New Rega RP3 Turntable *Help Needed*

Yeah, I was thinking about just upgrading to the Groovetracer...I will see how the new platter affects the problem, but will probably get one of these sooner than later.

 

Can't find anything that shows how everything fits together I'm afraid. Essentially, the bearing well is the tube which fits in the centre of the plinth into which the spindle in the middle of the sub-platter sits and revolves. If you remove the sub-platter from the bearing well, there should be a metal ball in the bottom of the well on top of which the flat end of the spindle rests. The spindle and bearing well should be machined with close enough tolerances that, with the bearing lubricated correctly, the sub-platter should revolve freely and smoothly. There should be very little or no play between them and therefore no significant movement when you 'wiggle' the spindle in the bearing well. Try removing the sub-platter and fishing the metal ball out of the bottom of the well with a drinking straw or with a small blob of 'blu-tac' on the end of a cocktail stick. Be careful - don't lose it! If there is no ball, then that is probably a major part of your problem; get back to your dealer and have him provide you with one or replace the turntable altogether. If the ball is there, check that the spindle is smooth and straight and that the well is clean and correctly lubricated. If all seems OK, it wouldn't do any harm to clean out he bearing well and re-lube it (plenty of instructions on internet/youtube. Do not use any old oil for this, only that recommended for the job - its not difficult but, if in doubt, take it to the dealer). When this is done, replace the sub-platter in the bearing well. It shouldn't just slide straight down, even with the weight of the platter on it (it should gradually descend over the course of a few minutes); if it does, there is almost certainly something wrong with the assembly and the turntable should be replaced by the dealer.

The platter itself should sit perfectly level on the sub-platter; if it doesn't, then turn it over and try it the other way up as has already been suggested. If it still doesn't, then something is there that shouldn't be and is preventing the correct operation of the turntable and it should be replaced by the dealer. I hope that this makes at least some sense; if not, get back.

Good luck!

 

A common 'fix' for this is to remove the platter, rotate 90 degrees, and try again. Until you find a level resting point. At least, this is fairly typical with the RP1's el-cheapo plastic platter.

Though in this case i suspect a subplatter that's uneven on the top. These things are plastic, after all.

 

The OP did say the subplatter spins without deviation when there's no platter installed. One would think an uneven top on the subplatter would have been noticed. The problem as described sounds to me like the hole in the platter doesn't fit the spindle.

Regarding other subplatter thoughts here - if the subplatter or bearing is suspected, I'd propose running the turntable for a solid 24 hours to let it settle in.

 

This.

You know their quality control is **** when they try to tell you that some wobble is normal. I'm on my second sub platter for my RP6 and while 95% of the wobble is gone, I still find it annoying that a 1500.00 table has trouble spinning flat. My problem is the damn thing sounds so good and has a dust cover, that I just can't bring myself to get rid of it lol. Hopefully it doesn't self distruct over the next couple of years.

My advice to you is to give Rega a couple of weeks to sort it out. They're distributor seems pretty willing to work with customers to get things sorted out. If your still not happy, in your price range, try vinyl nirvana and grab a package deal. No affiliation but I've seen one of his tables and it was gorgeous.

 

TOP of the subplatter could be off, the part the platter sits upon.

Better question: why isnt' the dealer setting the table up prior to delivery? That's how this is supposed to work.

 

I

I had that same question. They even mounted an Ortophon Blue on mine yet when I got it you could see it wobble up and down from 10 feet away. I think that so many of their tables wobble that places just ship them out and hope the customer doesn't notice or buys the some wobble is normal line.

 

So.... have you fiddled with different platter placements? Like I suggested?

 

I did. There was a little improvement with my first sub platter. Then I got the replacement set it up and it was a big improvement right off the bat. So I used a ruler and noticed about .5mm of wobble then I rotated the platter 180 degrees from its highest point and now it is barely detectable. Maybe .3 mm up and down and the same side to side.

Next stop is a groovetracer sub platter.

So thank you for the advice

 

Just replaced my subplatter. There is a small ball bearing that sits in the bottom with the subplatter resting on it, pretty simple. I also found my platter to have a vaiance in the hole, one side is larger than the other.
Earlier in thread there was a question about mats. I have a herbie and it really dropped the noise level.

 

Finally have an update. The seller contacted Rega and led me to believe they were sending a new platter. So I took my platter in there and the guy had a subplatter. So, I pulled out the other one and tried this one. Shouldn't they have supplied some grease for that, or would that be unnecessary? Anyway, the platter wobble was worse after I put in the new platter. So, I quickly took that one off and put the old one back on. I wonder if this could have affected the bearing placement. I guess my next step is to remove the bearing and relube it and hope for the best, I guess. If it's lubed properly and two subplatters don't affect the issue, is it the platter?

Question: How low down on the subplatter does the platter sit? Do they fit very tightly together or is there a gap?

Should I really have this much trouble putting on the platter straight if I have to remove it to change the playback speed from 33 to 45? I've got lots of 45rpm audiophile albums, so would need to pull the platter off fairly regularly. It can't be right that the platter doesn't easily sit in place and needs to be fussed with to sit properly, but at it's best, isn't spinning straight! And it gets worse as it plays.

 

How did you determine the variance in the hole? Just by sight?

 

I've been wondering about this. Would the supplier have set it up first, or should the seller have done the setup? Or is that just up to me? This is my first new turntable, so have no idea.

 

My local dealer came to my home to set up my rp6. It works perfectly.

I just ordered the groovetracer subplatter after 10 months.

 

I'll maybe check with them about doing that.

I cannot wait to order the groovetracer...if I didn't just spend all the money for the RP3 and the Rega Fono phono stage I'd be buying that right now.

 

I am really pissed off for you. You spend almost $1,000.00 and you are still left with a turntable that cannot perform one of the two fundamental functions which it was designed for.
If I were you I would be parked at the dealer until they produced a ground up new table and demonstrated that it spun perfectly before you took it home. They should also throw in something for your trouble.

I had an RP3 on my short list and am so happy I went in another direction.

 

On one hand, I feel like I should be super mad...this is a major inconvenience and a hassle. I seriously want to be enjoying my vinyl right now! Especially after buying a bunch of new titles to enjoy on the turntable. On the other hand, it's like "Did I do something wrong?" or "Am I missing a step?"....should I have taken it somewhere to get setup? I have no idea because the dealer just said "Here you go", leaving it up to me. He knows nothing about this turntable, and maybe nothing about turntables in general from the sounds of it.

 

What did you go with, by the way?

 

Did you put any oil in the bearing before replacing the subplatter? Rega recommends a specific oil.

jc

 

a vpi traveler. the bads= some motor noise when standing over the table (not through speakers), some belt chirp at startup and a sticky mat (replaced with a herbies donut mat).
other than that you can't even tell that the thick robust platter is spinning if there weren't some fingerprints on it that you notice as it goes around.
a sturdy, well constructed precision instrument that sounds incredible. extremely low friction tonearm, precise VTA adjustment with thumbwheel, belt that wraps around the platter rim for the best speed stability, very effective rubber feet isolation immune to vibration and rumble. exceeded my expectations right out of the box.

 

It's probably acceptable to have installed it with no additional lubrication, but it generally requires an oil about like hypoid gear oil in consistency. There's a specific way that it best to install the subplatter, letting it drop in without turning. After installing the new subplatter, how much have you let it run?

 

I don't think that I gave it enough of a chance. I think I was too concerned that installing it without adding oil would cause some sort of damage. The recommended oil is Castrol 90w gear oil. I'm looking for some today...does the brand matter?

 

The brand shouldn't matter, just the viscosity. I suspect an expert would suggest cleaning out the old oil before adding any. Realistically, it might be fine as it is. Whenever the subplatter has been removed, it needs time to settle in. Some people actually run them in for 24 hours or more.

 

Dealer should be setting it up, checking it out, etc.

 

All of your 'bads' are consistent with the Classic. Great table, save for those things.