I thought this was interesting when searching for better tools to align and adjust overhang of my cartridge. Maybe someone has mentioned this before in another thread, but it looks very intriguing and could be the answer to setting a cartridge extremely close to ideal settings. It's called the Mint best Tractor: http://www.mintlp.com/best.htm . Also here is a discussion about it at the audiogon analog forum: http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1219353750 . I have sent an email about obtaining one for my setup since there could be some discrepancy with how my cart is aligned. This seems worth trying out especially since it addresses overhang and null points. Some have commented that it was better and more accurate than the Wally tractor's they had. Anyway, thought it might be interesting....
Overhang issue...
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I thought this was interesting when searching for better tools to align and adjust overhang of my cartridge. Maybe someone has mentioned this before in another thread, but it looks very intriguing and could be the answer to setting a cartridge extremely close to ideal settings. It's called the Mint best Tractor: http://www.mintlp.com/best.htm . Also here is a discussion about it at the audiogon analog forum: http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1219353750 . I have sent an email about obtaining one for my setup since there could be some discrepancy with how my cart is aligned. This seems worth trying out especially since it addresses overhang and null points. Some have commented that it was better and more accurate than the Wally tractor's they had. Anyway, thought it might be interesting....
No, use a jeweler's loupe and it is more than big enough.
User211
Well-known member
Even with a magnifying glass it's still very difficult to truly line it up with a gauge.
Risabet - it is just eyesight alignment and that is not accurate. If you think it is you are simply deluding yourself.
Thankfully, a few degrees error obviously doesn't cause that much of a problem.
But I appreciate you have done the best that you can. And that is cool.
Let's stop worrying about it and just listen and enjoy, hey?
Risabet - it is just eyesight alignment and that is not accurate. If you think it is you are simply deluding yourself.
Thankfully, a few degrees error obviously doesn't cause that much of a problem.
But I appreciate you have done the best that you can. And that is cool.
Let's stop worrying about it and just listen and enjoy, hey?
tonepub
Senior Member
I'm in the "get everything dialed in" group. That last 10% is really where the analog magic is....
User211
Well-known member
So am I - all I am saying is do the best you can. But don't think you are being 100% accurate with it, because you aren't.
And some errors like 1.5 mm overhang really aren't worth worrying about if you can't easily do anything about it. A 20 degree cantilever error will be a problem, however.
I wonder what kind of accuracy eyesight alignment actually gives - some will probably be better at it than others. +/- 3 degrees at best? In practise it might be as bad as +/- 10 degrees. Who knows.
Even if you achieve that - how good was the manufacturer at aligning the styles profile with the cantilever, anyway? I'd expect on cheaper models probably not that good anyway. There might even be some surprises on higher end models. But with the lack of data available for it (I suspect) we'll probably have to remain ignorant.
What would be dead cool would be a post from a cartridge maker here. I'd like to know their thoughts on stylus profile alignment.
And some errors like 1.5 mm overhang really aren't worth worrying about if you can't easily do anything about it. A 20 degree cantilever error will be a problem, however.
I wonder what kind of accuracy eyesight alignment actually gives - some will probably be better at it than others. +/- 3 degrees at best? In practise it might be as bad as +/- 10 degrees. Who knows.
Even if you achieve that - how good was the manufacturer at aligning the styles profile with the cantilever, anyway? I'd expect on cheaper models probably not that good anyway. There might even be some surprises on higher end models. But with the lack of data available for it (I suspect) we'll probably have to remain ignorant.
What would be dead cool would be a post from a cartridge maker here. I'd like to know their thoughts on stylus profile alignment.
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