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SME 312S arm pulling into the center too much.

I have an SME 201/12 with 312S arm.
It has been a great system for several years.
Recently I did not use it for over a year and when I did get back to it I have found that the arm is pulling to the center way too much.
Even when i set anti skating at maximum it still sends the arm to the middle way too fast on a blank record.
Obviously the sound is out of balance to the right.
I called SME England the the guy told me that the groove forces would send the arm outwards and that the anti skate acted in the opposite direction!!!!
I was stunned to say the least.

It is made worse by the fact that the new US distributors do not even publish a phone number let alone answering it when you call.

Before i pack up the arm and return it to the UK just wondered if anyone had similar experience with SME anti skating.

Aloha!
mauidj
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Skating force is related to groove drag, which in turn is related to groove modulation. A blank record has no groove, nor modulation, so can't be used to set anti-skate. However, if you can't dial in enough anti-skate to stop the arm on a blank record then you sure don't have enough for it in a groove.

Your anti-skate is broken. Before sending it to someone as clueless as you talked to at SME I would try and fix it myself.
mauidj OP
127 posts
 
Many thanks mate.
I felt that i had a handle on the problem but wanted confirmation after the guy I spoke to sent my head spinning.
Yes...I would never use a blank to set it up but wanted to see if in fact the anti skate was doing anything at all.
So, is there anyone out there ever fixed one of these things?
rauliruegas
13,125 posts
 
Dear @mauidj : Make this test:  put your tonearm perfectly balanced with zero VTF and it will be floated freely and must stay in the position you decide and you can change its horizontal position and stays inert down there. Tha's how almost any tonearm works if in good operation condition. Try to do it and see what happens.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.
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