A new way of adjusting anti skate!

I have read that re-tippers say MOST styluses they work on are un-evenly worn, indicating that MOST do not have anti-skate set properly.

Ray Leung of VAS just checked and cleaned half a dozen of my cartridges using their powerful scope. He readily identified the varieties of shapes within seconds, and happily all mine have even wear and are good to keep using. I risked buying some used cartridges, I was quite happy to learn the sellers were truthful.

 I’m sure that would not have been true in the past because I simply used and trusted the dials on the arms to be accurate. Since 2019 I have discovered they are not accurate, and learned new methods.

Ray confirmed, yes, MOST stylus they work on have uneven wear, and that means that WE, US, need to do a better job of setting anti-skate. 

I start with making sure my system is balanced l/r using test tones, SPL meter, then familiar music, not LP’s, rather CD’s and familiar Reel to Reel Tapes, that is fundamental.

Protractor, overhang, null points, azimuth, VTF, all checked and frequently re-checked.

then I use a blank lp and set anti-skate while visibly watching the added force counter-act the natural skating force, and re-check frequently. I check outer, center, inner, and find the best compromise, if not steady I allow a speck of inward, not outward pull. Every once in a while I buy a new blank LP as they do get scratches.

Now, final adjustment: how about simply hearing the results of proper floating in the center of a stereo groove?  Music with strong L/C/R content is needed.

Buy both a CD and LP of this Album,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_Night_in_San_Francisco

side two, last two tracks, all 3 guitarists play, and you can refine your anti-skate so the imaging of the LP matches the Imaging of the CD, get John McLaughlin dead center, Paco and Al equal when soloing L or R. 

You can make notes about where the dials are set, but I simply start by watching the physical reality, and finish by listening to the imaging. 

And you will have some wonderful music to listen to, it's a terrific album.

dover

you are right, which is why I wrote

"I start with making sure my system is balanced l/r using test tones, SPL meter, then familiar music, not LP’s, rather CD’s and familiar Reel to Reel Tapes, that is fundamental."

Any deviance from straight is ’oppositely’ reflected in a mirror, this makes it very easy to see and get azimuth straight

I use a 4" x 6" x 3mm mirror,

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T31MRZ9?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_2&th=1

if you are a minimalist, this protractor is a mirror, same thickness as an LP. you need to make your own solution to measure overhang, and simply take it off the spindle, put it under the cartridge to set azimuth. 

https://www.amazon.com/Turntable-Cartridge-Stylus-Alignment-Protractor/dp/B005KR15HU

my latest find, a 30x magnified mirror with led light to keep below the cartridge to see the underside of the stylus

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CLLZYBVK?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1&th=1

I use this hudson hifi protractor, it has overhang measurement rings, and the other side is blank to watch and set anti-skate. I have a separage lp blank both sides for just anti-skate, will simply replace it after it get’s too scratched up from use.

and I needed some stylus cleaning fluid, it comes with a very nice wooden handled brush, tall bristles to clean the stylus

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQC1TN25?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_2

finally, not for azimuth precision, I use the mirror, but to check if the flat part of the headshell/cartridge is parallel when in the groove (arm height afjustment), these small bubble levels, you leave them on, pick 6,7,8,9mm size, kit od 5

small bubble levels