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Brand New High Quality Turntable Belt
for Panasonic models SL-H203, SL-H204,
SL-H301
from
Professor Phonograph
WELCOME TO TURNTABLES, ETC.
There is a common myth that one belt fits 95% of all turntables. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth! If a typical belt is, say, an inch too small, the turntable will probably run, but you will wear out your motor in about a year. If the same belt is an inch too large, again, the turntable will probably run, but as the belt ages, it expands. Because this belt is too large from the start, you will need to replace it years before it would normally need replacement!
Don't trust your turntable to a novice with an eBay account and an electronic parts account!
Flat Rubber belts have 5 measurements that are critical to ensure proper performance.
- The obvious one is length, this affects tightness. If the belt is too tight, it slowly kills the motor. Belt Drive motors are generally not available any longer. If its too lose, it does not put enough tension on the motor, and soon it will begin slipping, years before the correct belt would begin to slip!
- The width of the belt is one most of us do not think about very much, yet it is critically important. These usually range between 23/64 and 39/64 of an inch (or metric equivalants) these are usually measures down to the 64th of an inch to ensure precision. If a belt is too wide, the risk is not fitting the capstan of your turntable. If a belt is too narrow, the risk is slipping, which will make the table seem to speed up and slow down. This may be inaudible at first, but in six month, who knows?
- The thickness of the belt. This is the smallest of the belts dimensions. Belts that are made for most turntables will be about the same thickness. The belt is supposed to wrap tightly around the capstan. There are Flat Rubber Belts out there that are way too thick for use on a turntable. The capstan is the part of the motor that keeps the speed going consistently. A belt that is too thick will not be in contact with the capstan as much as the designer and manufacturer intended. The result? wobbly pitch!
- External diameter. Its pretty simple, yet important; the distance around the inside of the belt. Obviously, this measurement is closely related to #3 and #5.
- External diameter. Its pretty simple, yet important; the distance around the outside of the belt. Obviously, this measurement is closely related to #3 and #4.
This belt fits these Panasonic turntables, and while it fits some other Technics and Panasonic models, it does not fit all Technics and Panasonic models. I was a store manager for the largest independent Technics and Panasonic dealer in the Southeastern United States, I also ordered parts direct from Panasonic. Please let me share this knowledge with you. There are established websites that use the same belt for all Technics tables, and while some are “close” they are not an exact match.
Also, watch out for guys that have belts that have been sitting around the shop for a couple of years! The shelf-life of a brand new belt that is recently manufactured is about 5 years of normal play. I only have belts that are brand new, recently manufactured turntable belts. Some say that I only keep belts that are
fresh!
These belts are not cut to size, they are precision molded to match the original factory specifications for the following Turntable:
- Panasonic SL-H203, SLH203
- Panasonic SL-H204, SLH204
- Panasonic SL-H301, SLH301
About these models:
I managed a Pro Sound Store for over 20 years (from the late 70s to the early years of this century). I took notes of people bringing in turntables The Panasonic SL-H203, SL-H204, and SL-H301 are turntables that customers brought in for belts. I did not stock or sell these models, so I wanted to be 100% sure which belt they needed, so I called Panasonic at that time and they said to use this belt. (At that time these had only been discontinued for a short while, and Panasonic still had information on them. If I did this today, they have no information for me. There was an early, non-Panasonic, parts cross-reference with a lot of errors in it, and the info it contained had a belt that contradicts what Panasonic told me when I called. There are many, many major parts dealers that copied these errors, and are selling the wrong belts, even to this day. Here is the info I copied from my notes from my actual customer’s SL-H203, SL-H204 , and SL-H301 turntables: The SL-H203 can be operated as a fully automatic turntable, or if you use the stacking spindle, as a changer. Most of the controls are on the outside of the dust cover. On the far left is the speed selector, it has 3 positions: The far left is 33, there is a • in the center, and 45 is on the far right. DJs of this time appreciated the • in the center, as when this position is selected, the motor is totally disengaged. This allows for scratching, back cueing, and a lot of other techniques. (The later models did not have this feature, some DJs still seek the SL-H203 for this feature.) There is no pitch control. If you have pitch issues with this model, there is a solution available, the process takes about a day, I can guide you through. Click contact seller near where it says turntables, etc. (upper right side of this page), I want to help. There is a cue lever to the right of the tonearm (near the back). Move the cue lever up, and the arm raises, move it down and the arm lowers. Near the cue lever is an anti-skating device. If you are having issues with your anti-skating device, click contact seller near where it says turntables, etc. (upper right side of this page), I want to help. The switch on the far right is says "start stop". As it is a fully automatic turntable, the user can press the start stop button to begin playing a record, or move the arm to the record and either set it on the vinyl, or lower it with the cue lever. The plater begins spinning as the arm nears the vinyl. When the user chooses to stop playing the record, the user hits "start stop" to stop playing the record. There is an automatic cut off after the end of the record, the arm lifts and returns home. If you use the stacking spindle, stack your vinyl and the changer will play the records in the order you stacked them. Even though the model numbers are close, the SL-H204 is an older design than the SL-H3. In terms of features, they are almost identical. The SL-H204 has a simulated wood base with wood-grain vinyl veneer. The controls are on the right side. In front is the speed selector, 33 on the left, 45 on the right, with no neutral or center position. Behind it is a cue control, press up and the arm raises, down and it lowers. If this control does not operate smoothly, there is probably a well for hydraulic fluid that has dried up. Further back than the cue is the size selector, most 45s take the 7 inch position, there is a 10 inch position and the 12 inch position will accommodate LPs. By the base of the tonearm is a place to add or subtract anti-skating. The SL-H301 is a semi-automatic belt drive turntable. Semi-automatic means that you cue the arm up and place it over the spot on the record that you want to play (frequently the beginning, but you might just play one song, your choice...). At the end of the record, the arm automatically lifts and returns to the rest position, and the player shuts off. On the right side of the tonearm is the cueing mechanism, located near the back, up raises the arm, down lets it descend. If this operates less than smoothly, there is a well for hydraulic fluid. On the left side are two switches for speed (33/45) that is set either on 33 or 45 (i. e. no neutral spot like on the old SL-B1). There is no pitch control. If you buy this belt and still have pitch issues, I can guide you through a solution, it will take you about 1 day to complete, but you will be able to adjust the pitch! (Yes, I see no pitch control on the outside, and yes, I can show you how to fix it.) Most people don't have this problem, getting the correct belt is essential. The far right side has a control that says "stop", if a record is playing, hitting this switch lifts the arm and returns it to the starting position. To the rear, next to the tonearm is the place for a 45-RPM adapter.
Local Pickup Available at no charge! I am in Tucker, GA (North and East of Atlanta) 5 times a week and in Monroe, GA (between Athens and Loganville) at least 5 days a week. Message me before you buy to arrange a pickup.
WELCOME TO TURNTABLES, ETC.
There is a common myth that one belt fits 95% of all turntables. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth! If a typical belt is, say, an inch too small, the turntable will probably run, but you will wear out your motor in about a year. If the same belt is an inch too large, again, the turntable will probably run, but as the belt ages, it expands. Because this belt is too large from the start, you will need to replace it years before it would normally need replacement!
Don't trust your turntable to a novice with an eBay account and an electronic parts account!
Flat Rubber belts have 5 measurements that are critical to ensure proper performance.- The obvious one is length, this affects tightness. If the belt is too tight, it slowly kills the motor. Belt Drive motors are generally not available any longer. If its too lose, it does not put enough tension on the motor, and soon it will begin slipping, years before the correct belt would begin to slip!
- The width of the belt is one most of us do not think about very much, yet it is critically important. These usually range between 23/64 and 39/64 of an inch (or metric equivalants) these are usually measures down to the 64th of an inch to ensure precision. If a belt is too wide, the risk is not fitting the capstan of your turntable. If a belt is too narrow, the risk is slipping, which will make the table seem to speed up and slow down. This may be inaudible at first, but in six month, who knows?
- The thickness of the belt. This is the smallest of the belts dimensions. Belts that are made for most turntables will be about the same thickness. The belt is supposed to wrap tightly around the capstan. There are Flat Rubber Belts out there that are way too thick for use on a turntable. The capstan is the part of the motor that keeps the speed going consistently. A belt that is too thick will not be in contact with the capstan as much as the designer and manufacturer intended. The result? wobbly pitch!
- External diameter. Its pretty simple, yet important; the distance around the inside of the belt. Obviously, this measurement is closely related to #3 and #5.
- External diameter. It's pretty simple, yet important; the distance around the outside of the belt. Obviously, this measurement is closely related to #3 and #4.
This belt fits these Panasonic turntables, and while it fits some other Technics and Panasonic models, it does not fit all Technics and Panasonic models. I was a store manager for the largest independent Technics and Panasonic dealer in the Southeastern United States, I also ordered parts direct from Panasonic. Please let me share this knowledge with you. There are established websites that use the same belt for all Technics tables, and while some are “close” they are not an exact match.
Also, watch out for guys that have belts that have been sitting around the shop for a couple of years! The shelf-life of a brand new belt that is recently manufactured is about 5 years of normal play. I only have belts that are brand new, recently manufactured turntable belts. Some say that I only keep belts that are
fresh!
These belts are not cut to size, they are precision molded to match the original factory specifications for the following Turntable:- Technics SL-B101, SLB101
- SL-B101M
- SL-B101MC
- Technics SL-B202, SLB202
- SL-B202E, SL-B202EA, SL-B202EB, SL-B202EC, SL-B202EF, SL-B202EG, SL-B202EH, SL-B202Ei, SL-B202EK
- SL-B202XA, SL-B202XL, SL-B202XM
- Technics SL-B202K, SLB202K
- SL-B202KE, SL-B202KEA, SL-B202KEB, SL-B202KEC, SL-B202KEF, SL-B202KEG, SL-B202KEH, SL-B202KEi, SL-B202KEK
- SL-B202KXA, SL-B202KXL, SL-B202XM
- Technics SL-B205, SLB205
- SL-B205M
- SL-B205E, SL-B205EA, SL-B205EB, SL-B205EC, SL-B205EF, SL-B205EG, SL-B205EH, SL-B205Ei, SL-B205EK
- SL-B205XA, SL-B205XL, SL-B205XM
- Technics SL-B205K, SLB205K
- SL-B205KE, SL-B205KEA, SL-B205KEB, SL-B205KEC, SL-B205KEF, SL-B205KEG, SL-B205KEH, SL-B205KEi, SL-B205KEK
- SL-B205KXA, SL-B205KXL, SL-B205XM
- SL-B303, SLB303
- SL-B303M, SL-B303MC
- SL-B303E, SL-B303EA, SL-B303EB, SL-B303EC, SL-B303EF, SL-B303EG, SL-B303EH, SL-B303Ei, SL-B303EK
- SL-B303XA, SL-B303XL, SL-B303XM
- Technics SL-B303K, SLB303K
- SL-B303KE, SL-B303KEA, SL-B303KEB, SL-B303KEC, SL-B303KEF, SL-B303KEG, SL-B303KEH, SL-B303KEi, SL-B303KEK
- SL-B303KXA, SL-B303KXL, SL-B303XM
About these models: I managed a Pro Sound Store for over 20 years (from the late 70s to the early years of this century). I took notes of people bringing in turntables The Technics SL-B101, SL-B202, SL-B205 and SL-B303 are turntables that we regularly I still remember getting these (at that time) new models in. This was an exciting time. These models do not take the same belt as their predecessors. A few years later, there was an early, non-Panasonic, parts cross-reference with a lot of errors in it, and the info it contained had a belt that contradicts what Panasonic told me when I called to order parts direct, so I know my info is correct. There are many, many major parts dealers that copied the errors in the non-Panasonic parts cross-reference, and even that information was copied as if it was factual. Many major parts places are selling the wrong belts for these specific models, even to this day. Here is the info I copied from my notes from my notes, based on my previous inventory and tables customers brought in for belts: The SL-B101A was identical to the SL-B101, except the SL-B101A had a cartridge pre-mounted to the headshell. Contact me (Contact Seller link, top right of this page, under Seller Information) if you need a stylus. 1/2 of what came up when I entered SL-B101 stylus in a Google search was P-Mount, the SL-B101A did not have a P-Mount cartridge. Contact me before you buy a stylus!
The SL-B101E series was sold in Europe, most of the replacement stuff is identical to what we are offering. The SL-B101M was sold in the US, the SL-B101MC was sold in Canada, there also was an SL-B101K that was Technics Black (dark brown), and I have never seen one or even a picture, so there may be only a few of those.
The SL- B202 is a semi-automatic belt drive turntable that was designed to operate at 33 and 45 RPMs. The designation SL B202A had a cartridge mounted in the tonearm before it left the factory. The turntable model itself was never changed, just the box and invoice! The turntable has a sleek, streamlined grey body, like an SL-B10, yet it has a S- or J-shaped tonearm, like an SL-B1. The turntable and requires a headshell with a standard ½ inch cartridge. It is semi-automatic, which means that you have to move the tone arm over to the record. After the record is complete, the turntable picks the arm up and returns to the off position. The speed switch (far left) on the SL B202 was two position, 33, 45 with no neutral position between them. If the turntable is plugged in and the belt is fresh, then it will start up when you move the arm over to the record (moving the arm activates a switch that starts the rotation). Where people expect a power switch, there is a switch that says "Stop" (right side). Pressing this switch will send the turntable into the cut-off mode. The SL B202 has pitch control has controls (mid left side) for 33 and 45 RPMs. The pitch controls would raise the pitch (speed) by 6%. The controls are in front of the dust cover, so it can be operated without raising the cover. The controls are in front of the dust cover, so it can be operated without raising the cover. The RCA cable and the power cable do not detach, they are fixed on the rear of the turntable chassis.
The SL-B205 was, in many ways, the same as the SL-B202, but there at least one differences. The SLB205 has a bright lamp that is supposed to shine while playing. The lamp is located on a small post on the far side of the cartridge. This is a feature also found on the SL-D205 (that is, the direct drive version). This was, and I guess still is, popular with DJs, so they did not have to bring lighting to be able to cue up the next song. I suppose, but have no practical experience, that this was also popular in the bed room, where turning on the light might not always be appropriate to the situation, just to play/replay "our song". This evolves with the SL-B350 into a really cool feature, but that is a straight arm table, requiring a P-Mount cartridge, and is not part of this discussion. Search for eBay item 280723652229.
The SL-B202E series was sold in Europe, most of the replacement stuff is identical to what we are offering. The SL-B202M was sold in the US, the SL-B202MC was sold in Canada, there also was an SL-B202K that was Technics Black (dark brown), and I have never seen one or even a picture, so there may be only a few of those.
The SL- B303 is a fully-automatic belt drive turntable that was designed to operate at 33 and 45 RPMs. The designation SL B303A had a cartridge mounted in the tonearm before it left the factory. The turntable model itself was never changed, just the box and invoice! The turntable has a sleek, streamlined grey body, like an SL-B30, yet it has a S- or J-shaped tonearm, like an SL-B1. The turntable and requires a headshell with a standard ½ inch cartridge. It is fully-automatic, which means that you press the start button to move the tone arm over to the record. After the record is complete, the turntable picks the arm up and returns to the off position. The speed switch (far left) on the SL B303 was two position, 33, 45 with no neutral position between them. If the turntable is plugged in and the belt is fresh, then it will start up when you press the start button (the arm moves over to the record and activates a switch that starts the rotation). Where people expect a power switch, there is a switch that says "Start/Stop" (right side). Pressing this switch when the turntable is running will send the turntable into the cut-off mode. The SL B303 has pitch control has controls (mid left side) for 33 and 45 RPMs. The pitch controls would raise the pitch (speed) by 6%. The controls are in front of the dust cover, so it can be operated without raising the cover. The RCA cable and the power cable do not detach, they are fixed on the rear of the turntable chassis.
The SL-B303E series was sold in Europe, most of the replacement stuff is identical to what we are offering. The SL-B303M was sold in the US, the SL-B303MC was sold in Canada, there also was an SL-B303K that was Technics Black (dark brown), and I have never seen one or even a picture, so there may be only a few of those.
“A” means a cartridge was included.
“K” sometimes means black finish, and it sometimes means a different cartridge was used compared to “A”
Letters that start E or X indicate the country that the turntable was shipped to for its first sale.
Local Pickup Available at no charge! I am in Tucker, GA (North and East of Atlanta) 5 times a week and in Monroe, GA (between Athens and Loganville) at least 5 days a week. Message me before you buy to arrange a pickup. Shipping and Handling by USPS Ground Advantage with tracking to all points in the US for only $1.99.
(You pay less than I pay the USPS to ship your item, you can factcheck this... check your local post office and see how much it costs to ship a package to yourself with tracking) Priority Mail is available at $9.88. Please allow One (1) Business Day after receiving payment for shipment.
Thanks, in advance, for your purchase!
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