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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2019 18:07:22 GMT
Being a Class A circuit it gets hot inside; no ventilation doesn't help.
Replace the electro caps for a start. The two 330R power resistors can change in value. Disconnect one leg and check with a meter. They could do with being supported as well. I'd replace the driver transistors that have the heatsinks attached. BD 39/40 I think.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2019 18:09:29 GMT
I remember XPS 2 being more reliable.. Be heat thats killing it.. Those Electrolytics are well ready for changing
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2019 18:10:19 GMT
oops sorry didnt see Mr Kiplings Exceedingly good post
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2019 18:17:01 GMT
Sorry. The transistors would appear to be BD140s
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Apr 19, 2019 18:32:04 GMT
Ok I’ve found an idiot proof way of testing continuity on the multimeter. It actually makes a sound. Looks like the RB250 has spontaneously failed.
Here’s what I’m getting.
Right phono (red) centre shows continuity with red cartridge tag,
Right phono (red) outer shows continuity with green cartridge tag.
Left phono (black) centre shows continuity with blue cartridge tag
Left phono (black) outer ALSO shows continuity with blue cartridge tag.
White cartridge tag doesn’t show continuity with anything,
Opening the arm base up and testing the internal wires gives same results. So is this an internal wiring failure?
Rega RB arms are confusing to me because of the way they Earth down one channel. I guessing that’s why the blue wire shows continuity with both centre and outer.
The white tag being dead seems to show an arm issue? Am I right?
If I am, I’ve no idea how it’s just suddenly failed out of nowhere,
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Apr 19, 2019 18:33:21 GMT
Being a Class A circuit it gets hot inside; no ventilation doesn't help. Replace the electro caps for a start. The two 330R power resistors can change in value. Disconnect one leg and check with a meter. They could do with being supported as well. I'd replace the driver transistors that have the heatsinks attached. BD 39/40 I think. Thanks for that. It sounds like,something a local EE could fix. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2019 18:34:18 GMT
Ok I’ve found an idiot proof way of testing continuity on the multimeter. It actually makes a sound. Looks like the RB250 has spontaneously failed. Here’s what I’m getting. Right phono (red) centre shows continuity with red cartridge tag, Right phono (red) outer shows continuity with green cartridge tag. Left phono (black) centre shows continuity with blue cartridge tag Left phono (black) outer ALSO shows continuity with blue cartridge tag. White cartridge tag doesn’t show continuity with anything, Opening the arm base up and testing the internal wires gives same results. So is this an internal wiring failure? Rega RB arms are confusing to me because of the way they Earth down one channel. I guessing that’s why the blue wire shows continuity with both centre and outer. The white tag being dead seems to show an arm issue? Am I right? If I am, I’ve no idea how it’s just suddenly failed out of nowhere, You'd still have one channel working though. (or should) |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2019 18:48:05 GMT
White is your Positive Earth for Left channel.
Just take off the Nylon arm base, should be an allen Key slot on the Threaded arm base. See if anything has come off the little circular board.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2019 18:50:21 GMT
Dont you have an old intergrated with a built in Phonostage to try it
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Apr 19, 2019 19:18:21 GMT
Just to clarify,
1. I DO have one channel working so it does look like an arm wire. Specifically the white one which doesn’t seem to transmit anything to the phono plugs.
2. I’ve taken the grub screw out and tested continuity on the white wire where it’s soldered. Still nothing.
3. I do have another couple of amps but they are MM only. It was an MC cart I had fitted. My only other MM cart is in the R200 and I don’t wnat to take it out.
I’ve ordered some Audio Technical PC-OCC cartridge tags so I will try the Mayware in the other headshell next week. From all I’m seeing, I’m expecting the Rega arm to ave a fault, I’ve only just bought it and it is a mint boxed example. Clearly well cared for. If it’s a fault it’s because of shoddy workmanship by Rega .....again.
Just spoke to my mate who says Rega arm cables can fail just behind the grommet at the headshell end. I’m suspecting this is the case because it’s intact where it joins the external cable, it’s also intact when you remove the stub and look in, plus it’s intact where it’s sokdered to the cartridge tag.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2019 19:41:06 GMT
I've gone off Rega stuff. I love their CD Players, but they can also be unreliable IME.
S.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Apr 19, 2019 19:53:20 GMT
I've gone off Rega stuff. I love their CD Players, but they can also be unreliable IME. S. Right now I can’t see me ever owning another Rega product. The RB250 was the only thing of theirs I’d bother with....until today. I still have a soft spot for Elas, but only because of the Ackroyd input into the design and the Royd driver. As soon as Rega fitted their own bas unit, they sucked. I really dont like the looks and build of the half width stuff and the other CD players of theirs after the Planet were crap. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2019 20:00:36 GMT
Their QC is not quite up to scratch, IMO. That fucking bastard Paul Darwin at Rega is in denial. He knows their products fail quite often. He's of course getting paid to back up Rega.
S.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2019 20:51:21 GMT
Id personally get shut of the Rega arm Andy..
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Apr 19, 2019 21:56:42 GMT
Id personally get shut of the Rega arm Andy.. Yep they are cheap tat. Thankfully I figured out where the issue lies.The cable is fractured at the point it leaves the exit plug. Cheap, tatty third rate wiring with a nasty moulded plastic plug. An accident waiting to happen. I will get a proper din plug fitted at the base and get a decent external cable. Then I will get shot of it. That’s my last 3 outings with Rega which ave given me grief. RP1 was the worst made piece of junk I’ve ever encountered. Malformed 50p plattter and sub platter, Cheap plinth with multiple flaws. Sub Chi Fi in every way. Ordered a new stub which was poorly made and had several flaws so it wouldn’t fit the arm. The dealer said it was within spec and a replacement would be similar. Now a mint and hardly used RB250 at wire fails without any strain. It’s a cheap nasty piece of string so I shouldn’t be surprised. I figured I was safer with older Rega. It apparently not. Before anyone thinks I’m being harsh, remember I was a Rega fan for many years. It’s them who are changed. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2019 22:05:42 GMT
No wonder why folks get their Rega arms re-wired.
S.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Apr 19, 2019 22:18:14 GMT
No wonder why folks get their Rega arms re-wired. S. I will probably get Audio Origami to fit a Din plug and supply an external cable. At least you can trust Johnny to make a good job out of a Rega arm. Adds value too. Now I just need to get the Xerxes turning again. Without it, having a Nima is pretty pointless. It will be on EBay as soon as it lands. Right now a fiddly unipivot is the last thing I need. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2019 22:22:10 GMT
Frustration understood, Andrew. Shame about the Nima though. Was looking forward to reading your thoughts on the Nima. But another time I guess!
S.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2019 22:32:46 GMT
I personally would have been interested in trying the Nima on the Mantra. Yes I know the Mantra is a somewhat bouncy deck, but I reckon it would still be good. The Mantra should not be underestimated in my view.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Apr 19, 2019 22:48:03 GMT
I personally would have been interested in trying the Nima on the Mantra. Yes I know the Mantra is a somewhat bouncy deck, but I reckon it would still be good. The Mantra should not be underestimated in my view. It’s an exceedingly good deck IMO. If I’d had any inkling they were that good, I’d have had one years ago. They were always sold as a poor mans LP12. I don’t have one here to compare but this one does more for me than any LP12 has done. Pitch stability is outstanding for a deck with a basic PSU. I’m a bit screwed for vinyl right now cos nothing seems to be working out. Phono stage blew up, arm failed, deck conked out. It took me years to get an interest again and it’s now been snuffed out. The R200 is heavier and won’t fit the Mantra armboard, so it’s too faffy to get going. I can’t run it on the Xerxes because it won’t spin until the PSU is fixed. The RB250 will be away for a bit so I can’t use that. The Nima was bought for the Xerxes and I don’t fancy a unipivot on a bouncy deck. I’m also deterred from faffing about with setup after all the hassles, so it will sadly be sold straight on. I’ll see how I feel about the RB250 after Johnny has sorted it. I’m unlikely to trust it again so it will likely go. That leaves me with a deck that won’t work and another deck without an arm. I can see me giving up altogether tbh. Might just mothball the Mantra and Dino in case I get the itch again. |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Apr 19, 2019 22:54:26 GMT
Frustration understood, Andrew. Shame about the Nima though. Was looking forward to reading your thoughts on the Nima. But another time I guess! S. I could be wrong, but since I bought it, I’ve viewed far more pics and vids of the Nima. It looks cheaply made tbh. Seeing it in the flesh will tell me more, but I once bought a Tabriz and moved it straight on when I saw the build quality. It was utter tat. Looked like something Project would make. I’d forgotten about that experience until I started looking closer at the Nima. |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Apr 19, 2019 23:03:18 GMT
It was this video in particular that began to put me off the Nima. Anyone else think it looks really cheaply made?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2019 23:03:54 GMT
I personally would have been interested in trying the Nima on the Mantra. Yes I know the Mantra is a somewhat bouncy deck, but I reckon it would still be good. The Mantra should not be underestimated in my view. It’s an exceedingly good deck IMO. If I’d had any inkling they were that good, I’d have had one years ago. They were always sold as a poor mans LP12. I don’t have one here to compare but this one does more for me than any LP12 has done. Pitch stability is outstanding for a deck with a basic PSU. I’m a bit screwed for vinyl right now cos nothing seems to be working out. Phono stage blew up, arm failed, deck conked out. It took me years to get an interest again and it’s now been snuffed out. The R200 is heavier and won’t fit the Mantra armboard, so it’s too faffy to get going. I can’t run it on the Xerxes because it won’t spin until the PSU is fixed. The RB250 will be away for a bit so I can’t use that. The Nima was bought for the Xerxes and I don’t fancy a unipivot on a bouncy deck. I’m also deterred from faffing about with setup after all the hassles, so it will sadly be sold straight on. I’ll see how I feel about the RB250 after Johnny has sorted it. I’m unlikely to trust it again so it will likely go. That leaves me with a deck that won’t work and another deck without an arm. I can see me giving up altogether tbh. Might just mothball the Mantra and Dino in case I get the itch again. I have several decks, but I've just been using a mere PL-12D for a while. You know what? It makes music! They don't go wrong and work with decent carts including MCs. Just bung a decent mat and headshell on. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2019 23:17:05 GMT
I've held a Nima once. It feels alright but nothing great. An RB-250 feels a bit more tough in comparison.
S.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Apr 19, 2019 23:24:24 GMT
I've held a Nima once. It feels alright but nothing great. An RB-250 feels a bit more tough in comparison. S. You can have a Jelco SA-750 for similar money. They are lovely things. I had one and never found a Linn mount deck to put it on. I hope to try one someday, but we’ll see. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2019 1:54:47 GMT
Ok I’ve found an idiot proof way of testing continuity on the multimeter. It actually makes a sound. Looks like the RB250 has spontaneously failed. Here’s what I’m getting. Right phono (red) centre shows continuity with red cartridge tag, Right phono (red) outer shows continuity with green cartridge tag. Left phono (black) centre shows continuity with blue cartridge tag Left phono (black) outer ALSO shows continuity with blue cartridge tag. White cartridge tag doesn’t show continuity with anything, Opening the arm base up and testing the internal wires gives same results. So is this an internal wiring failure? Rega RB arms are confusing to me because of the way they Earth down one channel. I guessing that’s why the blue wire shows continuity with both centre and outer. The white tag being dead seems to show an arm issue? Am I right? If I am, I’ve no idea how it’s just suddenly failed out of nowhere, What you say about the blue showing çontinuity with both centre and outer would mean that that channel would be shorted with no output. The connections are: Red: Signal Right Green: Earth Right White: Signal Left Blue: Earth Left The arm will be earthed to either the blue or green connection. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2019 4:33:32 GMT
Frustration understood, Andrew. Shame about the Nima though. Was looking forward to reading your thoughts on the Nima. But another time I guess! S. I could be wrong, but since I bought it, I’ve viewed far more pics and vids of the Nima. It looks cheaply made tbh. Seeing it in the flesh will tell me more, but I once bought a Tabriz and moved it straight on when I saw the build quality. It was utter tat. Looked like something Project would make. I’d forgotten about that experience until I started looking closer at the Nima. Be better with an old Manticore 'Musician' arm Theres a Logic 'Datum 2' on E-Bay which is the basis of that design |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2019 4:36:19 GMT
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Apr 20, 2019 7:38:53 GMT
Thanks for that. You can certainly see it’s dna. I never really “got” thenMantra back in the day because it was sold as a “poor man’s LP12”. I couldn’t see the point as you could spend just a bit more and have a Linn. It’s not a poor mans anything and it doesn’t sound like an LP12 to me. It also looks cooler today than it did back then.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Apr 20, 2019 7:39:30 GMT
I could be wrong, but since I bought it, I’ve viewed far more pics and vids of the Nima. It looks cheaply made tbh. Seeing it in the flesh will tell me more, but I once bought a Tabriz and moved it straight on when I saw the build quality. It was utter tat. Looked like something Project would make. I’d forgotten about that experience until I started looking closer at the Nima. Be better with an old Manticore 'Musician' arm Theres a Logic 'Datum 2' on E-Bay which is the basis of that design I’m watching that one  |
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