USB Digitil microscope advice

The cheaper that the optics are, the harder to use.

Good luck finding a useful one.

Either to look at a profile of a cartridge or to use during set up of SRA, you will need to get a decent microscope. The cheapo's on Ebay are a waste of money - I eventually threw my $10 made in China microscope away.  I bought a used dino-lite microscope model AM4515ZT (retails for ~$750) and have only been using it to look at profiles of cartridges. I will say even that also requires a lot of patience and skill. To measure/set SRA, I would need a tripod/stand of sorts (based on my setup) and have not ventured that far into the pursuit.  If you're serious about wanting to use a microscope to set up a cartridge, the Wallyscope looks interesting and costs ~$1250.  Good luck.

I own a Wallyscope and it is certainly a cut above whatever you are going to find on the net. The problem is positioning and focusing the scope in a horizontal position. With a regular USB scope it will take a lot of cleverness. The Wallyscope stage makes it much easier and it has much higher magnification so you can evaluate stylus wear.

Modern cartridges are very well made. I highly suggest the WallyReference tool. It will line up most cartridges perfectly.

Mijostyn,

I know that the WallyScope is intended for determining VTA, but, I was wondering if it is also easy to use for setting proper overhang and basic alignment.  Is it easy to look at the stylus from the front for such alignment?  How close do you have to get to the stylus for the stylus to be in focus?

Thanks.  

@larryi , Yes, you can position it to look at the stylus from the front depending on the turntable. The low power lens (there are three) has to get within 1.5" of the stylus. You could use it for overhang with certain jigs but even the low power lens is really too powerful for that because the depth of field is too shallow. A 10X magnifier is perfect for overhang. I highly recommend the SmarTractor. It comes with a great magnifier and has the best layout and sharpest, easiest to read gradations of any other jig I have used. The Wallyscope is great for VTA and stylus wear. It can be used for physical azimuth alignment which may or may not coincide with electrical azimuth alignment. If it does not I would return the cartridge as defective. Every cartridge I have used priced over $2000 has been perfectly lined up. The Wally Reference with align the cartridge geometrically perfectly with little effort. Then you check things out with the Wallyscope to see if any adjustments need to be made. 

I actually have a SmarTractor, which is on loan to someone else, and the Wally Protractor.  I think the magnifier got lost, but it looks like one of those magnifiers used for examining fabric, so I can find a replacement.  I was hoping for something really easy to use that is very clear.

Thank you for your help on this matter.

I just captured these images with a $21 microscope that I purchased on Amazon.  I intend to use it for cartridge setup.  I don't see why it wouldn't work, but I'll report back after I'm done.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WD843ZM?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

@ketchup

Seriously? I got exactly the same scope a few months back and this was the BEST I could get of all angles/lighting. Depth of field on the thing was about as deep as the point on your stylus. I’d BREATHE in the same cubic yard of space with the scope and it would go in and out of focus.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/196901277@N08/shares/oU62249639

 

@normb Yep. Removing the clear protector on the front will enable you to turn the black pointy part, which I assume has a lens in it. This will change the magnification. Try it in various positions.

Aside from that, everything has to be perfectly still. You need a microscope stand that is rigid, and if your table has suspension, you have to defeat it. Minimizing vibrations are very important. Just my HVAC running would cause a blurry image. When you’re ready to snap a photo, press the button in the app, not on the cable, to minimize movement.

Lighting is also extremely important, but it’s difficult to get right with the microscope so close to the stylus. Try other sources of lighting in addition to or instead of the built in LEDs.

It is not easy.

It's the quality of the stand as much as that of the 'scope. It has to be rock steady if you are to get images that aren't blurred. A heavy chemistry lab stand and flask clamp are as good as anything, and better than the flimsy stands that generally come with cheap microscopes. I bought the Dino-Lite stand, but even that isn't what I'd like to see.

At the end of it all, I went back to fine-tuning VTA by ear. What does it matter if I get an exact SRA of 92.5° if it sounds better at some other position?

Thanks for that, @dogberry

After some fiddling and futzing around with my cell phone (Moto 5G power, $199 from the global jungle store) camera, lighting, trying to get 4cm from the needle with a Hudson HiFi VTA scale behind getting everything into focus more or less the best I could do was get close to what Ortofon shows in the user manual is how to align the needle for best VTA. I did the “cartridge level to the record/platter” bit, then tried getting the back of the needle as perpendicular to the vertical lines on the scale as possible. Per OEM drawing.

Kept thinking at any time something was going to shift, fall or I would bump into the setup with the YUGE bulky 4 diopter LED magnifier hood I had to wear to SEE any of this up close (the heck with bifocals, when I wanna SEE something out comes the hood) and I’d be crying about paying to get something fixed I couldn’t do myself.

I’m not building Rolls Royces here, good enough is good enough.

Then I proceeded to tweak the angle a bit at a time and play a couple of tunes I THOUGHT I knew pretty well.

Thorens TD125 MkII, SME V, Ortofon Verismo and this is about as good as it gets.

The sound? Awesome. This cart brings out SO much more detail than what I’ve been using (Ortofon Cadenza Black after a Benz Micro Glider SL). Thinking this is probably the LAST high-end cartridge I buy (dealer sample, about half price).

Thanks for the input. I’ll keep looking into those cameras, next generation should improve somewhat more, they went from 2 MP to 50 MP CMOS sensors pretty quickly, new models seem to come out like seasonal locust clouds.