Dialing in the tone arm weight

afterburnt

I followed the manual and it actually was dragging the speed down when it is set to the specified 2g. I have ignored the index marks and have been earballing it. Is there any rule of thumb for setting it properly. Can I be running it too light, how can I tell?

jeremymarcinko

Bummer...make sure the table is level, otherwise return it while you can. I had that problem with a music hall usb turntable. Too much speed variations from varying downforce made instruments sound out of tune. Records of different weights would alter the speed as well. If the speed isn't consistent now it never will be unfortunately. My Music Hall had a speed adj. if +/- 5% but even when perfectly adjusted it would speed up and slow down through out the record. You should not have to control speed with downforce, it will vary to much from record to record. Good luck.

afterburnt

No speed issues since I adjusted the weight. I cranked it way back until it stopped tracking then bumped it up a bit at a time until it would stay in the groove. It sounds fine now but I was just wondering if there is a sweet spot somewhere between parking brake and free wheeling?

Nightfall

Wow, no way 2g was slowing the motor and platter down. Something is up. That's less than the weight of a penny.

afterburnt

Night, I think I may have just screwed up the setup. I did not keep track of what I did numberwise I just kept cranking it back (in the direction of the lower numbers) to get it to run right. I have no idea how much force was actually being exerted after the initial setup. I have been playing the hell out of this thing since without a problem. I just wanted to know if there is way to tell by ear if there is too much or too little force being exerted.

Nightfall

Either too low or too high can damage your records. I can hear too low in the treble. I've never tried an extreme high so I'm not sure what it sounds like. If you had it high enough to slow down the motor I'd imagine you could have done damage to the stylus and/or the suspension as well as the record you were playing.

Did it come with instructions on how to set it up? (Just saw that it did) I could tell you how you're suppose to do mine but mine is a little different than most I see as it has a sliding weight on the tonearm instead of only the rear weight. I can't find a video for your turntable anywhere.

I'm glad you finally got it though. Get ready to spend tons of money lol

Nightfall

Here's a video in another language. Basically get the tonearm to balance evenly and level in the air by spinning the weight. Once you get it to do that you spin the numbered dial so that 0 is facing up. Then you spin the entire dial left until the desired weight is facing up. Then set the antiskate to the same number. It starts at about 1:20 into the video. Careful not to let the stylus smash down onto whatever is below it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF04aG7-CYM

mhardy6647

The OP might want to consider getting either a "dope scale" :- ) or something simple like a Shure SFG-2 stylus force gauge to confirm VTF. Zeroing a tonearm is usually pretty easy if its bearings are OK - and one's reasonably patient - but the calibration of the counterweights are sometimes suspect (even if "properly adjusted").

FWIW, my rule of thumb (not uninformed by decades of experience) -- setting the VTF to the upper end of the cartridge mfgr's recommend range usually gives excellent to best results. The low end of the VTF recommendation is (IME/IMO) asking for trouble.

In all of the above, I am assuming we're talking about a fairly normal, static-balanced arm -- if not... well... I'd recommend disregarding my advice! (actually, come to think of it, ignoring my advice is generally good advice).

pumpkinman

I have both the old type and a digital.
+1 for the digital. The only way to fly.

P-man

ZLTFUL

Another +1 for a digital scale.

The markings on the counterweight on the end of the tonearm are notoriously inaccurate. Couple that with the fact that they are based on a "stock" cartridge and you have the makings for a bunch of errors before you even start turning the weight.

With a scale, you eliminate all of those errors from the beginning and start with a fresh (and correct) number.

MrBuhl

+3 for the digital - couldn't agree more - it's the only way to know for sure and what I use as well.

afterburnt

I had better get a scale to be safe

mhardy6647

Dope scale :-P Comes in extra-handy for those living in Colorado, Oregon, etc.

bikerboy

We don't weigh it in Washington, we just get by the bale.

mhardy6647

bikerboy wrote: »

We don't weigh it in Washington, we just get by the bale.

Artist's conception...

045 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr\

;- )

Jhayman

+ 4 for the Digital scale
very cheap if ordered from fleabay, like $12