Installing a Mission 774

[alcarmichael]

How is this done?

I've just got myself a deal on one of these tonearms, it has a rather strange (to me) mounting platform. How do I go about fitting it to my 1210?

I probably wont take delivery of the arm until next week but if anything else needs to be bought to enable installation I may as well get it ordered now.

[DSJR]

You'll need an SME cut board. I'd ask Speedy Steve to make you a wooden one as they do seem to aid sonics here.

Forgive me, I worry that you've bagged yourself an arm you appear to know little about, other than reputation. Some care is needed in mounting pickups on the tiny mounting block, the minimum of damping and paddles should be used (from personal experience at the time as well as talking to many dealers who set up and sold these!) and so on.

Good luck anyway. I hope you find it to be good still.

[walpurgis]

SME arm mounting plate for Technics.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Technics-SME-Tonearm-Armboard-Plate-for-SL-120-120-MK2-150-1500-Turntables-/152001576019?hash=item2363fffc53:g:7nUAAOSwxp9W1yf p

There are several listed, but this is the cheapest at the moment.

[alcarmichael]

You'll need an SME cut board. I'd ask Speedy Steve to make you a wooden one as they do seem to aid sonics here.

Forgive me, I worry that you've bagged yourself an arm you appear to know little about, other than reputation. Some care is needed in mounting pickups on the tiny mounting block, the minimum of damping and paddles should be used (from personal experience at the time as well as talking to many dealers who set up and sold these!) and so on.

Good luck anyway. I hope you find it to be good still.

You're forgiven. You're correct in that I've bought this on its reputation. I was pretty much expecting the answer you gave regarding the Speedy Steve SME armboard. I'm aware that it comes with (3) different paddles to play with. I wasn't aware that it should be used with minimum damping.

Thank you.


SME arm mounting plate for Technics.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Technics-SME-Tonearm-Armboard-Plate-for-SL-120-120-MK2-150-1500-Turntables-/152001576019?hash=item2363fffc53:g:7nUAAOSwxp9W1yf p

There are several listed, but this is the cheapest at the moment.

Perfect. Cheers.

[walpurgis]

The 774 is used with whatever damping works best for each individual cartridge. Some may require none. It's trial and error (hopefully without too much error :)).

[alcarmichael]

Oh, one other thing; which damping fluid should I use?

[walpurgis]

Oh, one other thing; which damping fluid should I use?

Well. You can pay £25 or so for a small quantity of specialised silicone fluid sold for tonearms, or do what I do and get a bottle of this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STP-Oil-Treatment-For-Petrol-Engines-300ml-/170663672570?hash=item27bc58fafa:m:mc70eLvSsy2cT2d Paba3Atw

It's basically the same stuff and works fine and you get enough to last a lifetime. It's pretty thick, but can be thinned if need be with light silicone oil.

[Arkless Electronics]

These arms sound truly awful! Bag 'o shite! Don't believe all those saying they are wonderful as they're not! They will go down in value soon when people realise how bad they are and probably be worth now't shortly;) As someone with green, earth friendly proclivities, I would of course hate to see these monstrous abhorrences of the vinyl replay art be merely skipped... so to save the planet I am willing to purchase them for a generous £50 each so I can fit them to the GL75's still in use in rural Africa and help these poor people at least have music after the plastic bearings in the Lenco arms have worn out :D
Geoff, shut up with your lies about these being good! :D

[alcarmichael]

Well. You can pay £25 or so for a small quantity of specialised silicone fluid sold for tonearms, or do what I do and get a bottle of this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STP-Oil-Treatment-For-Petrol-Engines-300ml-/170663672570?hash=item27bc58fafa:m:mc70eLvSsy2cT2d Paba3Atw

It's basically the same stuff and works fine and you get enough to last a lifetime. It's pretty thick, but can be thinned if need be with light silicone oil.

Isn't it important to get the correct viscosity?


These arms sound truly awful! Bag 'o shite! Don't believe all those saying they are wonderful as they're not! They will go down in value soon when people realise how bad they are and probably be worth now't shortly;) As someone with green, earth friendly proclivities, I would of course hate to see these monstrous abhorrences of the vinyl replay art be merely skipped... so to save the planet I am willing to purchase them for a generous £50 each so I can fit them to the GL75's still in use in rural Africa and help these poor people at least have music after the plastic bearings in the Lenco arms have worn out :D
Geoff, shut up with your lies about these being good! :D

:lol::rfl:

[Ammonite Audio]

SME arm mounting plate for Technics.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Technics-SME-Tonearm-Armboard-Plate-for-SL-120-120-MK2-150-1500-Turntables-/152001576019?hash=item2363fffc53:g:7nUAAOSwxp9W1yf p

There are several listed, but this is the cheapest at the moment.

That arm board is for SL-120 and SL-150, not the SL-1210. The bolt holes are in the wrong positions for the SL-1210

[walpurgis]

Isn't it important to get the correct viscosity?

Viscosity needs will vary. If damping is needed, start with thick fluid which can be thinned and also experiment with paddle sizes. Higher compliance cartridges may require no damping.

[walpurgis]

That arm board is for SL-120 and SL-150, not the SL-1210. The bolt holes are in the wrong positions for the SL-1210

Quite right. I should have spotted that.

There is a 1200/1210 item available. Not cheap though: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Technics-1210-SME-cut-armboard-/322025659717?hash=item4afa399d45:g:o0IAAOSwWTRW1xH Y

[karma67]

i hope the soldering the seller mentioned is good and the red block hasn't been melted,what cartridge are you going to use with the mission?
when i had mine using a denon dl-160 and some of geoff's magic fluid i found it sounded fine with the paddle just gliding on the surface.

[alcarmichael]

I'll be fitting an AT 33PTG to the arm.

What is this magic fluid you speak of? I definitely want some magic fluid!

[karma67]

see post 7 :)

[shane]

Is this the 774 that was on EBay a couple of days ago? Looked like a good'un if it was!

[karma67]

No
It was on hifi wigwam

[alcarmichael]

see post 7 :)

Ah yes. I read the post while at work but don't have eBay access on the work computer, I forgot to go back and check!

[Bigman80]

Lmao. That made me chuckle!!![emoji3]

[Bigman80]

Just to add, that STP fluid is spot on. It's a great recommendation. Watch for any tightness when fixing a cartridge into the thread on the head as if it shears you'll end up drilling it out like I did.

Paddle gliding on the surface is spot on for me and I'd suggest you experiment for your particular cart