Vinyl Junkies …

I put £20 as a general cover-all price, purely because it's a bloody pain setting up all the different shipping rates for different countries - and then just refund the difference if there is any. Much easier.

How important is VTA?

I have an old R200 arm on my Rega Planar 2, with the belt on the VTA adjustment broken.
I don’t know what VTA is set, I could feel the belt snap whilst I was turning the dial. I know it has some applied, as the arm swings back and when free floating.
For the most part playback is fine, although I get some distortion on inner tracks on some records. I don’t know if this is due to the turntable, or the record itself.

Thinking of changing cartridge (currently Ortofon VMS 20E II with third party bonded elliptical stylus), where perhaps VTA might be more critical? Fixing the R200 is apparently a pain, so may be easier to replace the arm. Any issues with buying a used RB300 to replace it? Or other suggestions welcome.

You're talking about anti-skating, not vta. Vertical tracking angle is basically the height of the arm, and some arms you can adjust this because different cartridges are different heights. Regas I think don't have any vta adjustment in their arms, you have to shim it from the base.
I had an r200 where exactly the same thing happened, anti skate band broke.
https://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=49784

Instructions on replacement are here, but it looked pretty damn fiddly and the part difficult to get, so I just sold the table and bought a replacement.

I think rega mounting holes for arms are pretty standard, so as long as they didn't change it and the arm length is the same between the r200 and rb300 you can just swap out the arm.

Anti skating I tend to do by this method
https://www.sound-smith.com/do-i-need-anti-skating

And to answer your 1st question 'how critical is vta?' Not hugely with conical or basic elliptical stylus but gets a lot more with fancier stylus shapes like shibata an superfine line contact.

But you definitely need anti-skate. You'll wear your records eventually with that distortion.

Procedure:
When you have it adjusted right, the arm will track on the SURFACE of the record (not in the groove) at the end of the record on the un-pressed flat space where the run-out groove is – it should track SLOWLY INWARDS toward the center at a MUCH SLOWER RATE than IF IT WERE ACTUALLY in the end groove. If you do that, then the best average Anti-Skating is set correctly.

The run-out groove is a pressing though, isn't it? Am I being dumb? The needle will just follow the end groove?

I thought you need an un-pressed side to test anti-skate, for this reason.

He means the bit with no groove cut in it after the music stops but before the runout groove.
You could do it with a blank side but most records have enough uncut space to do the tuning. It's the area where your needle would never usually go.

He means the bit with no groove cut in it after the music stops but before the runout groove.

sorry I am a fuckwit, but how can there be an un-pressed section between the music and the run-out groove? If there was then the needle would never make it to the runout groove?

Do you mean the wide gaps between the run out grooves, then in under 1 rotation the needle will just fall into the runout grooves, won't it?

I tried this method ages ago and never understood what the hell they're on about!

It's easier if you have a single sided 12". What, you mean you don't have at least a few single sided 12" in your collection? Maybe the vinyl junkies thread isn't for you 🙂

I only have Studio Ghibli soundtrack LPs and my Dad's records.

I'm only half joking

Single sided 12"s with etched 'artowork' on the flip are not the thing here

Think I’ve got one or two where one side is blank, but has a silent groove. Always thought that was weird.

Maybe your Dad had awesome taste in music?

I should never have sold to this prick after 20 messages trying to squeeze a couple of quid off of shipping etc. He was always going to be an arsehole.

But anyway, I received a PayPal claim for a full refund for a 'damaged item' for a mint vinyl I sold via discogs.

These are the images I received.

Can I just tell him to fuck off?

2 Attachments

That is pathetic yeah.

Can you just get them to return it? Best to avoid any more interaction than you need to.

Of course.

Playing with him a bit first:

Hi James,

Thanks for sharing those images. The damage is extremely minimal and clearly happened during shipping.
I'd be happy to claim via Royal Mail on your behalf but their damage policy requires that the item has suffered a degree of harm that reasonably impairs the material function or contents of the item. I would say that this minor damage would not fall under that policy. Especially as it could easily to smoothed out.

Given the market value of the item (average of £212 on discogs) and the final sale price of £120 plus shipping, I'd be willing to offer a refund of £1 to account for the damage if you don't want to proceed with a Royal Mail claim.

This is why a lot of sellers grade NM instead on Mint. Funny how buyers at this end of the market are a mixed bunch, there's the terminal ocd collectors who are going to shit the bed about this kind of thing and some really nice people who have seen it all already and know what can happen.

Only thing I would say is for the value I'm surprised you're not shipping in mailers that have more protection for the edges. I wrap everything with a layer of bubble wrap too.

Understandably frustrating though. Having had a few myself recently I can sympathise.

I had this a few years ago when a NM copy of DMZ001 snapped during transit, when I looked at the Royal Mail guidelines for posting vinyl I found out most mailers do not meet the requirements and therefore they won't payout.
I had to take it on the chin and refund the cash.

Royal Mail guidelines

Never read those if you want to sleep at night, it's basically, we do our best no real guarantees. The claims process is a joke too, may as well keep the forms locked in a basement behind a door that says beware tiger.

Good grief.

Did I share this here (or maybe I actually saw it here): https://www.discogs.com/group/thread/810721?page=1

Sorry to hear that. Same thing happened to me - broken anti-skate. Or so I'm told by a technician/specialist.

Such a lovely arm. It's still lying in a drawer now after I sold the table. I really enjoyed my early Rega Planar 3 though.

Anyone have an idea of a reasonable price to sell it for in that state? Or a starting bid price?

Seem to go on eBay with broken bias belts for £100-150.

The logical choice to replace the R200 would be a used RB300 as it doesn't need any extra drilling, and is cheap, but I kind of want another silver arm. Which either means finding someone who's willing to repair the R200, and spending up to get something like a SME 3009.

Thank you - I wouldn't have expected to ask that much.

Mind you, the man who looked at it for me works with very high end gear. He had a high regard of the R200 and I couldn't help thinking he was just as disappointed as I was about its state : ) I'd also gathered elsewhere online that the arm has become quite sought after and highly thought of. Funny when one owns something and then looks at it with new eyes.

I totally understand about the RB series. I always preferred the silver crafted look myself. The R200 is a lovely bit of engineering and pure class.

Well, I picked up a non-working Lenco L75 (1972) years ago, never got to renovate it myself, so I asked him to (he's well-known in the Lenco scene in Germany where I am). I wanted it kept in original condition, which I thought looked way better than all these DIY projects. For years people said the Lenco arm was bad, well that's changed too and he insisted I didn't need to change arms (I got an old Jelco....black) He was right - the Lenco makes me very happy now. I can't say it's better than my old Rega, I just wanted the change.

I've got onboard the Audio Technica VM95ML hype train, after buying one to replace an Ortofon VMS 20E II with third party bonded elliptical. Night and day for tracking and detail, most of the older records that I had that sounded shitty on the inner tracks now sound excellent. Onwards to finding a replacement for the arm.

The SH version is good too.

November 26th November - The Royal Horticultural Halls, Vincent Square, London.

Big fair, staggered home under the weight of vinyl last time I went.