Graham Phantom: Set Up Error Causes Skipping

Mcmprov,

Not sure what you hope to learn from increasing the tracking force, but inadequate tracking force is unlikely to be the root cause of your skipping. If it were, you'd have heard mistracking on many passages long before an actual skip. Even if increasing VTF eliminates skipping it wouldn't be wise to assume that this fully addressed the problem.

You have one of the world's finest tonearms. As a novice it will take you time to learn how to optimize its many adjustments, but the effort will be well repaid.

My recommendation would be to pursue all the analytics and suggestions offered on this thread before increasing VTF.

Check the arm lift, it might be resting too close to the arm combined with wrong VTA makes the arm stick to the arm rest.

Start with the cartridge recommended tracking force. Also check the VTA. When I had the PHantom I (now I have II), I needed to adjust the vTA (nose up) to avoid skipping that happened on one of the tracks in "Solar Energy". But this is cartridge dependent.

I am using a Phantom I, which I bought used on Audiogon. I will try increasing the tracking force and see what happens.

Is your Graham brand new?

What model Phantom are you using? Phanton I or II?

Thank you for your suggestions. I ran out of time last night and had to get some sleep. I'll try again tonight. I used the word "skipping"...what I meant is that it has a tendency to repeat the same passage.

Call Graham!!

Random suggestions:

Check the dressing of the tonearm wire. Make sure it isn't snagging on anything or pulling on the arm.

Decrease antiskating (read the manual to make sure you're DEcreasing and not INcreasing!). Take it down close to "zero", as a test.

Check that the arm cueing support is dropping low enough so that the armwand isn't brushing it as it traverses the record.

With the cueing lever down, swing the arm slowly and gently by hand into the label area and back out several times, feeling carefully for any binding. On an arm of this caliber you should feel virtually no resistance as you swing the arm back and forth. (Have the stylus guard on, or at least be careful not to snag the cantilever.)

Did you use the set up gauge that came with the tonearm? I think it is quite accurate. How about tracking force? Have you checked?