Proud new owner of a Systemdek IIX, few questions

BeachBoy

New Member
Thanks to this forum, I chose the Systemdek table for my first (see other thread).

First, a few pictures of the current state. It is a 1984 I think, had only two owners before me (one for 30+ years then the person who sold it to me)

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1- The cover needs work (original 1984), I have just ordered Novus 1-2-3 and microfiber, plan to use the #2 and see what it does. It is not scratched much, but the last owner did leave a protecting mat on top but he used the ones you leave in the bottom of kitchen cabinets, and the sticky glue transferred to the surface. Hopefully the Novus will refresh it. There is one crack near the rear right hinge, hopefully it will stay as is. Any other care pointers welcome.

2- Is the belt supposed to be that low on the plate?
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3- Is it really necessary to replace the glass table for something else? I really, really like the look of the glass plate (I do have a felt to put over for playback).

4- What are is the hole in the picture? For transportation screw, if not, what is it for? I tried to be careful to transport back home, but I know it would've been better to secure it more. I was not prepared for that when picking it up.
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5- There was a small screw that the seller found after I removed the table, and he think it must come from the table. Any idea where it would go? I did not have a chance to open it and check everywhere.
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6- Any maintenance suggestions? I know it starts sometime sin reverse so I'm thinking of replacing motor and pcb eventually.

7- I feel the rca wires are old (well, they are old), how do I go about replacing those with better quality? Is it worth it?

Thanks in advance, any hints, comments, etc. appreciated!
 
1) I used an automotive product called Plast-X (something like that) for polishing scratches.
2) Belt will be much higher up with platter, mat and record on top.. ^_^
3) Keep the glass; nothing wrong with it.
4) Yes, for transport lock screw. IF the screw you got fits in there, that’s probably what it is.
5) Check above ^.
6) Start by cleaning everything. If wood is dirty, use mineral spirits - nothing stronger. You can use some lemon oil on the wood after you clean it. I use 5w/50 oil for the spindle bearing. If yours seems loose/worn, get some 90w gear oil (yes, really).
7) I’d try those wires first. If you feel they NEED replacing, there are many $ options.

BTW- set your platter height equally all around with a drill bit for spacing. Do it with platter, mat and med-thick record on it. I forget what the spec is; something like 3/16”, I think. You may need to replace the foam damping inside the suspension springs - it helps lessen footfall if it’s in good shape.

CONGRATULATIONS!
 
BTW - I don’t know if you have a mat for it. Pretty sure they originally had a black wool/felt when they first sold. I’d use that if it’s not too fuzzy or dirty. Mine looked pretty bad so I put one of the soft deer hide mats on. Worked fine.

Oh - in case you didn’t know, the two screws by the motor adjust the angle for minor belt speed tweaks. You want the belt at the high spot of the motor pulley, but don’t want the screws over tightened.. You’ll hear more more motor noise if too tight.
 
Starting in reverse can be remedied for now by spinning it by hand just a bit before you power it up. AC motors can be run in either direction and a capacitor is used to dictate
direction to the motor. It may be going bad.
 
You need a new belt. If it falls off when you take the platter off, that's a pretty strong indication.
 
Nice table.

I would get a new belt, just to start new. I would replace the rca cables with nice ones. Your table is well worth it.
 
New to this, where/what do I get for a belt?

And RCA that I agree, they are circa 1984... Also where/what to get?

Oh I received my Novus kit, will try a cleanup this weekend. Can't wait to connect it!
 
Belts and cables are easy to find on ebay. I think what you need is a Jelco cable with an angled plug. (Jelco made that arm for Systemdek.)

Personally though, I wouldn't obsess about the cable. The plastic looks a little deformed but the electrons won't care. Maybe replace the plugs with nicer ones down the road.
 
Nice table.

I would get a new belt, just to start new. I would replace the rca cables with nice ones. Your table is well worth it.
Taking aside that I have never heard differences between cables the ones that came with Systemdek turntables were actually well made despite the plastic plugs.
Chris
 
Not model specific, you can order by size. Length is obviously important, but width and thickness matter also - to wide, and it'll rub on the pulley cap and 45 step, and too thick and the speed will be too high (or too thin and too slow). You can measure the width and thickness on the belt you have now, but length should be a bit shorter since the belt seems to have stretched - hence falling off. If you can find a model specific source, you don't need to do the measuring (that assumes the seller knows what they are doing, which is by no means a given.)
 
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