a valid one. When I used a DD table to drive a passive platter, I had to use the speed control and that required defeating the quartz lock feature to be at variable pitch since the two platters are not identical size. I confirmed the speed using a KAB strobe and it was rock solid. Of course you can always use the Sutherland Timeline if possible. I also did a experiment of using two identical direct drive tables one driving the other, one to one ratio, and able to retain the quart lock. And the sound is better than direct drive alone. But I ran out of table space! :)

I think using noncompliant material lessen the problem. I'm sure using a stretchy belt will throw off the speed in a weird way but, hey, we might like the sound! :)

Anyway, it's worthy experiment if you already have all the components and time. It's reversible. You have nothing to lose. The reason I did that was just so sick seeing expensive belt drive turntables using cheap flimsy motors and all that money was poured into the fancy platter for blinks.

Happy listening!

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