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View Full Version : Stanton STR8 150 tonearm problems, any advice? (VIDEO)



brawny
09-15-2012, 01:36 PM
Hey guys,

I picked these up used, and they have a problem, both in the tonearm. On both I have a sure m44 cart, have antiskate to 0, counterwieght to 3.5 grams, and tonearm height to 3.5. Pretty standard. One one, it will track fine on the first songs on a record, but when it gets closer to the center, it skips. You can feel light tension pulling the tonearm back to the base. On the other one, this problem is exagurated as this pull is very active. You can't place the needle in the last track, it will just skid backwards. Video below. Is this a tonearm replacement, as I suspect, or are there adjustments (relatively simple) that I can make? I'm pondering selling these as is, or fixing them and then selling them.

I made the videos with selling them in mind, so I also demonstrate the various functions of the TT, which is irrelevant to this discussion. I've put the parts of the video that relate to this problem in parentheses below.

Thanks

(00:14-00:30)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0XfgSBR5Kk&feature=youtu.be

(tonearm inspection 1:00-1:14, from then on I play a record and eventually put it towards the end and wait for it to skip. I do some light back and forth with the record which makes the needle jump as well)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qchCLbTt2J4&feature=youtu.be

brawny
09-16-2012, 09:42 AM
Anyone? Vague ideas and speculation welcome also.

DTR
09-16-2012, 01:52 PM
At a guess, I'd say it could be three things:
1) a tonearm wire(s) has become snagged so that it only allows the tonearm to move so far before pulling taught
2) the tonearm gimble bearings have been damaged or mis-adjusted
3) a badly damaged anti-skate mechanism (assuming the STR8-150 has antiskate; I don't think it does)

Of those three, it's most likely to be #2, a bad adjustment. You'd be very unlucky to get the same fault develop independently in both decks at the same time (although a big knock to both of them might do it). I forget how you adjust the bearings, so try searching on here for Technics tonearm bearing problems. On Technics it's a fairly common problem.

brawny
09-16-2012, 02:00 PM
Thanks a lot Dave, I'll look into technics tonearm bearings and see what I can gather. I'm hesitant to just start messing with those screws. I'm leaning towards selling them cheap as is, but if it is an easy adjustment I'd like of course to fix them first.

If anyone else has ideas, or better, experience with this, I'd be glad to hear!