US Power for Rega Planar 3

[AndyRoo99]

Hi All

I moved to the US from the UK a few years ago since which time my turntable has been in a box and my vinyl sitting un-listened too.

Does anyone know if the power supply in the Rega will run on 110v rather than 240v in the UK? Also if it will not will it be best to replace the power supply unit in the turntable or could i use a transformer plugged into the mains? The latter worries me as i would imagine even a good one would cause some low level hum. I obviously dont want to risk causing any damage.

Best

AndyRoo

[Soundminded]

The standard in the US is 120 volts 60hz. The standard in Europe depends on where you are but mostly 240 volts 50 hz. If you buy a transformer, you can convert 120 volts to 240, however, whether or not your turntable operates properly will depend on the type of motor it has. If it has an hysteresis synchronous (clock) motor that is synchronized to the line frequency it will turn too fast. If it has an induction or DC servo motor it should be okay. Check with the manufacturer to be sure. In some cases, this can be corrected by changing the motor pully to a different size. The manufacturer should have these available since Rega exports to the US.

[AndyRoo99]

I was in the UK which is 240v but not sure on hz?

A

[kevinkr]

Originally Posted by AndyRoo99

I was in the UK which is 240v but not sure on hz?

A

50Hz.

A couple of options, the easiest would be to find a 50Hz power source for your Rega. (See eBay) I suspect that the only other option would be to get a motor with the 60Hz pulley which I believe could be relatively expensive. Apparently there is an upgrade motor from Rega which is reputedly an improvement over the original motor fitted.

[wrankin]

Find a good local audio store (or search the web) - you can order a replacement US-spec pulley. The motor will run fine on 120V-60Hz, although IIRC the inline resistor before the motor is a little high and thus the motor has issues with platter spin-up (just give the platter a initial push and it's okay).

I had to do the same for an old Planar-1 that was from the UK.

Good luck,

-bill

[kevinkr]

Originally Posted by wrankin

Find a good local audio store (or search the web) - you can order a replacement US-spec pulley. The motor will run fine on 120V-60Hz, although IIRC the inline resistor before the motor is a little high and thus the motor has issues with platter spin-up (just give the platter a initial push and it's okay).

I had to do the same for an old Planar-1 that was from the UK.

Good luck,

-bill

In the case of a lot of Philips, Hurst, and Premotec motors that resistor (5K or more) should be removed for 120V operation. (Double check before doing this just in case you have a motor variant that needs a series resistor.)