Origin Live / Rega RB 250 stub help

[brotherly]

This may be a stupid question/post, but I'm wondering about this one.

I just picked up a VPI HW-19 jr with an Origin Live tonearm, I believe it's a modified RB250.

The weird part is, the stub is very loose. AFAIK, you should be able to just screw and unscrew the stub, but this one just spins around and wiggles but doesn't tighten/loosen. I don't see any set screws holding it in, though it does have a little branded sticker at the very end, maybe covering something? Also, when you adjust the counterweight, there's a little hex screw you have to loosen/tighten to slide it along the stub.

Anyone have any info on this tonearm? Is the stub supposed to be this loose-- and if not, how do I go about tightening it?

Thanks for any help.

 

[sturgus]

I think the stub is held in place by a high tensile strength bolt. I think you will need an Allen wrench to tighten it down.

 

[chaz]

From what I can remember of other aftermarket end stubs for the 250, behind that sticker you will probably find a hex socket. The end that goes into the back of the tone arm is threaded and the whole end stub acts like a bolt (as far as going on and off). I think the IsoKinetik works like that and the Origin Live as well? Worth a look-see though no?

 

[ripblade]

I have the Riggle CCM end stub, which is very similar to the OL stub. In the arm is a threaded insert tapped for the bolt that clamps the stub onto the end of the arm. On the Riggle version is a domed washer under the head of the bolt that acts like a spring to maintain optimum clamping pressure. I'm not sure if the OL stub has the domed washer or not, but you should investigate this by removing the stub altogether.

Peel the sticker off to expose the bolt head. Loosen it with an allen key....3mm might be a good size to start with but it could be bigger or smaller. When you have the stub removed, make sure the threaded insert is recessed below the metal end of the arm, then check the condition of the washer. If it is cup shaped, slide it on the bolt with the convex face to the bolt head, then insert the bolt//washer/endstub onto the end of the arm, tightening the bolt with just enough pressure to ensure the stub can't move, then a bit more.

If you over tighten the bolt, the washer will be crushed flat, defeating the spring loading it provides, lessening the benefit of the clamped-on stub, according to Pete Riggle.

Hope this helps.