Measuring stylus life.

[doodoos]

I use a counter clicker from Amazon under a fiver. 1 click per side. after 1000 can assume stylus has about 500hrs max, probably less. Beats guesswork.:)

[CornishPasty]

As I have more than one cartridge on the go I keep a simple log in a note book. Similar to yourself, just the number of sides played which I think is good enough. If I'm starting out with a fresh cartridge I like to take some notes as it breaks in. I've not been doing this that long but as I bought a couple of new cartridges earlier this year and intend to get two others rebuilt I thought it might be an worthwhile thing to do.

[struth]

a good read here re length of sides on a record and what contributes to said length. well, I found it interesting:eyebrows:

http://www.themasterdiskrecord.com/2014/06/deciding-long-make-side-vinyl-record/

[walpurgis]

Not relevant, but I had a think and reckon there's about half a mile of groove on an album (roughly :)).

[Ian7633]

Not relevant, but I had a think and reckon there's about half a mile of groove on an album (roughly :)).

Certainly true with 70s disco records...........d'ya see what I did there :doh:

[Barry]

Not relevant, but I had a think and reckon there's about half a mile of groove on an album (roughly :)).

Assuming, on a typical 12" LP, the inner groove radius is 30mm and the outer groove radius is 146mm, the mean radius is thus 88mm, so the mean track circumference is 2.pi.88 = 553mm. At 33 1/3 rpm the stylus tracks 553 x 33.333 = 18,430mm of groove each minute, and since the playing time per side is typically 20 minutes, the total groove length per side is 18,430 x 20 =368,600mm or 368.6m (= 0.369Km or 0.23 miles).

[walpurgis]

I wasn't far out then. Just pondered it in my head for a minute or two.

[struth]

0.6 miles?;)

[Barry]

0.6 miles?;)

Opps! 1km is 5/8 mile (and not 8/5), so that should read 0.37km x 5/8 = 0.23mile. Sorry.

[walpurgis]

I haven't got a record immediately handy, but how can the inner groove radius be 30mm. Nearer 60mm surely (excluding lead out).

[Barry]

Lord, I'm making a right pig's ear on this. Shouldn't do calculations after driving for four and a half hours! :doh:

The inner groove radius is 2 3/8" (= 60.325mm), the outer radius is 5 3/4" (= 146.05mm), so the mean radius is 103.2mm and the mean circumference 648mm. At 33 1/3 rpm, and with a typical playing time of 20 minutes, the total groove length is 432.2m (= 0.27 mile).

So yes, about half a mile in total for both sides.

[doodoos]

Lord, I'm making a right pig's ear on this. Shouldn't do calculations after driving for four and a half hours! :doh:

The inner groove radius is 2 3/8" (= 60.325mm), the outer radius is 5 3/4" (= 146.05mm), so the mean radius is 103.2mm and the mean circumference 648mm. At 33 1/3 rpm, and with a typical playing time of 20 minutes, the total groove length is 432.2m (= 0.27 mile).

So yes, about half a mile in total for both sides.

Mighty kind - didn't mean to give you a headache!