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Can't set rake angle right even lowest VTA (digital microscope checked)

Following Michael Fremer's instruction (makes sense) to set up stylus rake angle with digital microscope (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otysEyET6yE) and found that with lowest VTA setting, my angle is 96 degrees (from starting point of 102 degrees! when arm is parallel to the record with the target of 92 +/-1 degree). Cartridge is Ortofon Kontrapunkt C (recommended VTA 20 degrees, now at 23 degrees), VPI 10.5" arm. It definitely sounds a whole lot better esp mid range and high but arm/stylus almost had no clearance to the record. This is weird and I shouldn't need to set the height at the bottom of the tonearm tower. Tracking weight is 2.6 gm within recommended range.
Thoughts are appreciated.
goldeneardoc
hdm
1,062 posts
 
If I'm not mistaken this is a Fritz Geiger stylus, so very important to know what you are actually aligning to in terms of SRA. Take a look at the following images to see if they resemble your stylus and then set accordingly. I would expect that this may be the problem.

If it is indeed this type of stylus it is very different from a typical line contact, elliptical or conical.

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=3117&d=1330635579

https://db.audioasylum.com/mhtml/m.html?forum=vinyl&n=927670&highlight=bless+you+Tre&sea... 
folkfreak's avatar
folkfreak
1,349 posts
 
@hdm i think you are dead on. I suspect the issue the OP has is that he’s not able to take an accurate measurement. With many stylus profiles it is very hard to see where to draw the line. I used to own an Air Tight in which the back of the stylus was a perfect point of reference. Now I own an AS Palladian with a different profile and cannot get an accurate measurement. I now rely on aligning the tip to pivot. @goldeneardoc is there any chance you can post one of your scope shots? You can add a picture to your virtual system as a way of posting a shot
goldeneardoc OP
19 posts
 
Thank you guys. I have put the pic from microscope to virtual system as suggested. Doesn't look like the type of stylus that @hdm mentioned. I ended up adding a shim behind it and raise the tail of the arm so it clears the record. ended up same 96 degrees but can't lower much further.
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
@goldeneardoc Your stylus is Nude Fritz Gyger 80 which is similar to Ortofon Replicant 100 stylus. Read this, there are better illustration of what hdm said: https://www.ortofon.com/hifi/products/hifi-cartridges/mc-anna/set-up
jperry
2,448 posts
 
Your alignment should be close to correct with your arm parallel to the record surface. If it is not, then you are not measuring correctly or your cartridge is defective.
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