Anti-Skate question...stylus pulling toward center of label...vintage tonearm, etc

Posted by Mr Blue Sky (A) on May 18, 2017 at 20:06:22

The title should have read "cantilever pulling toward center of record/label".

I am using a vintage Stromberg-Carlson RA-498 uni-pivot tonearm on my Lenco L75. I am using a compliance loop similar to the VPI tonearms according to tonearm manufacturer instructions to serve as primitive anti-skate. The arm passes the tracking test bands and does acceptably well on the anti-skate bands of the HiFi News Test lp. Sonic performance is excellent. I am using a vintage Shure M44 cartridge with a modern N44G stylus, tracking force set to 2.4 grams. This exceeds the recommendation of the manufacturer, but according to the HiFi News Test lp, this is the minimum force required to ensure optimal performance. I am assuming that 1.5 grams is ambitious on the part of Shure.

The problem is this: when I lower the tonearm to the record with the turntable off, I can see that the stylus gives slightly under pressure as it hits the vinyl and remains straight and true. When I switch on the platter or lower the arm on a spinning record, as soon as the stylus makes contact with the vinyl, the headshell pulls toward the label causing the cantilever to lean inward toward the label to a noticeable degree. This implies that anti-skate forces are significant and that anti-skate compensation would be required to neutralize these forces so that the cantilever remains straight during playback. I am thinking of fabricating a weighted anti-skate mechanism for the arm, but that is a rather involved project. I wanted to inquire here first and see if anyone has any feedback regarding the issue. Thanks!

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Topic - Anti-Skate question...stylus pulling toward center of label...vintage tonearm, etc - Mr Blue Sky 20:06:22 05/18/17 (22)

Here is an image for clarification - Mr Blue Sky 19:20:44 05/19/17 (2)

RE: Here is an image for clarification - flood2 01:23:46 05/20/17 (0)

RE: Here is an image for clarification - John Elison 20:34:34 05/19/17 (0)

all those names? - bare 13:44:49 05/19/17 (0)

RE: Anti-Skate question...stylus pulling toward center of label...vintage tonearm, etc - briggs 13:25:48 05/19/17 (0)

One more thing... - Lew 11:23:25 05/19/17 (0)

RE: Anti-Skate question...stylus pulling toward center of label...vintage tonearm, etc - Tre' 09:39:10 05/19/17 (5)

Yup. - Opus 33 1/3 11:22:07 05/19/17 (4)

RE: Why not use different terminology - Johno 04:28:07 05/20/17 (0)

RE: Yup. - Mr Blue Sky 19:01:17 05/19/17 (1)

RE: Yup. - John Elison 20:30:12 05/19/17 (0)

RE: Yup. - rindolini 14:39:19 05/19/17 (0)

RE: Anti-Skate question...stylus pulling toward center of label...vintage tonearm, etc - B.K. 09:32:05 05/19/17 (2)

RE: Anti-Skate question...stylus pulling toward center of label...vintage tonearm, etc - Mr Blue Sky 19:09:21 05/19/17 (1)

Based on your picture - B.K. 00:41:24 05/20/17 (0)

RE: Anti-Skate question...stylus pulling toward center of label...vintage tonearm, etc - rascal33 05:10:16 05/19/17 (1)

RE: Anti-Skate question...stylus pulling toward center of label...vintage tonearm, etc - TubeDriver 06:10:27 05/19/17 (0)

RE: Anti-Skate question...stylus pulling toward center of label...vintage tonearm, etc - rindolini 04:10:39 05/19/17 (2)

RE: Anti-Skate question...stylus pulling toward center of label...vintage tonearm, etc - Mr Blue Sky 19:12:54 05/19/17 (1)

RE: Anti-Skate question...stylus pulling toward center of label...vintage tonearm, etc - rindolini 05:27:16 05/20/17 (0)

RE: Anti-Skate question...stylus pulling toward center of label...vintage tonearm, etc - PAR 21:28:26 05/18/17 (0)

RE: Anti-Skate question...stylus pulling toward center of label...vintage tonearm, etc - John Elison 21:07:42 05/18/17 (0)

Anti-Skate question...stylus pulling toward center of label...vintage tonearm, etc

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