2. analog
  3. 151002-104877

Adjusting the cueing mechanism on a Mørch tonearm

Greetings!
I've installed a Mørch UP-4 tonearm in a new arm board on a VPI HW-19 Mk 2 turntable. Even though the arm board is entirely flush with the acrylic base plate, the cueing mechanism is a bit too low such that the stylus doesn't clear the record rim. Is there a method for adjusting the height of that tonearm's cueing device? I can't find anything online and a note to the distrbutor gave me the not too satisfactory (but maybe only) solution of installing a washer under the tonearm base plate. That would throw off the azimuth. Advice appreciated!
Thanks,Keith
kacomess
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,510 posts
 
Music Millennium it is, Keith! @cleeds, yep, I already sent Keith a note explaing that azimuth is a matter of the arm being canted to either the left or right when viewed from the front of the cartridge---the stylus being perfectly perpendicular to the LP is correct azimuth. I believe what Keith meant to say was the VTA and SRA would be effected by placing a washer under the base of the arm, or raising it in any other manner. If the arm lift is in fact adjustable, that will not be necessary anyway.
kacomess OP
199 posts
 
Thanks to all! The jargon for this hobby is really comprehensive. I was referring to the horizontal plane of the headshell which I incorrectly called "azimuth". In medical ultrasound (my former area of "expertise"), azimuth referred to the plane of the ultrasound beam relative to horizontal; hence, the confusion (in part).
Keith
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,510 posts
 
Very understandable, Keith. In the "old days" azimuth was used in regard to the headshell/cartridge being parallel with the turntable platter/LP, as viewed from the front of the arm. But then people realized that that having been achieved did not necessarily insure the cantilever and stylus would be perpendicular, which is what is most important. Those two criteria should be met in all cartridges, but aren't.
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,248 posts
 
SH-T Eric, that really stinks. Are they paying for a new arm board? Doesn't  the arm come with a template? 
If you can't adjust the height for the thicker platter make a spacer. I had that problem with a Syrinx arm on a SOTA table. On SOTA tables the arm board is recessed and the Syrinx was not tall enough. It needed another 3/4 inch. I made a spacer out of plywood with a 2" hole saw. Worked fine.
I still have that arm and the spacer.  Interesting arm the Morch. I like the bearing. People think it is a unipivot but it is more like 1/2 a 4 Point. You can even get arm wands of various effective masses and lengths. 
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,510 posts
 

Mike, when I assumed the arm was going to need to be raised via spacers, I recommended to Keith that he go to Ace Hardware and get some stainless steel washers of sufficient thickness to get the arm to the required height. If the arm base does in fact afford adjustment, that won't be necessary.

One thing I found surprising in the Moerch is it's having a headshell with no provision for cartridge adjustment---just two little holes big enough for mounting bolts. And the arm base is only slightly larger than the arm's upright bearing column, again affording no means of adjustment. Which means the location of the hole drilled in the arm board must be perfect. Not how I would design an arm! But it is really well made, and the chrome plating is as good as that on SME's---beautiful! 

More to discover