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Should tracking force measure differently at different points on the platter?

lordmortlock

lordmortlock

Late to the Tannoy party
I’m back with a traditional deck after years with an SL10. I always used a shure sfg gauge to measure vtf before, but now I have a little Clearaudio balance.

The shure had a groove for placement on the spindle, so I always measured at the same point. The Clearaudio is much shorter, with no spindle locator, so can sit anywhere on the platter.

When I do this I get different measurements at what would be the first track, middle track and last track. Should this be the case? Is there a recommended place on the platter to measure vtf? Maybe that’s why the shure has the notch I suppose.
 
Still have the Shure? Check with that.

If it does vary and is unaffected by the anti-skate, it suggests some kind of stiction in a bearing.

VTF is just a function of the balance of the entire wand/arm, both sides of the pivot.
 
Vinny said:
Still have the Shure? Check with that.

If it does vary and is unaffected by the anti-skate, it suggests some kind of stiction in a bearing.

VTF is just a function of the balance of the entire wand/arm, both sides of the pivot.
Click to expand...

I sold it years ago when I moved to the techie. I could buy another one I suppose, as it has that fixed measuring point it wouldn’t really answer the question.
 
lordmortlock said:
I sold it years ago when I moved to the techie. I could buy another one I suppose, as it has that fixed measuring point it wouldn’t really answer the question.
Click to expand...

VTF should not vary across a radius of a record. I would check using a Shure, which can't be wrong unless read incorrectly, across a radius, not just that fixed distance.
I suspect that the length and notch in the Shure is to get the balance pretty much perpendicular to the cantilever, not to set a distance/position on a radius, as such, if that makes sense.
 
How much does it vary by?

A very, very, very long shot, but if anything is able to chargeup unevenly, that MIGHT produce a tiny variation.

Does the reading stay steady at the same distance from the spindle, but at different points around the platter?
 
Thanks for your help Vinny, good point re radius, and I’ll check on your last point. That’s good advice.

it’s not a massive difference, .3/.4 of a gram or so. Still within the 1.8g - 2.5g range recommended by Clearaudio, but enough to get my audio OCD itching.

I have that the magnetic bearing makes the Clarify tonearm tricky to measure well. It sounds absolutely fantastic, so maybe that should be the only measure I need.
 
If you've got the Clearaudio arm with the magnetic bearing then don't worry about it. It's almot impossible to measure VTF accurately and repeatedly with it
 
to the OP, hundreds of years ago tracking force measuring scales' manufacturers advised that the stylus tip and, of course, the groove for it on the scales, be above the outer edge of the platter when making the settings
 
I use the Shure item. I don’t bother with the groove as I find it easier to move the gauge to the needle rather than needle to the groove. It measures the same across the record on the rare occasion I’ve tried it.

just to say I’ve a unsuspended deck.
 
Thanks for all the input here. I’ve done quite a bit of reading on this (as you do), and I found the following thread really helpful. I thought I’d post it here in case anyone else finds themselves reading up on a similar query here in the future. It’s helped me set up the Clarify tonearm, which I have to say sounds completely bloody brilliant, especially considering second hand prices.

https://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=64437
 
Interesting!!

Based purely on what seems to be the case on the link, the principle is the same as Schroeder DPS and Reference tonearms, which get plenty of praise.
 
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