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Need help finding a yamaha counterweight

Zodia

Zodia

Super Member
Need help finding a yamaha counterweight (PROBLEM SOLVED)

I recently got a yamaha YP B2 with a missing counterweight and I need a replacement, I tried a technics sl 1200mk2 counterweight, but it seems a bit too lights need something heavier, does anyone know of a suitable replacement that I can obtain, say, on ebay ?
Or perhaps someone has a spare that they no longer need.
Which brings up another question, do all counterweights weight the same?
I saw a marantz counterweight on eBay but not sure if it would fit.
my apologies for any typos but typing on a phone keyboard is a pain

john
 
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Interesting one, this! Have you considered having a counterweight made? OK, it won't be the same as what the TT originally had, but at the end of the day it is just a weight.

By using a set of digital scales to set your tracking force I really can't see a problem. You may want to consider making one yourself and I had to do that once to a Technics SL1200 mk1. It was a bit crude, but it did work. Sometimes in situations like these you have to think outside the box:yes:

I wish you all the best with it:thmbsp:
 
Know what?
I think i'll do it, I'll talk to one of the ME students tonight and see if he can hook me up with some one inch steel rod.
Now all I need to know is, how heavy is the counterweight?
 
Got you motivated there! Never bothered to weigh a counterweight myself. If it's too light it probably won't work very well but this has thrown up another interesting question. Can a counterweight be too heavy? Food for thought.

I would say it needs to be a good weight to work properly, if you can try to borrow one and weigh it and that might give you a good indication as to how heavy it will need to be. Safe to say that counterweights will be different values for different decks/arms etc.

Can any other Ak'ers throw some light on this:scratch2:
 
Zodia said:
Know what?
I think i'll do it, I'll talk to one of the ME students tonight and see if he can hook me up with some one inch steel rod.
Now all I need to know is, how heavy is the counterweight?
Click to expand...

Could you get one of your students to measure the stub of the tone arm (in metric)?:scratch2:

The correct diameter for the opening of the counterweight would be helpful!

I have three spare ones of unknown origin.
 
I measured it myself (and probably should have mentioned it) it is 14mm (standard I suppose).
 
Bummer...no biggie, Hopefully i'll have some free time tonight and get some drilling done (if I find a good piece of steel that is), then it's just a matter of trim and weigh it.
But just out of curiosity, what is the diameter on the counterweights you have?
 
I am pretty sure the 15mm might do the trick ,might have to wrap the stub with something ,maybe rubber tape...hmmm....
Let's see how the drilling goes, then I'll shoot you a pm.

Whoa what happened to balifly's post that was above mine?
 
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Some random thoughts-
To keep the effective mass of the arm to it's original designed value, the CW needs be quite near the pivot (fulcrum); as the CW moves away from the pivot, it's contribution to effective mass increases greatly.
The rectangular CW of the Yamaha PX2/3 TTs is brass (and much easier to machine than steel.)
When I needed to make a much lighter CW for a low mass setup, I started with a bar of plumber's solder (lead) that I drilled a hole in to slide over the arm stub and then sliced material off of with diagonal cutting pliers until I was in the right ballpark. I ran the TT like this until I had a proper weight machined in brass and a coaxial tube "nut" machined in plastic to replicate the orignal CW adjuster.
If you could post a picture of the CW or of the arm/table where the CW is visible, it would be helpful. I have a couple that I picked up when I was anticipating making one.
 
I think i got it pretty close, and yes I used brass, way easier than steel, I used a press drill to make the center hole, I then tried it on the TT and it felt to heavy (no scale just ball parking it) so i decided to cut a bit off of it, and that made it too light damn it, so since i made the rest by hand i said screw it and re-attached the piece i cut off, so after filling both pieces and smooth them out, I got lucky and the weight seems to be pretty close, I say close because i don't know the weight of the original.
Anyway here's a pic of a YP B2 with the original CW
YamahaYP-B2_090308_0012.jpg

image.php

Here's mine with my home made CW smooth bore no thread

IMG_1672.jpg

IMG_1678.jpg

IMG_1679.jpg

Note the position of the CW, the TA is balanced, so i think I may have to tune it a bit more, still not right.
 
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Ok I think I am happy with the CW as it is.
So to fine tune the weight of the CW I had to remove more material, but i didn't feel like filling some more and chance making it lump sided, so I had a brainfart, remove the piece that i had attached to the back to add weight (which i should have never had cut off but it worked out in the end) and drill holes to remove material without making a mess of the CW
IMG_1685.jpg
I also put a set screw so that once the VTF is set, the CW will not move.
IMG_1686.jpg
And this is the end result, tracking at about 2 grams.
IMG_1687.jpg
Not a bad sounding turntable either.
Thank you Soundman2 for the inspiration, and all that contributed to the thread.
 
Thank you, Zodia!

I AIM TO PLEASE:D:D:D:D:D

Well done on you for making a counterweight! Looks good, too! Nice one!
 
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