Powerball is rattling?

[Mike22]

My powerball has started to rattle, so I took it apart, and Ive found that when I hold it like in the picture, and shake it up and down, the green part moves... And when I look closer, the small green square of plastic I think, moves around quite easily and isnt actually attached to anything. (Its on the top side of the picture) How would I be able to try and fix this?

[Dennis]

Hi Mike22,

...How would I be able to try and fix this?

You don't and shouldn't try to 'fix' this as it's supposed to have this freedom of movement. Put the rotor back in the shell and you'll see that the space is narrower than in the picture, because in the picture, you more or less 'squeeze' the support band on the rotor (giving it an oval shape). Yet, a small space remains; if the support band would fit too snugly, the friction would be too high, which would make it more difficult to keep the ball spinning.

The little squares you're talking about are the washers. They have multiple functions:
- they dampen the force of the axle on the inside of the supportband
- they keep the rotor in the right place with respect to the supportband holes
- they narrow the gaps between the rotor ends (the thick parts) and the inside of the supportband to exactly the right size
- they probably have even more functions that I don't know of...

Kind regards,
Dennis

[Adrena1in]

What you describe sounds pretty normal there. Not the rattling, but the rotor should move freely inside the white support band, and the tiny plastic square washers aren't fixed to anything.

The holes at either side of the support band, where the rotor axles sit...are these still circular, or are they a bit spherical? They can wear down in time and can cause a bit of noise, but at speed it shouldn't make any difference really.

Does the Powerball rattle at speed?

[Dennis]

The holes at either side of the support band, where the rotor axles sit...are these still circular, or are they a bit spherical? They can wear down in time and can cause a bit of noise, but at speed it shouldn't make any difference really.

Actually, I experience that the bigger holes make the PowerBall faster. Probably because of reduced friction.

Dennis

[Mike22]

With regards to the rattling, its the same when I have the case (Main thing you hold onto) on, I was just trying to show what way it moves, as it makes the same noise with or without the case. I also started to notice that my wrists feel quite stiff the day after using the Pro 250Hz, but my Techno is still lovely and smooth and I feel fine the next day. It may just be me being paranoid, but could the rattling be doing this?

[Adrena1in]

Actually, I experience that the bigger holes make the PowerBall faster. Probably because of reduced friction.

Perhaps not always the case with newer Powerballers who don't yet have a perfectly smooth technique.

If you can record the sound Mike, it might be useful...because I'm still not quite sure what's wrong.

[Mike22]

http://www.freewebs.com/bdaypixx/100_0218.zip

Sorry its 6.1 Mb and in Mov Format (Quicktime), but when I converted it to anything else, it lost quality and was harder to hear the rattling at the same time as the video

[Adrena1in]

I can't seem to get that ZIP file...only 18k and nothing useful in it...?