AR XA Assembly Post shipping.

OK, Newb mistake #1.

Suspended board won't balance until tonearm installed.
Don't judge a book without a binding.

More to come, more to learn, obviously

Mark

Usually the AR tables have a "lockdown" screw or bolt that locks the suspension down for shipping. You will need to remove this. Also the belt won't ride correctly until you put the platter on the subplatter to offset the weight/height difference of the sprung suspension.

Mark, hang in. The 2 groove drive spindle is the motor pulley. The different grooves relate to the 45rpm and 33.33 rpm speeds that the platter is designed to turn at. When you turn on the motor, this should turn. It should not wobble. Then again, if it does wobble, there is not much that you can do to correct it without a machine shop. The belt only goes around the sub platter, not the outer platter. If it comes off of the sub platter, or off of the pulley, it is usually a matter of tuning the three bolts that adjust the springs. If you have a camera, send me a photo off board. It has been many moons since I have had one. Alernately, contact Wendell Narod, user name Narod, he uses one in his second system and can probably help as well. Just be patient and non judgemental. Sometimes one is proceeding forward but looking in the rear view mirror and it looks as if one is proceeding backwards at a rapid pace.

Thanks for the suggestion. I pulled it all out, took a look. Seems simple enough.

A couple drops of machine gunner's lube in the bearing, 2 drops down the spindle hole. Sub platter in the hole.

I have 2 moving spindles, a larger one with 2 different diameter grooves, at left of center (rear) facing the front of the turntable, and a much smaller one with a single groove right of center (rear).

With only the sub platter on, it will not keep the belt on, either single large spindle left of center, small spindle right of center, or any combination.

This may have been the wrong choice for a starter turntable.

I'm guessing the belt is wrong to start with. Rides out of the drive spindles to easily.
The large drive spindle with 2 grooves has a fair amount of observable wobble. That can't be good.

Proceeding backwards at a rapid pace.

Regards,

Mark

Pretty simple really, first check out all of the excellent AR related stuff on the Vinyl Nirvana website:

http://www.vinylnirvana.com/

There are lots of exploded photos etc. But really, you just want to put some oil in the bearing, slip the spindle into the bearing, making sure that it does not bang into the bottom. The sub platter will then be in place. Loop the belt around the sub platter and the motor pulley, then place the outer platter around the sub platter. Put on the mat, install the cartridge, balance the arm. Bingo, you're on.