Flutterbuster on Rega P3?
Posted by: domfjbrown on 29 September 2003
I've just scored a Flutterbuster for my Rega Planar 3 - but I've had a horrible thought. What if the motor upgrade I have had done (taking the Planar to P3 status) is incompatible with the Flutterbuster?
I'm assuming all is fine as the new motor is still a syncronous type but with a more refined PSU - is this true?
I got the Flutterbuster as I'm sick and tired of having to dismantle the deck when playing tunes. Since I've got into psy-trance recently and thus a lot is on 12 inch 45rpm, I'm usually fairly mullered when playing this stuff. Dismantling that Rega when sober is bad enough (I'm parially sighted - so find centring the platter is a PITA - though cueing up vinyl is easy) so I want the electronic speed change.
Have I messed up, or can I wire in and go with confidence?
Also, do you have to turn the deck itself off before changing speed (assume so to prevent wear on the motor/belt), and which pully should the belt be on - I'm guessing the 33 setting?
Thanks in advance peoples!
Make your choice, adventurous Stranger;
Strike the bell and bide the danger
Or wonder, till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.
I'm assuming all is fine as the new motor is still a syncronous type but with a more refined PSU - is this true?
I got the Flutterbuster as I'm sick and tired of having to dismantle the deck when playing tunes. Since I've got into psy-trance recently and thus a lot is on 12 inch 45rpm, I'm usually fairly mullered when playing this stuff. Dismantling that Rega when sober is bad enough (I'm parially sighted - so find centring the platter is a PITA - though cueing up vinyl is easy) so I want the electronic speed change.
Have I messed up, or can I wire in and go with confidence?
Also, do you have to turn the deck itself off before changing speed (assume so to prevent wear on the motor/belt), and which pully should the belt be on - I'm guessing the 33 setting?
Thanks in advance peoples!
Make your choice, adventurous Stranger;
Strike the bell and bide the danger
Or wonder, till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.
Thanks Andrew - you're a motor saver 
I guess the 33/3 pulley should be used, but I guess I could always make the deck run at a quasi 78 for a laugh... Urm, then again maybe not...
I'll let you know how I get on (I'm collecting it from my mate's tonight).
Thanks!
Make your choice, adventurous Stranger;
Strike the bell and bide the danger
Or wonder, till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.
I guess the 33/3 pulley should be used, but I guess I could always make the deck run at a quasi 78 for a laugh... Urm, then again maybe not...
I'll let you know how I get on (I'm collecting it from my mate's tonight).
Thanks!
Make your choice, adventurous Stranger;
Strike the bell and bide the danger
Or wonder, till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.
It's a (now defunct) mains regeneration power conditioner (well kind of anyway) that can reproduce 50hz mains or 60-something (can't remember exactly!) mains, so you can run the deck at 33/45 without having to dismantle it. I have no real qualms about dismantling it, save for at a couple of great parties when mates were almost BEGGING me to stick on 12 inchers and I was too mullered to mess with the deck (I don't mind cueing when wrecked, but dropping a glass platter near the arm, bearing or floor = disaster).
Now all being well, I'll be able to play whatever I like, in a muntered or not state, and theoretically with better sound quality too as the reclocking circuitry should significantly improve on the P3 motor PSU...
Make your choice, adventurous Stranger;
Strike the bell and bide the danger
Or wonder, till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.
Now all being well, I'll be able to play whatever I like, in a muntered or not state, and theoretically with better sound quality too as the reclocking circuitry should significantly improve on the P3 motor PSU...
Make your choice, adventurous Stranger;
Strike the bell and bide the danger
Or wonder, till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.
Well, the Flutterbuster seems to work
It's NOT a full regeneration PSU (as there's no way of adjusting speed), but I've lived with the Rega's 1% fast thing for 5 years so it's not a biggie...
One thing though - components in it run very warm. Can it be left on do you guys think (as I've done so - I guess the beige square blocky things in it (dunno WHAT they are - they're not regulators) are designed to run hot?
It's made a subtle improvement to tracking and bass authority though - so 33/45 aside, a worthy improvement!
Just concerned about the heat/component thing - I've wound the gain wick up in it as it was taking its time changing from 33/45 - so that's that. Oh - and it was running quite hot before that so that's not it - I guess it's designed like that? The casework only gets luke warm - guess it uses the whole package as a large heatsink?
Make your choice, adventurous Stranger;
Strike the bell and bide the danger
Or wonder, till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.
It's NOT a full regeneration PSU (as there's no way of adjusting speed), but I've lived with the Rega's 1% fast thing for 5 years so it's not a biggie...
One thing though - components in it run very warm. Can it be left on do you guys think (as I've done so - I guess the beige square blocky things in it (dunno WHAT they are - they're not regulators) are designed to run hot?
It's made a subtle improvement to tracking and bass authority though - so 33/45 aside, a worthy improvement!
Just concerned about the heat/component thing - I've wound the gain wick up in it as it was taking its time changing from 33/45 - so that's that. Oh - and it was running quite hot before that so that's not it - I guess it's designed like that? The casework only gets luke warm - guess it uses the whole package as a large heatsink?
Make your choice, adventurous Stranger;
Strike the bell and bide the danger
Or wonder, till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.
Andrew - the power switch on the deck itself is off when I'm not using it, and the Planar 3's mains lead basically plugs into the back of the Flutterbuster so the motor is obviously not turning when the original switch is off. I also turn tbe Flutterbuster off too on the front switch (although it still remains powered - the LED is on no matter what location the switch is at).
The components run hot, but my fingers are fairly insensitive to heat - I guess the regs are running at about 70 degrees? Hot to the touch but not so hot that your reflexes kick in - though you'd not want to hold your fingers there too long. I think the case acts as a heat sink as the outer walls get about as warm as an Audiolab 8000A when idling - so quite warm but not unduly hot.
10 years of solid power - that's a LOT of turns at 33/3 - I'd say that bearing was pretty good quality then Woah...
Make your choice, adventurous Stranger;
Strike the bell and bide the danger
Or wonder, till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.
The components run hot, but my fingers are fairly insensitive to heat - I guess the regs are running at about 70 degrees? Hot to the touch but not so hot that your reflexes kick in - though you'd not want to hold your fingers there too long. I think the case acts as a heat sink as the outer walls get about as warm as an Audiolab 8000A when idling - so quite warm but not unduly hot.
10 years of solid power - that's a LOT of turns at 33/3 - I'd say that bearing was pretty good quality then
Woah...Make your choice, adventurous Stranger;
Strike the bell and bide the danger
Or wonder, till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.
Thanks for the information - I've emailed them to ask a few things
Make your choice, adventurous Stranger;
Strike the bell and bide the danger
Or wonder, till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.
Make your choice, adventurous Stranger;
Strike the bell and bide the danger
Or wonder, till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.