Degritter Mark II

[Mobiusman]

I have the original Degritter and think it does a remarkable job, although one must check and replace the filter regularly. Like computers, it is hard to stay on the bleeding edge with high end audio products. Does anyone have experience comparing to actual playback of the original and the MKII, and is there an upgrade process?

 

[WillBthr]

I had a DG Mark I and now two DG Mark II machines. Other than the "pulse" mode in the Mark II, the two versions are very similar from the user standpoint. I believe they've updated the OS for the earlier Mark I so it incorporates the optional "rinse" cycle mode.
I rinse the filter in distilled water by hand, on a very regular basis, and it gets very clean for reuse.

 

[abeidrov]

Although I still have Kirmuss, I am a bit low on space and would prefer to use just Degritter, but is willing to change water and do a separate rinsing cycle. I know it’s not the best way. Still, if I do a first cleaning cycle with 1 ml of Degritter fluid, shall I include some drying time in it? I can put a wet record on a drying stand, wash other records, and then do a rinse cycle with DIW and drying. What if this record completely dries by itself before I put it back in Degritter for a rinse cycle? I think, Tima mentioned that it’s not a good thing.

 

[tima]

Although I still have Kirmuss, I am a bit low on space and would prefer to use just Degritter, but is willing to change water and do a separate rinsing cycle. I know it’s not the best way. Still, if I do a first cleaning cycle with 1 ml of Degritter fluid, shall I include some drying time in it? I can put a wet record on a drying stand, wash other records, and then do a rinse cycle with DIW and drying. What if this record completely dries by itself before I put it back in Degritter for a rinse cycle? I think, Tima mentioned that it’s not a good thing.

If a record out of the wash tank drys prior to rinsing it may have particulate (or detergent) on it that rinsing is intended to remove prior to drying. My point was that rinsing a record with dried particulate on it may not be sufficient to remove the dried particulate. Wash, Rinse, Dry is the order that I use. Your method can work as long as the record on the drying stand does not dry.

I do encourage rinsing. I originally built a system whose goal was to avoid a rinse step through quality filtering during the wash cycle. It worked pretty well, but eventually I became convinced that rinsing makes a positive difference and should be included as part of the cleaning process. It cost me the price of a rinse tank and a rotisserie, so there is that factor. On the plus side I can rinse 5 records while another 5 are washing, thus cutting down on the time it takes to clean 10 records.

I understand your situation and maybe not having enough space for two machines. What I can think of at the moment is to have two Degritter water tanks such that upon washing you swap in the clean water tank and rinse. Granted it is a bit of back and forth. And it is not your intended plan.

Imo, the bottom line is that single slot machines are built for the convenience of processing a single record from start to finish, but they are not built for throughput. To increase throughput I see two options - ideally - use two Degritters, one for wash only and one for rinse and dry, or switch to a system that accomodates multiple record cleaning - for that you still need a wash tank and a rinse tank. It does add cost and needs space.

 

[abeidrov]

Thank you for your prompt reply, Tima. I will have a second tank in a few weeks. But for now, will it make any difference if I include a drying time at the end of the wash cycle? I mean using Degritter to dry a record before putting it on a drying stand?

 

[tima]

Thank you for your prompt reply, Tima. I will have a second tank in a few weeks. But for now, will it make any difference if I include a drying time at the end of the wash cycle? I mean using Degritter to dry a record before putting it on a drying stand?

A drying time at the end of the wash cycle is fine, as long as there is a rinse step in between.

 

[abeidrov]

A drying time at the end of the wash cycle is fine, as long as there is a rinse step in between.

No, I mean without a rinse step.

 

[tima]

No, I mean without a rinse step.

How dirty is each record is a factor.

The wash water may not be as dirty from the first record as it will be with each successive record. The wash tank will accumulate dirt over time. Whatever is in the water that is on the record when you dry it will dry on the record. A TDS meter can tell you the amount (ppm) of disolved solids are in the water.

The Degritter filter will catch some dirt. It's good the Degritter has a filter, but it is very small. Unknown to me is the Degritter's filter micron rating (pore size); in other words, what size particle will it filter and what size particle is allowed to pass through it at what percentage of the time. An 'absolute' rated filter assures that 99.9% of the micron rating size of particles will be trapped by the filter. A 'nominal' rated filter will trap the micron rating size most of the time (an average.) It would be v. helpful if an owner asked Degritter what is the micron size rating of its filter and if that is nominal or absolute.

Still I'd say feel free to experiment. You can inspect a record visually with a bright white light. Depending on your eyes you may be able to see particles on a record down to about 50 microns in size. A UV blacklight in a darkend room will reveal more. Of course listening is important.

 

[WillBthr]

Sounds like maybe some are not familiar with the latest DeGritter Firmware/OS update:

DeGritter w/latest Firmware/OS and two tanks:
One tank (wash) with 1ml of cleaner and distilled water. The other tank (rinse) with just distilled water. Suggest labeling one as it is easy to get mixed up.
Include presoak and post wash rinse in DeGritter setup.
Machine prompts to swap tanks midway through cycle, post wash cycle.

Filter effectiveness: Remove filter after 10-20 cleanings, drop into low glass with an inch of distilled water in it. Press filter with fingers a dozen times. Observe the cloudiness of the water. Remove any debris (flickens) by hand that is still on the exposed end of filter. Replace the filter into filter holder.

 

[abeidrov]

No, it’s not that. I don’t have a second tank yet. The question was if I should do any Degritter drying before placing a record on a drying stand to await for a rinse cycle. I guess it does not make any difference, so I’ll just put the drying time to 0 for the wash cycle.

 

[Packgrog]

Or, if you're made of money, simply get the upcoming new machine from Degritter that has the wash and rinse tanks both built in. $7000+ is a steep price for that convenience, but if you have more money than time, I'm sure it'd be awesome.

 

[abeidrov]

Or, if you're made of money, simply get the upcoming new machine from Degritter that has the wash and rinse tanks both built in. $7000+ is a steep price for that convenience, but if you have more money than time, I'm sure it'd be awesome.

Yep, I can put it in my living room between the speakers. My wife would be so happy) Will it also act as some kind of acoustic treatment?

 

[Tangram]

A drying time at the end of the wash cycle is fine, as long as there is a rinse step in between.

You seem pretty sure of this. I don’t rinse after drying, but rather use a Swiffer to take the particulate matter off the record that was lifted from the grooves by the ultrasonic action.. But then, my cleaning cycle contains just RO tap water and Ilfotol. Works great.

 

[WillBthr]

Like a kitchen dish or glass: Wash, rinse, dry.

What is a Swiffer?

 

[Tangram]

Like a kitchen dish or glass: Wash, rinse, dry.

What is a Swiffer?

Swiffers are disposable household dusters that work great on records. Laughably great. I find carbon fiber brushes are also great - at pushing dust around the record.

 

[DasguteOhr]

Swiffers are disposable household dusters that work great on records. Laughably great. I find carbon fiber brushes are also great - at pushing dust around the record.

Swiffer +1 i use it many years

 

[abeidrov]

Has anyone managed to remove the steel mesh metal cylinder from the cap during cleaning? I tried, but have not succeeded, not sure how to remove it.
The manual states: “The cylinder will sit snugly in the filter cap and can be removed for cleaning.”

 

[WillBthr]

I don't believe the mesh detaches from the end piece (with the coin slot). Just rinse it along with the removed filter.

 

[WillBthr]

Are you sure the Swiffer does not shed microscopic particles? I am skeptical. Using the DeGritter through it's cycles does not need a Swiffer, in my opinion. It will be pristine already.

 

[WillBthr]

AI (Copilot) says:
Yes, a dusting Swiffer can cause static. The positive charge on Swiffer dusters attracts dust particles due to electrostatic forces. When you use it, the friction between the duster and the surface can generate static electricity.

... swiffer duster shedding microscopic particles...

Copilot:
When it comes to dusting, using the right tool is crucial. Swiffer dusters, which are disposable, have a positive charge that attracts negatively charged dust particles like a magnet, allowing them to pick up more dust and debris compared to microfiber cloths that rely solely on friction. However, even if your duster doesn’t appear dirty, it likely has microscopic dust particles on it. Starting with a fresh duster each time can help avoid spreading those particles to other surfaces. If you notice your Swiffer duster shedding fibers or leaving behind lint, it’s a sign that it needs replacement.