Systemdek Iix - Problems & Questions?

[Albacal]

My Systemdek IIX/Moth 1/Stilton modified ATF5 is approx 20 years old, and I have decided to press it into service once again (it has been sat, unused (for a number of reasons, not least being the lack of a phono stage), for many years). I tried it, and it sounded surprisingly OK, given the aforementioned lack of use, and the bearing seems to be running smoothly & quietly (as far as I can tell). However, I noticed some pitch instability, so bought a new belt:-

The new belt is a bit shorter than the original, and once fitted (having cleaned the sub-platter & pulley with IPA), I found some noise and judder upon start-up, followed by the belt riding off the vertical face of the pulley, onto the 'lip' between the 33.3 & 45 settings – does this suggest that it is the incorrect belt, or do I need to use some silicone wax (as mentioned in the manual), because, having been cleaned, there is too much grip? I tried the original belt again, and after the first couple of start-ups (which also had a little bit of noise, but less than the new belt), it seems to run fine i.e. quietly, and on the pulley.

Also, I noticed in the manual that the underside of the platter should be set to 5mm above the plinth, but if I do that, the platter is only just above the motor pulley, which means that you can't get much of a bounce without it hitting the top of the pulley?

Finally, any tips for getting the platter off the spindle – mine seems very reluctant coming off and going back on; in order to get the platter and sub-platter to 'meet' flush with one another, I had to take the sub-platter off and push them together, then fitting both (together) into the bearing.

And help gratefully appreciated.

TIA.

P.S. what would be the best alignment protractor to use with my combination?

[njm]

Hi,

I've had a few Systemdeks - IIX and IIX/900 - over the years, and that does sound like a belt that's just too small. If you're concerned about tension with the original belt, just turn over one end so that you have a twist in it, to add a little tension.

You only need enough bounce to cope with potential disturbance during play, i.e as many mm's as your floor is likely to generate as you step forward to move past that filler track that you really haven't been able to stand all of these years! The 'bounce test' should be a really gentle test...

If you've oiled the bearing, use a (tiny!) amount of the same oil around the spindle, smeared on with a fingertip, or wiggled into the hole in the platter with a cotton-bud. Next time you take the platter off to change speed, wipe up any excess. If you haven't oiled the bearing, do so, and go back to the beginning of this paragraph

Moth 1 is a Rega (RB250?) clone, I think, so have a look at the available Rega protractors here, or just do what lazy people like me do, and line up the cartridge square to the headshell and align the stylus with the end of the headshell.

Cheers - have fun, sounds like a really nice set-up

Neil

[SteveM]

My IIX is gone, so I don't have one in front of me.
Have you tried adjusting the angle of the motor to see if that will fix the belt problem?

[muninman]

I just bought a belt from ebay, that cost £19.99 plus pp, that was advertised as an original. When it arrived I can guarantee it is exactly the same length, thickness and width as my original (25 years old). The seller is Chord 2425 and here is the link:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230698389828? ... 1497.l2649