On Thu, 23 Jan 2014 11:06:08 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

In article ,
Johny B Good wrote:
Right. The TD150 uses (what looks like) the same metal for both.

As far as I could recall, my brother's TT had a plastic sub-platter.
My googling to try and pin down which model of Thorens used a plastic
sub-platter left me more confused than before. The video comparing the
150 and the 165 showed a 150 with plastic sub-platter but other
pictures that showed examples of the 150 indicated a metal sub-platter
component.

I have a TD150 here and both parts of the turntable are metal. It dates
from approx the late '60s, so perhaps later versions were different?

Well that YouTube video I mentioned suggests this must have been the
case. Google didn't help me in the slightest in determining which
model of Thorens my brother had (or has). I suppose I should simply
ask him.

It's even possible that the use of high density plastic in place of
metal for the sub-platter may have been considered as offering
desirable 'damping' properties making it an enhancement on the
original design, perhaps applied to both models in later production
runs.

Actually, the "Resin" sub-platter seems to be associated with the
cheaper 7mm spindle bearing which suggests the choice was purely a
cost driven change.

Curiously, according to he-

http://www.theanalogdept.com/td_platter_bearings.htm

The TD150 preceded the TD125 and both used the same 10mm spindle
bearing with captive ball bearing tip and zinc alloy sub-platter.

Between the original TD125 and the MK2 version, it seems I've got the
better of the two. The only improvement with the MK2 being a modified
motor drive board with all else, bar a cost cutting detail change to
the spindle bearing assembly, remaining the same.



My brother owns (or used to own) after upgrading from a Goldring
Lenco deck I passed onto him (oops! I forgot about that one! - it
seems I didn't go from one extreme to the other in one single jump
after all)... Where was I now? Oh, yes, my brother owns or owned a
TD160 (or maybe it was a 150, I forget which) which wasn't one of my
hand me downs - he'd actually gone and spent real money for a change.

Whichever it was, I do recall it had a high density plastic
sub-platter substituting for the proper metal one as used in the
TD125. The outer platter was metal just like the one on the TD125. It
might even have been an identical part but we never got around to
testing this thesis afaicr.

Now you're informing me that Thorens went even further in cost
cutting by resorting to pressed steel platters. I just hadn't realised
they'd sunk so low. I thought the high density plastic substitute for
the sub-platter was a bad enough compromise as it was[1].

No - I was referring to the actual deck material. Both turntable parts
are metal.

Ah, a case of confusion creeping in on my part then.

Me too - I wasn't sure what you meant by sub platter.


ISTR there was a legal dispute between Thorens and Linn over some
aspects of the LP12.

When I worked in broadcast, we had a couple of TD125 used for
transcription. Both suffered from the same problem - they needed a
couple of hours running before finally coming up to the correct
speed. So were switched on first thing and left running all day. ;-)

That wasn't my experience with the TD125 (are you sure it _was_ the
TD125?).

Yes.

And that should be no. ;-) They were actually TD 124s. Used for
transcribing the odd 78 too.

Ah, the capriciousness of memory. I, at least, had the benefit of
being able to 'eyeball' the TT to refresh my memory. You'd think I'd
have managed to remember the Goldring Lenco I'd overlooked in my TT
ownership history seeing as how it only amounted to 3 decks in total,
AFAICR. :-)


The phrase you used, " before finally coming up to the
correct speed" looks more descriptive of an unadjustable motor speed
setup than one that could be trimmed up electronically by a trimwheel
driven slider pot.

The pot was on max speed. They both ran slow enough for it to be
noticeable. But came good after a while as I said. I'm not certain if
any attempt was made to service them - or have them serviced - as that
wasn't anything to do with me. Could be because there was a work round,
nobody bothered. To be fair they got a lot more use than in a domestic
environment. About 10 hours running 7 days a week.

It must have seen many years of such service then. I've owned mine for
nearly forty years now but ISTR calculating a total usage time of around
600 hours when I gave this some thought a few months ago.

The pitch adjust wheel is still almost exactly at its midpoint when
at speed and although, as a precaution, I purchased a replacement belt
a few years back, I found no difference in performance with the new
one and I think I refitted the old one so as to keep the new one as my
spare.

That 125 must have been well overdue for a full and proper service
then.

We did have a 125 in another area (little used) and as far as I remember
it was fine.

Well, speaking as the proud owner of a TD125, I'll happily accept
that as a "Glowing Endorsment" then. :-)
--
Regards, J B Good