EFFECTIVE MASS: Here is a cogent, scientifically based and rational explanation.

[Neil McCauley]

HP asked Geoffrey Owen, the driving force behind Helius Designs if he could and indeed would find the time to explain the reality behind effective mass and - in so doing - confound the misinformation, disinformation and scientific ignorance that clouds so many discussions of this topic.

As an aside and somewhat mischievously, Howard (who prior to this article couldn’t explain Eff.M to save his life, and neither could I) if Eff.M was actually important and if so, how could a ‘civilian’ make use of this knowledge. Mr. Owen graciously replied and below is what he told us. We are, as is always the case with his contributions, both enlightened and appreciative.

Thank you Geoffrey

Neil

---//---

Introduction

When asked to explain meaning of Effective Mass, I feel a certain affinity with Stephen Hawking when he talks of Schrödinger’s Cat – ‘I reach for my gun’, he famously said.

Erwin Schrödinger’s wave equation has one thing in common with Effective Mass - its significance is just as obscure when transposed to the real world. The cat story is something you can look up on the internet if you’re interested; suffice it to say the scenario was created to illustrate the absurdity of scaling up quantum phenomena to human size. Schrödinger’s ‘thought experiment’ remains as entertaining and bizarre today as it was in the 1930’s, yet it still remains mathematically correct to describe the cat as being simultaneously half alive and half dead.

The context is all important

Effective Mass is a parameter considered important by enthusiasts, yet is actually meaningless when taken out of context with cartridge compliance. Including the word ‘mass’ in the phrase is somewhat misleading as there exists only an abstract association between the two.

What people tend to mean when they talk of Effective Mass is ‘how heavy the arm appears to be, to the cartridge’.
Avoiding oversimplification

‘Mass’ is certainly used when calculating Eff.M but it’s a variable in a rather simple equation that doesn’t .....

Continues at http://www.hifianswers.com/2017/04/effective-mass-here-is-a-cogent-scientifically-based-and-rational-explanation/

[Stratmangler]

If you're going to provide a link to something, at least make sure that it works.
I'm told that the HiFi Answers page doesn't exist ...

[Neil McCauley]

If you're going to provide a link to something, at least make sure that it works.
I'm told that the HiFi Answers page doesn't exist ...

I tried it just now and the link worked fine. I regret that our system is not 100% perfect 100% of the time. This time however, we cannot see a problem. Meanwhile, a polite request / alert would have been sufficient. Thank you. Neil

http://http://www.hifianswers.com/2017/04/effective-mass-here-is-a-cogent-scientifically-based-and-rational-explanation/

[RothwellAudio]

I get "page not found" too.

[Neil McCauley]

I get "page not found" too.

Thank you. I will get our developer to take a look and will then update here.

[Neil McCauley]

If you're going to provide a link to something, at least make sure that it works.
I'm told that the HiFi Answers page doesn't exist ...

Try this please: http://www.hifianswers.com/2017/04/effective-mass-here-is-a-cogent-scientifically-based-and-rational-explanation/

[Neil McCauley]

I get "page not found" too.

Please try this: http://www.hifianswers.com/2017/04/effective-mass-here-is-a-cogent-scientifically-based-and-rational-explanation/

[RothwellAudio]

Please try this: http://www.hifianswers.com/2017/04/effective-mass-here-is-a-cogent-scientifically-based-and-rational-explanation/

Now I'm told that membership is required.

BTW, requiring membership of a forum before posting is allowed is one thing, but requiring membership of a website before being able to read content is another imho.

[Neil McCauley]

Now I'm told that membership is required.

BTW, requiring membership of a forum before posting is allowed is one thing, but requiring membership of a website before being able to read content is another imho.

Hmm. i see where you are coming from. Please let me explain:

Any visitor who isn't a member can achieve access to 'n' posts in any 24 hour period without the membership invitation being generated. 'n' is a variable driven by an algorithm that is influenced by the number of site visitors (and additional variables too) in the preceding 24 hours 24/7

You were (probably) asked for membership because you tried > n times in 24 hours We suggest you wait 24 hours (if you feel so inclined) and try again and you might not be invited to accept membership. Worth a try perhaps - if membership is not of interest?

Finally, yes, you are quite correct, our policy is 'another'. That's the way we designed it! Participation in our site is an invitation - not a command. You are completely free of any obligation; you can decline or accept the invitation as you see fit.

Thank you.

Neil

[Ali Tait]

It does not seem to work that way however. I constantly get the "membership required" now, have done for weeks.

[Neil McCauley]

It does not seem to work that way however. I constantly get the "membership required" now, have done for weeks.

Well, if you feel there might be value in becoming a member (it is, after all, free) then that might be the solution.

Thanks

Neil

[struth]

I got to read it ok. maybe not linked myself to enough attempts, i dont know

[Neil McCauley]

I got to read it ok. maybe not linked myself to enough attempts, i dont know

Ah, good. Re the topic - do you have any questions you'd like HP to put to the author?

Thanks

Neil

[Stratmangler]

Meanwhile, a polite request / alert would have been sufficient. Thank you. Neil



My post wasn't impolite, so why bring it up?

[Neil McCauley]

My post wasn't impolite, so why bring it up?

I won't be getting into a debate with you about this Mr. Senior Member (but thank you anyway) other than to say that I hope you'll agree that both of us are entitled to our opinions. Regards - Neil

[RothwellAudio]

Finally, yes, you are quite correct, our policy is 'another'. That's the way we designed it! Participation in our site is an invitation - not a command. You are completely free of any obligation; you can decline or accept the invitation as you see fit.

I was suggesting that reading a page is rather passive and doesn't really qualify as participation, unlike posting on a forum. However I can see the value (to you) of membership, and "participation" could include reading a page. I was only suggesting that potential members need to see the value (to them) of membership before signing up. BTW, I don't think I've looked at your site for several weeks until today.

[Neil McCauley]

I was suggesting that reading a page is rather passive and doesn't really qualify as participation, unlike posting on a forum. However I can see the value (to you) of membership, and "participation" could include reading a page. I was only suggesting that potential members need to see the value (to them) of membership before signing up. BTW, I don't think I've looked at your site for several weeks until today.

Thank you. Yes, maybe you have a point. I'll think about it. From my personal perspective (I have yet to canvass opinion from my office colleagues here re this) I axiomatically link 'value' to cost. Consequently, and my opinion might be shifted re this (it happens) in terms of our site - given that membership is entirely free - my perception of 'value' might not conform to the norm. Looking at the thread-start, i do feel that the intro text offered a reasonable 'taste' of the entire story, a story far too long to post here in full.

Average monthly page hits for year-to-date is > 30k and the entire archive of > 7.6k articles is, as always, entirely free. The exact membership list size must remain confidential but what i can say is that my database manager tells me it exceeds 9k.

Thanks again - Neil

[struth]

Ah, good. Re the topic - do you have any questions you'd like HP to put to the author?

Thanks

Neil
perhaps it would have been more enlightening with some examples. i like examples:)

[Neil McCauley]

perhaps it would have been more enlightening with some examples. i like examples:)

Okay. Let me know, with a bit more detail please if you'd be so kind, what you have in mind and I'll put these to him. If the requests are challenging then we find the author very obliging. Thanks. Neil

[struth]

Just giving different examples of arms and carts and best way to work out the relationship etc ould have brought the article into a must read rather than something that was kinda unfulfilling for me anyway. Its an interesting subject and few folk probably have a grasp on it. I always find walking folk though the process brings it home to them better.

[Neil McCauley]

Just giving different examples of arms and carts and best way to work out the relationship etc ould have brought the article into a must read rather than something that was kinda unfulfilling for me anyway. Its an interesting subject and few folk probably have a grasp on it. I always find walking folk though the process brings it home to them better.

Thanks. Yes, I see where you are coming from - and i agree. I will certainly put these thoughts to him. I'm pretty confident he'll be delighted to respond. I will keep this thread updated re the outcome.

As an aside, HP invited SME (some years ago) to provide an explanation of the topic. Ever the gentlemen, they gave this careful consideration. They concluded that (at that time) they lacked the expertise to convert their primarily mathematically-based know-how into something that might be of value to the lay person. That sort of candour, it seems to us, is in shorter supply these days than hitherto.

Thanks again - Neil