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TT ground issue

Good point. The official SME RCA conversion which I have fitted to my 3009 has a proper ground terminal.

PS On a deck with a wooden armboard there is no need to common the arm ground to the deck chassis, you won’t get a ground buzz and it is often safer to view them as separate things. The key (aside from electrical safety; the motor and any PSU should be earthed) is to ensure there is a path from the centre spindle to ground, that way any static in the vinyl can discharge without having to go via the cart/arm.
 
Just an update to this - managed to find the motivation to have a play with it.

I seem to have cured the constant hum which was quite audible on anything other than the most raucous music, I've gone back to the configuration of arm grounded via phono stage earth post, and a separate earth wire from the chassis to the earth pin of the 13A plug top.

I still get the occasional pop when I touch the arm to change sides etc but it's not every time.

I'd say I'm probably happy this is as good as it's going to get, it's virtually silent from a background noise POV unless you crank the volume way way beyond what I will ever listen at, and I think I can stand the odd pop when touching the arm.

Now to restart the cart search...
 
Matt, good result! The separate earth wire, is that from the chassis of the phono stage, or chassis of the deck? I'm battling TT mains buzz here tonight as well...
 
chassis of TT.

Not sure why it pops when touching the arm, unless the phono stage earth post isn't very good.
 
The ‘pop’ you hear is nothing to do with static and is related to the ground continuity between the headshell, armtube and chassis/mains ground.
 
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