Help with set-up of Empire 598III Turntable

When you set the counterweight such that the arm floats level above the record the effective cartridge weight at that point would be about 0 gms. Then dial in the weight you are choosing for your cartridge according to the scale marked on the counterwieght. Should be about the correct weight (using a scale to actually measure this would be the best). Then set the anti-skate for the weight that you are actually using (ie 1.75 grams= 1.75 grams anti-skate). Does that help? I don't know for sure, but it sounds that when you lift the arm using the "dynalift" the arm would then be restricted from falling on the record and damaging the stylus. By locking the arm before the record label, you would prevent the arm/stylus assembly from crashing into the label and possibly damaging the stylus during use as the arm would be locked from travel beyond that point. Does this make sense? If so, I'm glad to have helped. Happy Listening!

If I remember the Dynalift automatically lifted the arm at the end of the record. I also seem to remember that you could disable it by tilting it inward. I use to do this as I really didn't trust it not to jerk the record out of the groove. It has been over 40 years so this is about all I remember.

I obviously meant stylus, not record.

Thanks for your help, but I am still confused with the set-up of the Dyna-Lift PRIOR to balancing the tonearm with the cartridge; do I put the counterweight on or do I leave it off?

I would set it after all else is set.On page 5,they tell you to reset it after several record plays.With this said,setting it afterwards must be the way to go since they want it recalibrated after setup.This would be my best guess.

I've never set one of these tables up,but have done a lot.I wouldn't want to do this without the counterweight in place. Modern cartridge suspensions could easily be damaged trying to set this up with the possibility of having the full weight of the arm and stylus touching the record.I don't think you could go wrong doing this afterward either.It would seem safer this way. The Vinylengine is a good site also.

Afterwards it is, then. That makes the most sense. Thanks all for your help.