Triplanar is compatible with a Peripheral Clamp

I have just modified my newly mounted Triplanar VII UII so that it plays LPs coupled to the platter with my peripheral ring clamp in position.

I have a Clearaudio Master Reference with its dedicated Outer Ring (i.e. peripheral ring clamp).

Initial Problem: the Triplanar was ‘catching’ on the latter side of the Outer Ring when the cartridge was reading the lead-out grooves (i.e the silent grooves at the end of an LP).

Solution: The modification consisted of ‘filing off’ 2mm of the plastic black cap on the front of the lower tonearm tube.

Materials used: Riffler File (flat parallel filing area; rough); Needle File (flat parallel, No2 cut); Wet and Dry Sand paper (P600); Toothpaste; Ear Cotton Buds; decorators polystyrene sheet; acid free tape

Method: Modification done with the tonearm mounted on the turntable (i.e: no need to remove the tonearm for the modification). Tonearm secured in the armrest that (the armrest) was immobilised in position with one loop of acid free tape. With the exception of the black cap, the rest of the tonearm and turntable were covered with polystyrene sheet, secured in place with acid free tape.
Three consecutive stages of filing (Riffler then Needle then Sandpaper) followed by polishing with toothpaste on cotton bud resulted in a finish indistinguishable from the non-filed part of the black cap.

Time for the modification: 2 hours, mostly on securing the tonearm and the polystyrene sheet.

Limitations of modification: VTA range is *limited* to 10 full clockwise revolutions from the horizontal. With 11 full revolutions the underside of the upper tonearm tube catches the upper side of my peripheral clamp.

Acknowledgements: The modification above would not have happened save for the help of following three people:

Tri Mai confirmed to me that the black cap is solid allowing me to start filing without the fear that I will end up with an unsightly hole in front of the lower tonearm tube.

Atmasphere provided me with a new L-bracket when the screw in the old one got stuck.

DougDeacon provided me with a list of possible solutions to the problem of operating a Triplanar with a peripheral clamp; in that list the absence of any documented Triplanar tweaking solving the problem allowed me to brainstorm the above modification.

Any criticisms or contributions to refining the above tweak will be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks in advance