Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site brl-tgr.ARPA Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!brl-tgr!ron From: ron@brl-tgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie ) Newsgroups: net.audio Subject: Re: turntable tone-arm balancing Message-ID: <10884@brl-tgr.ARPA> Date: Tue, 21-May-85 15:01:46 EDT Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.10884 Posted: Tue May 21 15:01:46 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 24-May-85 07:25:18 EDT References: <186@umich.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: Ballistic Research Lab Lines: 37 > The model is a Technics SL-B2. (I know I should really be worried > about proper balance with a clunker like that) It has an S-arm, > with two weights (one big, one small) opposite the cartridge. > > As far as I can remember, the big weight is adjusted until the arm > just balances, then the anti-skate value is set to the reading of > the smaller weight, which turns with the big one. Then the smaller > weight is turned (independent of the big one) until its reading is zero. > I used to have an SL-D1 which probably has the same tone arm. The little weight is not a weight at all, but a scale. Turn the rear weight until the tone arm balances. If your cartridge weighs less than 5 grams you may have to add weight to the headshell (KLUDGE but that's what it says in the manual). Then turn the small scale so that the 0 is up. Turn the weight (this will also turn the scale) until the desired tracking weight is up. People usually prefer .75 to 1.5 grams. Then, set the anti-skating control (small wheel not on the tone arm itself) to the same as the tracking weight. Esentially this is how you do any turntable. Some people will claim that the anti-skate <-> dial is not appropriate and you should actually do something to test the anti-skate setting. I don't bother. Some turntables have other methods of setting the weight after you get the tone arm balanced. The EMT broadcast turn table has a small lever that you move and the anti-skate is a little weight that pulls on the back of the tone arm through a little guide. My old Garrard sets the tracking weight by sliding a weight along the headshell end of the tone arm. The antiskate was a magnet that you adjusted a cover over. It also had a play counter. > I tried this, but when cued, the tone-arm drifts off to the right. > This is corrected when adding weight, but how far do I go? A properly adjusted tone arm will drift back to the start of the record when not in contact with the record. Anti-skating pulls outward. I use this to back up slightly while cueing by just actuating the cue button several times.