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Thread: Ace Space Tonearm Setup... How?

  1. #1
    Join Date: Aug 2011

    Location: Coventry, England UK

    Posts: 534
    I'm Simon.

    Default Ace Space Tonearm Setup... How?

    Been messing about all day with this arm and can't seem to get it set right. I've attached my Linn Adikt cart to the headshell and placed it as far forward as it will go. If I then move the arm mount pod on my Ace Spacedeck to make the pivot > Spindle 210mm, I can't then seem to get enough overhang for a Baerwald alignment. I've currently got the pivot > Spindle at around 207mm, which is getting me in the ballpark but I just cannot get the stylus to follow the protractor and be accurate in all spots. It's near but out by a fraction in places. I've had the platter off/on so many times moving the arm pod around.

    Any help/tips would be greatly appreciated because I'm going crazy here.

    What arc protractors are NA users using for alignment?

  2. #2
    Join Date: Sep 2014

    Location: brighton uk.

    Posts: 4,737
    I'm jamie.

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    My System
    John Wood KT88 Amp.
    Paradise Phono Stage
    Sony TTS-8000 Turntable.
    PMAT-1010 MK6 Tonearm.
    Ortofon Cadenza Bronze
    Sony X555ES Cd Player
    Yamaha NS1000m Speakers

  3. #3
    Join Date: Apr 2009

    Location: Near Saffron Walden, Essex

    Posts: 7,087
    I'm Dave.

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    I use the Notts and Rega protractors. Never had a cartridge from Decca to Koetsu which didn't line up.

  4. #4
    Join Date: Aug 2011

    Location: Coventry, England UK

    Posts: 534
    I'm Simon.

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    Dave, which Rega alignment do you use? I've got the NA one supplied with the TT so I've set it to that for now, although I've no idea what alignment it is as it doesn't say. I also would prefer to use an arc with 2 null points to make sure I have pin point alignment, the NA one only has 1 box to line up so I assume it's a simple tool to get you in the ballpark.

    Is it true that the headshell will twist for azimuth or is that peeps reaching a bit? Dare not try it myself right now.

  5. #5
    Join Date: Apr 2009

    Location: Near Saffron Walden, Essex

    Posts: 7,087
    I'm Dave.

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    I use the Notts or Rega. They've been good enough for me and my customers for decades but then I don't lose sleep over these things.

    Yes, the headshell does twist.

  6. #6
    Join Date: Mar 2016

    Location: Nottingham, UK

    Posts: 160
    I'm Simon.

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    Hi Simon,

    I have a Space Deck with the same arm. My Grado cart is mounted very far forward.

    Did you realise that you can swing the island that the arm is mounted on out move the arm further away? NA fitted my arm and cart and moved it quite a bit I think.

    I'd suggest giving NA a call (01773 762947). You're not that far from them (only an hour) and I'm sure they'd be happy to help out for not much cash.

    Any yes, the headshell does twist apparently, but I've never tried it!
    Last edited by Simon_Nottingham; 18-09-2017 at 14:17.

  7. #7
    Join Date: Dec 2008

    Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days

    Posts: 4,779
    I'm Shaun.

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    Quote Originally Posted by hifi_dave View Post
    I use the Notts and Rega protractors. Never had a cartridge from Decca to Koetsu which didn't line up.
    Yep, Nottingham Analogue protractor.

  8. #8
    Join Date: Aug 2011

    Location: Coventry, England UK

    Posts: 534
    I'm Simon.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Simon_Nottingham View Post
    Hi Simon,

    I have a Space Deck with the same arm. My Grado cart is mounted very far forward.

    Did you realise that you can swing the island that the arm is mounted on out move the arm further away? NA fitted my arm and cart and moved it quite a bit I think.

    I'd suggest giving NA a call (01773 762947). You're not that far from them (only an hour) and I'm sure they'd be happy to help out for not much cash.

    Any yes, the headshell does twist apparently, but I've never tried it!
    Yep, that is what I've been doing. The problem I see with shorter arms (such as the 9'' Space) is that by moving the arm pod further away means less chance of hitting the correct overhang. I've got the pod all the way in, as close to the platter it will go and that gives me 207mm Spindle to pivot distance. With my cart as far forward as possible in the headshell slots, I've been able to use a Conrad Hoffman arc protractor set using 207mm spindle to pivot and aligned to Lofgren A. I tried 206mm first but was slightly too short so 207 seems the actual distance, otherwise the arc wouldn't align.

    I checked also with the NA grid and it aligns there too, so I can only assume that is Lofgren A too - or I've effed up somewhere, haha.

    One thing I'm not sure on - Anti-skate. What is generally used for a guideline? I also noticed that while setting VTF, I was getting mixed results across the playing surface - which I think has something to do wit Anti-S, that normal? In the past, using a Rega rb300 I had anti-skate set to around 1-1.25 and VTF checked near the platter edge being 1.9g and near the spindle, the same or extremely close. With the Space arm, I've been setting to 1.9g but then seeing nearer to 1.8g at the other end. If I alter the anti-skate weight, it changes each time (which I think makes sense as it's adding weight/pull as the arm moves). I've found a setting which gives me near 1.87-1.9g across the whole plaing area, with the weight being approx 2/3 along.

    Thoughts?

  9. #9
    Join Date: Mar 2016

    Location: Nottingham, UK

    Posts: 160
    I'm Simon.

    Default

    One thing I'm not sure on - Anti-skate.
    Thoughts?
    Tom Fletcher always set anti skate by ear. I tend to do it so that the stylus tracks correctly on the dead space at the end of the record and adjust from there. I've never measured it.

  10. #10
    Join Date: Aug 2011

    Location: Coventry, England UK

    Posts: 534
    I'm Simon.

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    Figured the problem with the VTF. Some funky stuff going on here. I usually set the force and then check it at the outer area of the platter and then the inner area and I check it 2-3 times before being happy that it's accurate enough.

    When setting up the Ace Space arm, I'm finding that setting the weight around 1.9g (my ideal) at first shows correct but as I then move the arm and check for a 2nd time, it drops to around 1.75g, after that it seems to become consistent with that reading. So, I've basically had to set the VTF around 15g heavier than I'd like, give it a minute and then it's showing around 1.9g consistently each time I check.

    Never had this before with the Rega arm, it set immediately and never drifted.

    Is this just something to do with the way the arm is/works? (or being a unipivot) It seems to be it needs a little time to settle once you've faffed with moving the weight at the rear.

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