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#1 Greg's Mayware Formula 4 Rebuild

Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2016 4:03 pm
by Cressy Snr
OK, we have to start somewhere, so here we are with the arm cable made up:

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Cable is Van Damme microphone cable with twin cores and screen and is connected in pseudo-balanced mode.
The twin-cores are the posses and negs from the cartridge terminals, and go from the arm base inline DIN socket, to the tip and ring on each phono plug. The screens from each cable are joined and connected so that when plugged into the arm base, there will be a continuous shield, running from the headshell end of the arm tube, all the way through to the spade terminal at the phono plug end.

#2 Re: Greg's Mayware Formula 4 Rebuild

Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2016 4:08 pm
by Cressy Snr
As far as the arm itself is concerned, all the parts have been cleaned and assembled into various modules that will be fitted together as the wiring is made up.

#3 Re: Greg's Mayware Formula 4 Rebuild

Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2016 5:20 pm
by Cressy Snr
A little bit of micro-surgery, in conjuction with the helping hands jig, with magnifier and a strong light, and we have the arm base internal plug safely wired and tested for pin-to-pin shorts. It has passed:
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#4 Re: Greg's Mayware Formula 4 Rebuild

Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2016 8:45 pm
by Cressy Snr
Wire threaded into arm:
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Threading the wires through each one of the four holes in the tiny rubber bung then easing it into place at the end of the armtube was an eyeball melting experience for someone my age.
Thank God for varifocals and a magnifier :lol:

The arm earth tag, which is an interference fit into the tube, can just be seen poking out between the bung and the
armtube inner wall next to the green wire.

#5 Re: Greg's Mayware Formula 4 Rebuild

Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2016 8:58 pm
by Cressy Snr
Helping hands jig, was an invaluable aid, for soldering the cartridge tags to the arm wires:

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#6 Re: Greg's Mayware Formula 4 Rebuild

Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2016 9:00 pm
by Cressy Snr
All done, continuity and short tested with the cable plugged in. Jobzagoodun!

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Mounting on TT can wait until tomorrow.

#7 Re: Greg's Mayware Formula 4 Rebuild

Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2016 9:09 pm
by Greg
Nice one Steve :thumbright: Good to see it being put into good use with a proper rebuild rather than languishing in my parts drawer, probably for the last ten years. I'm really pleased it is being put to good use. Don't forget the anti skate thread. Finger lift no doubt being fitted with the cartridge.

#8 Re: Greg's Mayware Formula 4 Rebuild

Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2016 9:37 pm
by Cressy Snr
Cheers Greg.
I'm looking forward to getting it going on the Lenco tomorrow.
In theory, the arm's low mass should be the perfect match for my compliant Shure M97xe cartridge.
A few drops of extra virgin olive oil in the pivot dashpot and it should be a good listen.

I'm grateful for the arm Greg and you can be sure it has found a good home on the Lenco :)

Despite my shovel like hands, sausage fingers and failing eyesight, I thoroughly enjoyed the rebuild.
Once I had thought things through and worked out the correct build sequence, with the help of our Ant, there were zero
problems putting it all back together. :D

#9 Re: Greg's Mayware Formula 4 Rebuild

Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2016 10:30 pm
by Ali Tait
Good job Steve, should sound as good as it looks.

#10 Re: Greg's Mayware Formula 4 Rebuild

Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2016 8:15 am
by Andrew
Nice job, Steve.

#11 Re: Greg's Mayware Formula 4 Rebuild

Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2016 11:50 am
by IslandPink
Yes good work Steve !
Now, when you start setting it up, the only thing that isn't dead obvious is that the support 'crank' for the anti-skate can be rotated in the lower housing for adjustment. With some playing around with this ( I didn't realise this at first :oops: ) you can adjust the angle of the thread coming off the upper-housing groove, so that the thread pulls horizontally. If you don't have it right, it adds an azimuth error into the mix, which makes you have to turn the counterweight eccentric too much to compensate.

#12 Re: Greg's Mayware Formula 4 Rebuild

Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2016 1:13 pm
by Cressy Snr
Thanks chaps and thanks for the tip Mark.

I've got the arm fitted to the Lenco and adjusted up. TBH it was a piece of cake. I'd read all sorts of stories about the Mayware being a PITA to set up, but I didn't have any problems. Here it is, playing George Benson and Earl Klugh's " Collaboration" album, from the late 'eighties and making a damn fine sound as it does so.

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#13 Re: Greg's Mayware Formula 4 Rebuild

Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2016 1:27 pm
by Cressy Snr
Here it is from another angle, showing the cartridge a bit better.
Right at the back, the bias thread can just about be seen, pulling horizontally.
We can also see that the pivot housing is all lined up nicely; no leaning either way.

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At 1.2g, the Shure is tracking anything I can throw at it. This arm suits it perfectly.
Surface noise is none existent, scratches are handled well, the sound is clean, dynamic and detailed, without going all
hyper and preternatural on me; IOW well balanced top to bottom.
Bass goes far lower than it did with the Shure on the Rega arm, but the old PRaT is not compromised at all.

I'm well pleased, and though it's early days, you never know, I might at last have to stop whining about vinyl.
Cheers Greg. Between youself with this arm and our Ant's fantastic reinterpretation of a classic Lenco, you both may have managed to convert me back to vinyl, after nigh on 25 years. :D 8)

#14 Re: Greg's Mayware Formula 4 Rebuild

Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2016 1:41 pm
by pre65
Well done Steve (and Ant & Greg). :D

#15 Re: Greg's Mayware Formula 4 Rebuild

Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2016 2:56 pm
by Mike H
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Looking like the wasp's ankles, very good.