Help VPI Scoutmaster anti-skate issue

Here's the easiest way I've found with my 10.5 arm. Be sure the table is level. Disconnect the Lemo connector. Set the vertical tracking force you want (approximately, you can fine tune this later). Roll up a little ball of plumber's putty (Mortite) or Blu-Tak or equivalent) and stick it on the end of the armtube behind the counterweight. You want just enough of the stuff on there so that the arm floats.

Then experiment with positioning the Lemo connector attachment and reattach it when you have found the point where the arm moves s-l-o-w-l-y backward (toward the arm rest). Remove the ball of Mortite or Blu-Tack and continue with the balancing/adjustment/alignment process. That's all there is to it. Works for me, anyway. I've never had a hint of inner grove distortion or tracking problems using this approach. Dave

Using the wire twist method, I lift the arm up and let the wire hang to find the most neutral position, from there add one twist counterclockwise.
A clockwise twist would pull the arm toward the spindle.

Mike

I thought it was one turn clockwise? Which does what?

One turn counterclockwise is what others have done I think. I am experimenting with using and not using the devise and have found the table to sound great with nothing, not even the wire twist. Stringreen has been advocating this for a while and I'm inclined to agree. As you saw on the Fremer video, Antiskate is hard to get right because it is subject to so many variables. I think the reason it sounds fine without it is that it's never "right" even when you make a diligent effort to employ it. Getting the VTF, azimuth, alignment and VTA right will get you much further.

I've just removed it because, while I don't understand it any better, the set screw that fastens it to the rod sticking out of the tonearm box will not tighten (i.e. anti skate mechanism is free to rotate).

I do understand that this anti-skate is optional, but I recall that without it, the arm seemed to want to skip ahead to the end of the record (would never play the first few bars of first cut).

How does one twist the tonearm wire when you have to match up the two red dots (upon connecting it to the tonearm box)?

You might want to take this opportunity to remove the anti-skate completely. As has been argued here and elsewhere, it is poorly designed, engineered and executed and must be modified (rubber "O" rings, longer string, ETC) to get it to perform properly--and even then it doesn't sound any better than twisting the tonearm wire.

Send me your email and I can at least send you some pictures of mine with the correct installation in place. Maybe you can figure out something from the pictures.

Joe