Turntable Speed Problems |
Do the string passages in your music "warble"? Have the piano passages become annoying? | |
If the answer is yes, you may have a speed control problem! | |
Problem | Resolution |
Stobe Light isn't stable, it | On a belt drive turntable the belt may be old and or / slipping. Before |
meanders back and forth. | you replace the belt, try this. Remove the belt from the turntable. Dampen |
-OR- |
some lint free tissues (camera lens wipes are good for this) in Isopropyl |
Strobe light won't stabilize | Alcohol. Gently pull the belt through these tissues between your fingers, |
on speed | allow the belt to dry. Then using a clean set of tissues again dampened |
in Isopropyl Alcohol, wipe off the belt pulley and the area on the platter | |
where the belt comes into contact. Be careful not to touch these areas | |
with your fingers after cleaning. When everything is dry, reinstall the belt | |
and see if the problem goes away. If it doesn't and the belt is old, replace | |
it. We highly recommend using authentic Dual drive belts. They are available | |
from the vendors listed on our Parts/Service page. | |
On a turntable with Idler Wheel drive, remove the platter and clean off | |
the inside of the rim with a cotton ball dipped in Isopropyl Alcohol. Making | |
sure that the surface is clean and dry before replacing the platter. If this | |
doesn't help, you can try using an emery board pressed very lightly on the | |
idler wheel while it is turning. This sometimes can clear the hardened rubber | |
on the edges of the idler wheel allowing it to have better contact with the | |
platter rim. If this doesn't work, you may have to send the idler wheel out | |
for rerubbering. We have a vendor or two on our Parts/Service page that | |
can do this for you for a reasonable price. Or, sometimes on Ebay you can | |
find NOS idler wheels up for auction. Also check with our vendors, they may | |
have the idler wheel you need in stock. | |
Or the bearings in the motor could be dragging due to lack of lubricant or | |
thickening of the lubricants. This is common with Dual turntables, especially | |
if they have been sitting without use for many years. To fix this, disassemble | |
the motor and relubricate according to the Service Manual. | |
My Dual turntable has strobe | You will need a light source that is the same frequency that your local power |
markings on the platter but | is. We recommend a portable fluorescent light. You can find these at home |
no strobe light. How do I use | supply / hardware stores for a reasonable price. A regular incandescent light |
this? | bulb won't work for this purpose. |
The strobe light on my | The bulb has probably burned out, or there is no power to the turntable. |
turntable doesn't light up | First check to make sure the turntable is plugged into the wall outlet and |
platter is turning. Replacement stobe lights are available from vendors | |
on our Parts/Service page. Make sure all the internal connections are | |
tight. | |
How do I use my stobe light? | Most Dual turntables are equipped with a strobe light to assist you with |
accurately setting the turntable speed. There are a set of markings on | |
the platter, usually one "line" of marks for each speed (33/45). The Dual | |
1245 only has one line that is used for both speeds. With a record on the | |
platter look at these marks. One line will appear to be stationary, or will | |
be moving slowing in one direction or another. If the lines appear to be | |
moving, turn the pitch control until the lines appear to be holding still. | |
When the markings stop moving, your turntable is correctly set to | |
the speed selected. Some turntables have four lines of strobe markings. | |
These are usually for 50/60-Hz power. You will only use the ones that | |
correlate to the power in your country. | |