Eminent Technology ET-2 Tonearm Owners

When setting up my ET2 I found that leveling the arm wasn't easy even using the set up jig. I tried to come up with an easier solution that could be used to make sure the arm was level at any time and would make adjustment and readjustment a snap. This is my solution. Obtain a One Sided Record ( a record recorded on one side only with the other side blank- you have to make sure the other side is completely smooth as I have found some have large grooves on the blank side ).
Then lower the arm onto the spinning record. Adjust the two leveling screws on the mounting post until the arm stays in the same place without sliding back or forth. Lock down the two locking screws and that's it. To check if the leveling needs readjustment just play the blank sided record and see if the arm still stays in the same place or starts to slide in one direction or the other.

Bigalt -
In your methodology for levelling the arm the stylus has friction or resistance imparted even by the smooth record. A better way to check the level of the bearing tube (and the efficacy of the lead out wires ) is to add enough mass or move the counterweight to zero the tracking force. That way you can check that the arm is not running away in one direction, and if you tap gently you can double check the resulting movement is equal in both directions. Or buy an accurate digital level, you don't need an audiophile one ( usually overpriced ) buy an engineers digital level from an engineering supplier.

Bigalt - While your freezer is plugged into a separate outlet, since it's also in the basement along with your pump it's probably on the same circuit ( both units controlled by the same circuit breaker ).

This is very true for a typical builders home. We moved to our current place in '94. The basement outlets were on 2 circuits. With separate circuits for Furnace/Air Con, water heater, sump pump (living in low area near water).

I inherited an unfinished basement with open ceilings. This allowed me to easily run lines as I fed this audio disease. Room A has dedicated 20a, 20a , 15a circuits. Room B adjacent to it has a dedicated 20a.

Now the key part for the Timeter air pump. It shares space in the area at the back of the basement with the exercise gear. My treadmill required its own 20a circuit so it got it. The pump shares this curcuit with the treadmill. One or the other is in use. Never together though. The freezer is on one of the two original shared circuits the house was wired with from the builder.

I am firm believer in the Room/Power being the biggest rocks in this hobby. No matter what gear/setups people end up with. The end result will allows be bottle necked by your Room and Power. This makes them the big rocks. Keep your gear - improve your room and power and you will continue to get improvement.

Observation
I have lived on this newer power grid/infrastructure, under developed area now since '94. I rate the power 8/10. I grew up in the city (Toronto) and moved to suburbia for a time. My city rating 4-6, and suburbia due to a newer infrastructure, single home but the same nuclear based power grid 5-6. Power conditioners were needed in the city.

Another perspective.
I had a work friend coworker who also liked audio that moved back to Hong Kong. He told me that the power demands/delivery there made Toronto seem really good. It is no surprise to me that those audiophiles in densely populated areas; on old antiquated power grids/infrastructure; that experience frequent power hits and weather related power issues, are the ones going gaga over power conditioners/grounding devices.

Sorry, I had to jump in.. "leveling the arm"

If you have Everything else level, all that is required is to have the arm over a record or over the platter and again (assuming everything else is level/accurate), just move the arm cueing lever up & down, being careful not to touch the platter. You will see if it moves in one direction or the other. Simple.

another way is the following...

(This assumes you watch your arms movement as you lower it onto a record.)

If you have zero to little movement at the beginning of the record and when the record finishes, there is no "arm kick back", you've achieved greatness! It's not hard people.