Mounting hole-to-stylus variation / tolerance


Hi all,
I know this particular point has been touched on, raised, in some of the threads dealing with tone-arm-alignment in particular.
I truly think it deservers a dedicated thread since it has a more or less profound influence on various arm designs and their alignment.
It also has a profound influence in how accurate and beneficial any after market alignment tool will work for you!

We have had this far, feed back from Jonathan Carr, i.e. the variations and tolerances with regard to his product (Lyra).
We also had some rather powerful insights by Frank ..., who designs and makes arms i.e. the variations of various products he took note of.

Jonathan quoted, that his current products have a +/- 0.3mm tolerance from the 'standard' IEC...? of 3/8" or 9.52mm.

The findings of some contributors are different, possibly due to simple variations much greater than 0.3mm (Lyra's tolerance) or possibly due to subsequent movement of the 'motor' relative to the body, caused by rough handling, re-tipping, etc.

It is of most importance to get more feedback on this, due to the dependence of a close match to 9.52mm, on arms such as ALL of SME, to name but one. These rely on this to be fairly accurately aligned. If not, some pretty unacceptable misalignment follows as a result, if the stock alignment method is used.

Lastly, HOW can a 'normal' end-user measure this distance with some degree of accuracy?
I have no problem using a vernier (calliper) and measure a +/- 0.05mm variation.
I can not see that this tool will be of use in this case. Optical measurement (like tool-shops use) will be best I should think --- but who, I ask, has this at hand?

Greetings,
Axel
axelwahl

Showing 2 responses by berlinta

Good evening Mr. Kurt aka Dertonarm,
Regardless of your disliking or lack of understanding of my products, I do not understand what gives you the right to post false or misleading information about my person.

For the record:
I studied graphic arts and industrial design at the Hochschule der Künste Berlin(from 1981)
I attended the AWI (American Watchmakers Institute, now called AWCI) throughout several extended visits to the US in the 80s, was further trained by both Berlin and Glashütte based watchmakers and was a member of the NAWCC for many years.
From 1988 until 2002 I worked freelance for (among others) the German Foreign Office, the Federal Press and Information Office, the Chancellary of the Berlin Senat and the Berlin Filmfestival.

Showing people the Reichstag was a rare occurrence, what all I HAD to do you can't even grasp.
And we are talking state visitors like Bill Clinton, Queen Elisabeth, Ehud Barak, Pulitzer prize winning journalists and holocaust survivors. NOT TOURISTS!!!

After that I registered a business of making equipment for replaying vinyl records. A genuine (more than)full time business ever since.

Your comparison to a Linn product and its marketing is astounding. I never placed a single ad in an audio magazine. I never told my dealers to "teach a gospel", a "philosophy", to create a "cult" or to tell their customers that all other tonearms are pieces of junk.
My total turnout is SOOO MUCH smaller than what Linn made and still makes in a year(probably closer to a month) that I wonder what agenda you have other than enjoying to be provocative(which, per se, doesn't have to be a bad thing).

You have insisted on the absolute value of physics and math countless times. Whenever I give figures based upon physics and math, you do nothing to disprove it or to present an alternate calculation that could be subject to scrutiny.

I have been building tonearms since 1976(!). I've continued to do so when nearly everyone loudly proclaimed "LP is dead!" , so the current economic situation doesn't frighten me at all(in terms of my own order book).

On a last note. If you previously were less than impressed with the results achieved with a setup incorporating one of my arms, please feel free to call me and ask for some tips on how to maximize the performance. I will be happy to do so and you may find that I am in fact an "enthusiastic audio amateur"(as in the original sense of the word amateur and as any audio manufacturer should be), but that I also deserve to be treated with respect, as I try to treat everyone else with respect too. Dignity may not mean much to some, but many a forum would benefit from the recognition of it's value.

To all: My apologies for not adding to the actual topic, but some statements posted above by Mr. Kurt deserved correction.

With regards,

Frank Schröder
Good evening Dertonarm,

It has been my experience that even "seasoned" vinylphiles do benefit from a few words of advice when it comes to setting up one of my arms. If you feel that you don't need to take advantage of my offer, - no problem.
I would be most thankful though, if you could reply to me in private with the posts that were appearently banned by the moderator.
I was never referring to or greeting "my" gang, as there in no such thing. I was merely using a tongue in cheek expression to address everyone active in this forum.
And it looks as if you still don't think that an apology is in order for your remark about my "real life"..

Trotzdem schöne Grüsse nach Utting,

Frank Schröder