Thumbs up for ultrasonic record cleaning


My Cleaner Vinyl ultrasonic record cleaner arrived today and it’s impressive.

Everything I’d read indicated that ultrasonic was the way to go, and now I count myself among the believers. Everything is better - records are quieter, less ticks and pops, more detail etc.

All my records had been previously cleaned with a vacuum record cleaner and were well cared for. Nonetheless, the difference is obvious and overwhelmingly positive.

Phil
Ag insider logo xs@2xphil0618
I use Keith Monks vacuum machine. Built like a tank. Quick, easy, safe, no mess, no setup, minimal maintenance, and records sound great. Game over.
@psag- I have a Monks too (an Omni). If I had to choose one machine, that would be it. But the synergy of cleaning on the Monks and ultrasonic- in both directions-- brings more to the table. Try it. 
@terry9 @slaw
A bit more tinkering.

My US tank seemed suspect / deficient in a couple of ways so I tried a couple of things to address the problems.

The issues with the tank were;
It took forever to warm up and and
the temp gauge never read above 38c.
Based on commentary from Terry9 and others it seemed the target could/should be around 40c.

So, I did two things.
First, I bought a cute little thermometer from Risepro with a probe that goes in the tank while the gauge sticks to the outside of the tank via suction cup. All of $7 including shipping and it validated that the temp gauge on the US tank was wrong. The temp gauge on the tank was reading low by as much as 5c. So, while I might have seen a reading on the tank of 30c I was probably closer to 25-27c. The net is I think a thermometer is a worthwhile investment.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EYSGV9M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Second, I bought a submersible aquarium heater to augment the heater in the tank. This was an attempt to both heat the water faster and sustain a higher temperature. While I think having some auxiliary heat source is useful, I don’t think aquarium heaters are the answer. Most of these max out around 93F, so at best it would help sustain about 34c, which is where I seem to be getting to. It’s an interesting idea as many of these are narrow enough to fit in the tank with the albums and fully submersible, but since they all seem to top out around 93F it’s not a true solution. Also, while it provides some assistance in warming the tank quicker it is not a real solution. My unit is only 50 watts, so selecting a unit with higher wattage would help, but there is only so much room in the tank so getting a unit that is physically larger poses challenges. The net, still searching for a solution to my heating issue.

BTW, this is the tank I'm using
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M0328QT/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 

The pump is useful and I’m using it between cleanings and it is definitely able to filter out the particulate, but the water still seems to get a bit murky over time so still learning about this.

Lastly, I’ve simplified my solution. I’m just using 3 ounces of Versaclean - see @terry9 discussion earlier in the thread - and an ounce of photoflow with the remainder of the solution being distilled water. And then I finish off the effort on the Record Doctor.