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Clearaudio Clarify Help Needed!

I am in the process of setting up the Clearaudio Ovation turntable with Clarify tonearm I purchased used. All good until came time to move the counterweight to adjust cartridge downforce.

The counterweight will not move. The tt manual is a piece of crap, lacking information and offering only a few lousy photos. It states "By loosen the screw on the counterweight on the tonearm-tube you can adjust the tracking force of your cartridge by moving the counterweight (shown in the picture below)." The picture shows the counterweight (CW) on the tonearm tube with a red arrow pointing in one direction and a green arrow in the other. There is no indication of where the "screw on the counterweight" is located. I have located a very tiny set screw on the underside of the counterweight, but don't have an allen wrench tiny enough, long enough to reach it. Could this be the "screw on the counterweight" I can "loosen"? It is only accessible if I remove the tonearm - which would make balancing the arm very difficult, as after balancing it I would have to remove it again to tighten the screw? Why would Clearaudio have buried the set screw on the bottom of the counterweight, where inaccessible without removing arm?

There is a knob on the back end of the tonearm. Is this the "screw" I'm supposed to "loosen" to free my tonearm? I turned it both directions but it had no effect on the freedom of the counterweight. It appears to connect to a long spring that runs the length of the tonearm? What is the purpose of this knob? How am I to know when it is properly turned to proper position? Why is there no mention of it in the "user manual"?

Any help much appreciated!

Balthus

128x128balthus
lewm
13,030 posts
 

The one set screw in the CW must be the correct one, since it’s the only one. Get an L shaped Allen wrench that fits and you can almost certainly loosen and tighten the screw without removing the tonearm from the TT. Use the short leg of the “L”; that should fit between the bottom of the CW and the mounting board.

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cleeds
5,947 posts
 

What @lewm said makes sense, but you might want to check with your dealer just to be sure.

balthus's avatar
balthus OP
46 posts
 

Update: I solved the problem with the counterweight. Apparently the counterweight had "frozen" into place on the arm shaft, and eventually I was able to free it. Also, after examining the underside of the arm I was able to see that the knob at the end of the shaft does indeed move the counterweight backwards or forwards. Maybe somebody should tell the people who wrote the manual that the knob at the end of the shaft isn't a "screw" - and that it would be helpful if they included a picture of wtf they were talking about. Their "user manual" is absolutely dreadful.

balthus's avatar
balthus OP
46 posts
 

New issue with this Clarify tonearm. When tt is perfectly level, downforce of an attached cartridge (I've tried it with two different ones, both new) properly adjusted, the tonearm level with a record, when I lower the arm onto the record the arm immediately slides across the record surface. And yes, I've tried several records with same result. I thought it was an anti-skate issue, but having adjusted it, the problem remains. Thoughts? Anyone with experience with this arm who might know what problem is and how to fix it?

Thanks, balthus

(and thanks to those who replied to my previous concern!)

michaellent's avatar
michaellent
193 posts
 

It’s still sounds like anti-skate issue to me. I’m not familiar with the arm. When you lower the arm onto a record surface while it’s Not rotating does the needle rest on the surface or does the cartridge rest on the record surface?  Is the needle dirty?
Sorry, all I have is questions because I’m not familiar with a table or the arm….

Bent

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