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Vompatti View Drop Down
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Points: 67407 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Turntable tracking weight
    Posted: August 09 2007 at 11:55
How precisely should the tracking weight be set? As I recall I followed my turntable's instructions in setting it (it came with a fitted cartridge) and so far I haven't had any problems. However, today I played a record that seemed to be in great condition, but kept skipping at one point. Is it safe to add the tracking weight until the skipping stops? I've heard that too light weight might be even worse than too heavy, but how do I know when it's set correctly? Confused

Edited by Vompatti - August 09 2007 at 12:07
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Points: 15585 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 09 2007 at 12:09
My understanding is that each stylus has a specified weight.
 
To set it you should move the weight back until the arm is perfectly balanced, parallel to the deck. Set the weight read out to zero at this point, then turn the weight until it shows the recommended weight (mine is about 2.5 or 3 I think).
 
Remember also to set the tracking adjuster (an anti-skip device) to the same setting.
 
Putting too much weight on can damage the album, and too little weight can cause the stylus to skate across the record. That said, I used to have a pile of (old) pennies beside my turntable to stop the skips!Embarrassed
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Points: 67407 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 09 2007 at 12:36
I set it again and ended up with the same setting I had before. It turned out I had the bias adjustment slider in the wrong position, though. I guess I'll just add a little weight to avoid skipping.
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Points: 67407 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 09 2007 at 13:32
What's the purpose of this "bias adjustment"? Is it the same thing as a tracking adjuster? When I set it to 2 (as it says in the manual) the needle slides a little to the right when I lower the tonearm, but if I set it 1 or 0, it doesn't. Also, there appears to be no skipping on a setting of 1 or 0. Why can't I just leave it to 0? I feel like a total n00b. Ouch
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Points: 15585 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 09 2007 at 13:53
I think the bias adjuster is to compensate for the arms natural tendency to draw towards the middle of the deck. It works as a sort of magnet pulling the arm outwards, thus keeping the stylus in the centre of the groove. The higher you set it, the greater the pull outwards.
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Points: 75 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 09 2007 at 19:07
Originally posted by Vompatti Vompatti wrote:

What's the purpose of this "bias adjustment"? Is it the same thing as a tracking adjuster? When I set it to 2 (as it says in the manual) the needle slides a little to the right when I lower the tonearm, but if I set it 1 or 0, it doesn't. Also, there appears to be no skipping on a setting of 1 or 0. Why can't I just leave it to 0? I feel like a total n00b. Ouch
 
PM me with your cartridge & i'll give you the correct settings.Make shure your Cartridge geometry is corectly set in your headshell too & also make shure your vertical tracking angle is set the correct height.Theres more to setting up an arm than most think.
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Points: 4460 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 10 2007 at 08:19
To insure proper tracking force weight you should setup with a tracking force gauge.  The industry standard device used is the "Shure SFG-2 Stylus Tracking Force Gauge".
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Points: 67407 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 10 2007 at 13:24
Originally posted by dwill123 dwill123 wrote:

To insure proper tracking force weight you should setup with a tracking force gauge.  The industry standard device used is the "Shure SFG-2 Stylus Tracking Force Gauge".

I've never even heard of those. Embarrassed Thanks for the tip.
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Points: 13244 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 10 2007 at 13:44
Originally posted by Easy Livin Easy Livin wrote:

My understanding is that each stylus has a specified weight.
 
To set it you should move the weight back until the arm is perfectly balanced, parallel to the deck. Set the weight read out to zero at this point, then turn the weight until it shows the recommended weight (mine is about 2.5 or 3 I think).
 
Remember also to set the tracking adjuster (an anti-skip device) to the same setting.
 
Putting too much weight on can damage the album, and too little weight can cause the stylus to skate across the record. That said, I used to have a pile of (old) pennies beside my turntable to stop the skips!Embarrassed


That's a good solution - used it a lot when I still used my record player. And I just might start using it again soon... hope it works with euro cents Wink
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Points: 4252 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 11 2007 at 16:10

most manufacturers specify a tracking weight,  but if you set it between 2.0 and 2.5 grammes you won't go far wrong. Smile
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Points: 1497 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 15 2007 at 17:15
Originally posted by Easy Livin Easy Livin wrote:

I think the bias adjuster is to compensate for the arms natural tendency to draw towards the middle of the deck. It works as a sort of magnet pulling the arm outwards, thus keeping the stylus in the centre of the groove. The higher you set it, the greater the pull outwards.
 
The tone arm does tend to head towards the middle of the disc when the disc is rotated.  This is all to do with the geometry of the tone arm and its position relative to the rotating disc.  As the stylus tracks the groove there is an inevitable drag which pulls at the tone arm and due to the geometry drags the arm towards the centre of the record.  This is known as skating or inward bias and most anti skate devices (sometimes known as bias compensation) use a weight via a system of levers to apply an opposite pull that attempts to move the tone arm outwards.  As you increase the weight on the stylus you increase the drag and therefore have to increase the bias weight to compensate for this.  You do not of course get any inward bias if the tone arm tracks the record at exactly 90 degrees to the radius and moves linearly along that radius; hence the large amount of work put into developing linear tracking turntables.


Edited by Heavyfreight - August 15 2007 at 17:16
When people get lost in thought it's often because it's unfamiliar territory.
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Points: 15585 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 16 2007 at 04:05

Cheers H.

I had a linear tracking deck once. Remember they even made portable ones which could play upright! Mine was a conventional flat deck, but it developed a habit of suddenly dragging the stylus straight across the record. A colleague had a similar problem with his. Another good idea which was fatally flawed.
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Points: 9455 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 25 2007 at 02:22
I just bought a very simple, solid as a rock, brand spanking new Rega P1 turntable last week ... no auto cut at the end of play ... no switch to change speeds (gotta remove the platter and change the belt position) ... adjustment of the tone arm weight is "screw it all the way on as the tone arm is perfectly balanced with the standard cartridge and elliptical stylus" ... and my LP's have never sounded better on my 20+ year old amp and speakers!
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