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Mounting a cartridge

I’ve read about mounting cartridges-overhang... tracking force... etc. I did my first cartridge, I’m Feb. But, I just went 3 or 4 steps up the ladder with my new one.

I want to learn how to take all those disparate pieces of technical requirements & turn it into a beautifully mounted cartridge. Every other thread lists all those factors & preamp settings & then talks about how the cartridge sings “when it was dialed in”. But, I don’t have an audiophile buddy to tutor me as we go.

I live in the northern suburbs of Chicago & I’m feeling my way into audiophiledom thru threads & articles.  I don’t want to pay to drop off my tt at a shop & pick it up mounted. I want tp learn & do.  I don’t mind paying someone to do an inhome & TEACH me as WE mount my cartridge. I’m sure they’d have the expensive protractors & AnalogMagik.

Is there anyone/any place that does that here in North Chicagoland?

Thanks, as always for your guidance.
tochsii
sleepwalker65's avatar
sleepwalker65
832 posts
 
First thing is, what turntable and cartridge are you using? Depending on that, there may be little to do (with a Technics turntable and conventional Technics arm, use the provided offset gauge, then with a Shure SFG-2, set the tracking force to spec of the cartridge manufacturer and set anti-skate to the same value, finally check and adjust VTA and azimuth) or all of the above plus getting out the alignment protractor. Or if you have a p-mount arm, there is nothing to adjust except tracking force. 
lewm
13,044 posts
 
What sort of protractor did you acquire from Amazon?  Does it have a brand name?  (Amazon will sell anything to anyone.)  These days, you can purchase a very accurate digital stylus force gauge (SFG) for a few bucks more than the cost of the Shure device, which is laughably inexact by comparison, even though for much of our audio lives that is all we had to use.  I recommend the Ortofon digital SFG, because the weigh pan is completely non-magnetic. Some of the others that you can buy on eBay and elsewhere have a slightly magnetic pan.  Not good if you are setting VTF for an MC cartridge, which tend to have powerful magnets.

If right now you only have a Shure SFG, I do not mean to imply you shouldn't use it.  It does require care and skill and a willingness to fuss, in order to get the VTF in the ballpark, which is to say +/-0.3gm.
sleepwalker65's avatar
sleepwalker65
832 posts
 
The Shure SFG-2 has worked perfectly for dozens of years, and unlike no-name electronic devices, will never go out of calibration unless the Earth’s gravitational force changes substantially. Its graduations are in 0.05g increments, and don’t be fooled by non-believers, the accuracy will remain +/- 0.025g forever. You get a 2 year warranty also, not a “90 day” warranty from an untraceable manufacturer in China. 
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,792 posts
 
There is one electronic stylus force gauge sold on Amazon that is really good, made by Riverstone Audio. Non-magnetic construction, measures with the arm/cartridge at playing height, etc. $28.95 with free shipping. Video on You Tube explaining its’ design and demonstrating its’ use. Positive reviews on the VPI and Steve Hoffman Forums and Analog Planet.
loki1957's avatar
loki1957
122 posts
 
Look up Brian Walsh. He came to my house to set up my cartridge. 
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