Damping fluid for Audioquest pt-6


The tonearm on the table I just got has a cap over the pivot point with a small brass well to place silicone damping fluid. My cartridge will be an Audio-Tecnica OC9, which I should have tomorrow. My questions are:

1. What would the benefits be to using the fluid? Does its benefit vary based on what cartridge you use?

2. Where do you get the stuff and is there any home-brewed substitute you can use?

Thanks.
grimace
I am using a VPI 10.5i with a Benz Ebony cartridge, so what I tell you is good only for this installation and may or may not work for you. I find that just a bit of damping improves the cartridge by making it more transparent with improved depth, width and focus. If I use too much, the cartridge sounds dead and sloppy. I think you should try damping - you can always remove it with a toothpick or Q-tip. Nothing ventured, nothing .....
You can get damping fluid from VPI.
I've asked this same question both privately with some others, and also I believe publicly here.

I didn't have any success with numerous Forum, or Web searches, nor did I have any luck contacting Audioquest, or Sumiko to even get information of what cSt Viscosity the Damping Fluid was? All Audioquest offered me about 6 weeks ago, was a 1/2 dried up last remaining little Vial. There was also no information on said Vials either, so that offered no help.

About the only people I hadn't contacted, was Jelco in Japan, the folks who manufactured this Arm. Oh, the other people I never contacted as well, was Graham, as I believe the Graham Robin was manufactured by Jelco as well to thier Specs.

What I recently did, was ordered two Vials-Styringes total of Damping Fluid from Turntable Basics. I ordered one 10,000cSt, and one 30,000cSt Viscosity Silicone Tonearm Damping Fluid.

While I have yet tro try them in my own AQ Arm, these seem to be about the best bet. They can be used straight, or perhaps even blended?

As one friend suggested, lighter weight viscosities is probably better than a too heavy viscosity.

Hope this helps, perhaps you'll have bhetter luck from the folks I didn't contact about what cSt weight would be ideal? Mark
Markd51, any results to report yet? I have the same situation: PT6 arm that came with an AQ 404B MC cart, but no cantilver/stylus. I have in place now a Ortofon OM 10 Super to tide me over while I decide whether to refurbish the AQ cart or go with one of Raul's gems (which are so hard to find within my budget!)
I considered the route you took with the damping fluid, but the cheapster in me went another direction. I purchased 50 wt. silicone shock oil from a hobby shop, $3.50 for about 4 oz. This stuff is actually designed for radio controlled cars and is rated for both on-road and off-road use,:-)! They had in in 30 to 100 weight. All that's left to do is try it...if it doesn't work the wallet damage is minimal to try other weights.