Rega drive belt, is there something I'm missing?

[Karl5150]

After about 3 years of moderate use I cleaned and re-lubed the subplatter shaft and bearing in my RP1. I'm also thinking about a new belt. 40 bucks for a stock belt, 60 for the upgrade. What am I missing? I understand the belt width must not be oversized so it will ride in the bottom of the drive pulley, the diameter must be correct to not slip at 33 or be over tight at 45. But 40 or 60 bucks? Please bring me up to speed on this.
Thanks 
Karl

[Grainger49]

I have to admit, I have wondered too.

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi244.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fgg7%2FGrainger49%2FSmiles%2Flurk_zpshe9wgcvx.gif&hash=900ad13c6504d6bc982fd0e869ed9ae52f045541)

[RickS]

I just poked around a little bit and it appears you can order from Analogue Seduction for $15.35 (or $26.86 for the white belt) + $8.95 delivery.  That's at least somewhat better...  I haven't ordered from them before but will try next time I need a belt.

Rick

[Karl5150]

Thanks for the replies. I have seen the AS prices while researching other Rega parts, just wondered what shipping costs would be to So.CA. I guess my real problem is a black rubber drive belt of the proper dimensions is available from a local supply place at <$4. Understanding the function of a drive belt I am hard pressed to understand the markup. That is why I wonder if I am missing something. Are they the same or does the belt in the Rega bag really use narwhal oil and elf sweat impregnated rubber?

[Grainger49]

Karl, spend the $4 and see how it does.  I mean, you have very little to lose.

[Doc B.]

FWIW my experience has been that belts of different thicknesses can make a non-speed controlled platter spin at slightly different speeds. For me this was an issue because I was trying to compare recordings on LP to the same recording on tape. The speed difference of an LP played with a non-spec belt was pretty obvious with that point of reference.

Whether this would be noticeable normally is kind of up to the listener, and of course I have no clue if this would be an issue with the belts in question

[JamieMcC]

I have recently been looking at replacing the bearing on my own Rega Planar but still undecided if to go with the Ruby Sapphire or ceramic one (input welcome). Most of the main dealers of such parts here in the UK now also list on ebay and while looking for bearings the other day plenty of belt options turned up you just need to enter "rega planar" in the ebay search box and you should be spoilt for choice. I will most probably order a new belt myself and change swap the old one out the same time as the bearing.

[Karl5150]

Thanks all.
Grainger you are correct, 4 bucks, if it doesn't work = lesson learned.

Doc, point taken. It is a V groove pulley, so thickness, either over or under, would change ratio and speed.
More than the variation in the frequency of the electrical grid here in so cal?
Would a slightly smaller diameter, slightly thicker belt work if it had to stretch enough to reduce the thickness just enough?
But then would a lower durometer hardness help?
I guess I'll just have to spend the $ I save on the belt on a strobe disc and associated paraphernalia.....or....

Jamie what about the groovetracer subplatter, it comes with a Zirconia ball. (The Zirconia ball can be sourced at the same aforementioned supply place on the cheap, but is the surface finish the same, what is the tolerance, etc,)

 I just love beating a dead horse!

[corndog71]

I recommend the Groovetracer subplatter as well as the $60 Rega belt.  I think the higher end belt is supposed to last longer than the regular belt.  One of these days I may drop the bills for the motor upgrade for my P25.

[Paul Joppa]

I got this information from an advertisement by a belt seller, long long ago. So take it with a big fat grain of salt ... but it is plausible at least:

Good turntable drivebelts must have a uniform thickness, which is the same as a uniform stiffness, or else they will impart some unsteady velocity to the table. For this reason the good ones are precision milled from thicker belts. An ordinary cast rubber band is too variable to work well. Notice that a thin belt might be less than 30 mils thick (1.32 inch), so a 1 mil precision milling is still a 3% variation, so precision milling is not trivial.

Clearly an alternate solution is a really massive platter; some of the ones out there are simply insane.  :^)

On the other side of the equation, rim-drive turntables have an idler that eventually dries out, and a standard fix in the really old days was to wrap a plain rubber band around it. Nobody ever claimed that to be an audiophile-approved solution, but I have done it and gotten the sound back - it's enough better than nothing. Questionable music is way better than no music!

[Karl5150]

Paul, when we looked at the belt at 10x we noticed what we thought was wear at the parting line on the ID of the belt, the primary contact area on the subplatter. That did not explain the same "wear" on the OD of the belt where there is no contact. That might lend credence to the belt ad. Maybe some Elf sweat is involved, but in the finishing of the belt, not the formulation of the rubber compound.
Rob, understanding that the GT subplatter will fit a 3 and a 5 (as well as others) and is an upgrade to legendarily long-lived parts, the price of admission doesn't seem unreasonable knowing that it could easily be transferred if a full TT upgrade ever took place. Or used as part of a DIY TT project (new hubs are pretty cheap) if the mood struck. 

[denti alligator]

I really like the Groovetracer platter and subplatter, which look and sound great. The belts I'm a bit suspicious of. I have the original, the Rega upgrade belt, and a couple belts sold by Michael Lim. I've tested each one using a platter speed app and they differ in speed and speed consistency, but not that much, and in the case of the Lim belts, which are supposed to be the same, differences are also noticeable.

[Karl5150]

Well I went with the stock Rega belt. (Analogue Seduction website says they don't ship the white ones to the US)
Never found the exact size in a generic belt to try, anyway at less than the price of a new LP the cost of a OEM replacement isn't that bad.
Made it worth the shipping by buying 2 and picking up a 180g copy of Steely Dan's Can't Buy a Thrill.
The used belt felt sloppy and more flaccid by comparison and the new one takes a little stretch, even on to the 33 groove.