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Technics SL-QD33 cueing speed

F

franknstuff

New Member
I posted this on vinylengine as well (no response yet):

I have one of these turntables - compared to other turntables I've owned (including an SL-D20) it seems to cue rather quickly. For all you other SL-QD33 owners, is this just the nature of the beast? Is the queing mechanism for this model oil-damped? Would the faster queing drop speed be because the straight tonearm is supposedly of lower mass than earlier S-shaped tonearms, or is there a problem with my turntable?

Thanks!
 
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The silicone damping fluid has dried out in the cueing piston. This is a comon problem for Technics tables. I have the SL-QD33 (great table) but the first thing I had to do was replenish the damping fluid. Fairly easy to do.

The tonearm on this table is driven by a small servo motor so there is no linkage between the platter and tone arm. Once you open the bottom of the table, remove the little tonearm motor and you should be able to access the cueing piston. You need to use a 500,000 cst Silicon Fluid to recharge that puppy. I got diferential oil from a hoby shop...same thing.

Pack that piston GOOD. Technics was using a 200,000 cst which was just to light and ran dry in no time at all. Every Technics table I have ever had required this service be done. Once done, it will last forever as 500,000 cst fluid is not going anywhere, it looks like paste!

Joe
 
Thanks for the reply - I'll check it out. I had the bottom off today, but that was as far as I went, just looking to see if there was some kind of adjustment that could be done. There's a hobby shop nearby that has the fluid - again, many thanks!
 
franknstuff said:
I posted this on vinylengine as well (no response yet):

I have one of these turntables - compared to other turntables I've owned (including an SL-D20) it seems to cue rather quickly. For all you other SL-QD33 owners, is this just the nature of the beast? Is the queing mechanism for this model oil-damped? Would the faster queing drop speed be because the straight tonearm is supposedly of lower mass than earlier S-shaped tonearms, or is there a problem with my turntable?

Thanks!
Click to expand...




I think it's the nature of the beast for this particular model. I had this turntable years ago and HATED the fact that it cued so fast. I got rid of the table.
 
Joey is correct. This is not unique to this turntable by any means. After 30-40 years it is not unusual for the damping paste to have dried or leaked out and most turntables used this method of cueing.
 
Joey1127 said:
The silicone damping fluid has dried out in the cueing piston. This is a comon problem for Technics tables. I have the SL-QD33 (great table) but the first thing I had to do was replenish the damping fluid. Fairly easy to do.

The tonearm on this table is driven by a small servo motor so there is no linkage between the platter and tone arm. Once you open the bottom of the table, remove the little tonearm motor and you should be able to access the cueing piston. You need to use a 500,000 cst Silicon Fluid to recharge that puppy. I got diferential oil from a hoby shop...same thing.

Pack that piston GOOD. Technics was using a 200,000 cst which was just to light and ran dry in no time at all. Every Technics table I have ever had required this service be done. Once done, it will last forever as 500,000 cst fluid is not going anywhere, it looks like paste!

Joe
Click to expand...


+1:thmbsp:

Thanks,
John.:music::D
 
Joey1127 said:
The silicone damping fluid has dried out in the cueing piston. This is a comon problem for Technics tables. I have the SL-QD33 (great table) but the first thing I had to do was replenish the damping fluid. Fairly easy to do.

The tonearm on this table is driven by a small servo motor so there is no linkage between the platter and tone arm. Once you open the bottom of the table, remove the little tonearm motor and you should be able to access the cueing piston. You need to use a 500,000 cst Silicon Fluid to recharge that puppy. I got diferential oil from a hoby shop...same thing.

Pack that piston GOOD. Technics was using a 200,000 cst which was just to light and ran dry in no time at all. Every Technics table I have ever had required this service be done. Once done, it will last forever as 500,000 cst fluid is not going anywhere, it looks like paste!

Joe
Click to expand...
Joe,
Hi, I'm new on the forum, with a SL-QD33 that I want to perform the cue damping R&R on.
I know this thread is ancient, but thought I'd ask if you are still satisfied going with the 500,000 cst for the SL-QD33?
It doesn't make it cue too slowly?
Thank you for your time,
Chris
 
ChrisFix said:
Joe,
Hi, I'm new on the forum, with a SL-QD33 that I want to perform the cue damping R&R on.
I know this thread is ancient, but thought I'd ask if you are still satisfied going with the 500,000 cst for the SL-QD33?
It doesn't make it cue too slowly?
Thank you for your time,
Chris
Click to expand...

Well, I can answer my own question...500.000 cst is too thick and makes the cueing too slow IMHO for the SL-QD33. I'm going to leave it for now, because it sure is nicer than the stylus crashing down onto the record, but a half-way point between the 5 second needle drop and the 1/2 second needle drop would be desirable.
 
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