Ok, it is bogus but no more bogus than anything else in “Ultimate Turntable” thread. Still, I like the notion, even though I have no idea if it might have any sonic consequences. I do not see the concept was used in turntable; perhaps the people who make turntables would give some thinking to this idea.

Among many professions I had in my youth one of them was a locomotive engineer. So, when I was driving trains I remember that under the same conditions to stop a 6.000 tones train with coal took much shorter distance then 5.000 tones  train with oil.  It is obvious that the inertia of oil displacement propelled the train forward creating extra moment.

Why do not use the same idea in a TT’s platter.

Pretend that we have a good mass platter and this platter in addition it it’s mass has a large circular chamber near the outside skirt. The chamber or the channel is 50% filled with some kind of heavy liquid. When the platter start to spin and reach it’s stable cruse speed then in a few moment the liquid synchronies with platter, becoming dynamically in uni-speed with platter. Now when the platter has mine fluctuation in speed then the liquid try to maintain it’s gyroscope moment and by tension with the chamber’s wall it would damp the speed fluctuations. It sounds very reasonable to me.

This idea has even some very good marketing possibility as the outer wall of the chamber might be made transparent and a user will be actually seeing the liquid. Now, pit on the wall of the chamber some verticals screen and insert into the liquid some floating markings and you have a perfect natural indicator of platter’s stability.

I can see the Stereophile advertises the tunable with “Heavy Water” platters…. Sounds catchy.

How strange... 
I was thinking about this, and discussing it during lunch @ the lab a couple days ago... 

Got there from a totaly different direction though, was thinking about harmonic vibration dampers used on crankshafts, (usually iron, rubber ring, another iron ring), and how better ones use a viscous fluid instead of the rubber. 
We went crazy hi-tech (of course, it's Los Alamos), and were pipe-dreaming ferro-fluid or something that could be used to actually change viscosity, as needed to make subtle damping changes, for subtle speed changes. 
Viscous ferro-fluid could be used for magnet drive for turn table...
No, that would cause interference with cartridge... 
Then realized that was too carried away, but something like glycerin, in a ring you could see might be nice. 
Then back to playing with plutonium & platinium...

Now I'm gonna be imagining Cat driving Train all day... 
Robert

serenechaos wrote:

Viscous ferro-fluid could be used for magnet drive for turn table...

drdna wrote:

Easier to make might be a device like a record clamp you can attach to an existing turntable platter. It should be easy to do the experiment by trying a weight on the turntable platter: 1. a solid weight 2. an equal weight container of viscous liquid (you can try different liquids, maybe even Single Malt Scotch) Then just listen to compare if there is a difference. I will be interested to hear what results everyone has.

LBJ,

I do not think that the idea of Water Tower is good as we would need to change the TT speed. Also, I think the verso is necessary for us as liquid has different viscosity with temperature and we need somehow to compensate it. What I found inspiring it your proposal is the idea to combine proportion with suspension. Let me to merge what you proposed and what I proposed in the “More about the fluid drive” post. Her we have something quite unique…

Ok, let reveres what I proposed in the “More about the fluid drive” post. We have no stationary jet dispensers that shot angled liquid to platter but we have 2 or more stationary angled jet dispensers that shot off the platter. Now the platter acts an independent entry the has no external propulsion and spanning only by the thrust generated by discharging liquid from the platter’s nozzles. The platter is not only tossing the liquid but also is sitting on the liquid. Let for the sake of being crazy proposed that it is a non-magnetic steel platter and liquid is mercury. Steel is lighter then mercury, so we have a perfect self-prolusion, self -centering and self balancing platter.

Actually this idea sounds so sexy that even to fantasize about it I feel kind or …erotic. Of cause I do not  do sonic claims and it is very possible that after the “Mercury Fountain Turntable” hit hi-fi stores and 3235 people would die from mercurialism it will be learned that the idea of liquid propulsion is worthless from sonic perspective. Hmmmm! Perhaps it is not the turntable innovation but the notion of killed 3235 moron-audiophiles is something that makes me horny? Go figure…. Anyhow, I need to run to feed my Cat with her Thanksgivings turkey…

A turntable that is attractive to Morons that just so happens to kill them off...HA!  Reminds me of the tantilizing glow of a bug zapper.  ZZZAP! There goes another one.

It seems that a liquid driven/suspended platter would have to opperate off of two separate systems, one with a fixed pressure to suspend, and one with adjustable jets to facilitate speed adjustment.  That is unless a sophisticated nozzle could be made that would increase pressure without increasing volume output.  I'll have to research more.

I do have an interest turntables now as I am looking to upgrade my sources (digital too).  It is doubtful that I will go in such an insane direction...It would probably be much more valuable to dredge up an old RX-5000 or 8000.  What's the deal with Micro Seiki, anyway?  Are they still in business?  I haven't found a website.

My Kindest regards to you and your Koshka on Thanksgiving!
LBJ

Lbjefferies7 wrote:

I do have an interest turntables now as I am looking to upgrade my sources (digital too). It is doubtful that I will go in such an insane direction...It would probably be much more valuable to dredge up an old RX-5000 or 8000. What's the deal with Micro Seiki, anyway? Are they still in business? I haven't found a website.

serenechaos wrote:

So how about a "special" MM (moron mercury) jet?

guy sergeant wrote:

Visiting the Paris Hifi Show a couple of times in the late 80's I saw a turntable with a heavy platter floating in a bath of exposed!!! mercury. The people running the demo did not look well (grey pallor, lacking hair) and looked even worse the second year. I didn't see them again after that! http://www.bonavolta.ch/hobby/en/audio/td_hg.htm

Romy the Cat wrote:

What however is very practicable is some kind of sealed TT mat of 2-3 cm tall, fully filed with mercury. It would be 10kG of inertial mass – it might work… The question is how?

Romy the Cat wrote:

fiogf49gjkf0d Ok, it is bogus but no more bogus than anything else in “Ultimate Turntable” thread. Still, I like the notion, even though I have no idea if it might have any sonic consequences. I do not see the concept was used in turntable; perhaps the people who make turntables would give some thinking to this idea. Among many professions I had in my youth one of them was a locomotive engineer. So, when I was driving trains I remember that under the same conditions to stop a 6.000 tones train with coal took much shorter distance then 5.000 tones  train with oil.  It is obvious that the inertia of oil displacement propelled the train forward creating extra moment. Why do not use the same idea in a TT’s platter. Pretend that we have a good mass platter and this platter in addition it it’s mass has a large circular chamber near the outside skirt. The chamber or the channel is 50% filled with some kind of heavy liquid. When the platter start to spin and reach it’s stable cruse speed then in a few moment the liquid synchronies with platter, becoming dynamically in uni-speed with platter. Now when the platter has mine fluctuation in speed then the liquid try to maintain it’s gyroscope moment and by tension with the chamber’s wall it would damp the speed fluctuations. It sounds very reasonable to me. This idea has even some very good marketing possibility as the outer wall of the chamber might be made transparent and a user will be actually seeing the liquid. Now, pit on the wall of the chamber some verticals screen and insert into the liquid some floating markings and you have a perfect natural indicator of platter’s stability. I can see the Stereophile advertises the tunable with “Heavy Water” platters…. Sounds catchy. The Cat