Protractor alignment question

[The Black Adder]

Hello.

Does anyone know which is the best 'printable' protractor for the SME 3009 S2 (None Improved) tonearm?

Currently using the Baerwald and Loefgren protractor.

Many thanks

[DSJR]

The old SME's used 60mm from disc centre as I recall (same as Rega still do) and only later with the Series V on, went to the 65mm standard.

The original SME alignment cards are readily available on ebay...

As for plotting curves at both null points, it's the INNER one which is the most important IMO. The increased "reading speed" at the outer grooves keeps tracing distortion well down irrespective of the tracking error.

I think I'm right, but the 65mm inner null was optimised for 7" records IIRC.. Long time ago and my memory may be incorrect - it has been known :lol:

[Rare Bird]

Why do people make such a simple thing as aligning a cartridge so discombobulating?

[Beechwoods]

Why do people make such a simple thing as aligning a cartridge so discombobulating?

Have you ever wondered why us normal folk spend our lives fretting that our TTs aren't set up properly?!

[DSJR]

Some of us have been there, done that and lived to tell the tales :lol:

[Rare Bird]

Come on the headaches are for the manufacturers, just follow the manufacturers recommendations, set the cart alignment up by protractor & don't worry.

[sq225917]

I still favour an alignment that minimises end of side distortion over a lower overall RMS distortion. There are loads of printable protractors over on vinyl engine including the arc protractors that let you input your own pivot to spindle distance etc.

[Haselsh1]

Jesus Christ this is mind numbing...! I bloody hate aligning cartridges and constantly worry that it is all to cock. I used an alignment sheet that I got from Nottingham Analogue many years back and it works pretty good but the sheer bloody complexity of it all...!!!

[Marco]

I still favour an alignment that minimises end of side distortion over a lower overall RMS distortion.

+1, which is why I like using Stevenson... ;)

Marco.

[DSJR]

This is AOS, a bobbyist site and since all hobbyists are anal to the point of OCD, I'm not surprised that people make mountains out of molehills and then claim to hear "enormous" differences... I was there twenty years ago and then I met Ashley James :eek:

The rest of us can just kick back and enjoy our choons :lol: