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HELP! Technics SL1200GR/Benz Glider Anit-Skate Setting High

I just mounted a Benz Micro Glider on a LPGear Pro Headshell which looks like the standard Technics headshell but is not up to the same quality as an original and I think is lighter.

When I first mounted it, I couldn't set the VTA correctly because the cartridge height was too low.  I had a plastic "angled" shim that I had from an old Dual DD turntable I had in the late '70's.

I installed that and was able to get the vta set OK.

But, when playing, I noticed that if I set the stylus down at the end of the last song on a side it would just fly into the label area.  I usually set the anti-skate at about 10 below the tracking force.  For the Glider the tracking force was set at 1.9 so I set the A/S at 1.  I kept increasing it until the cartridge would not fly into the label.  I ended up at 3 (the max.) A/S force.

I've never had this happen before.

I tried adding weight to the headshell and resetting everything and the anti-skate setting doesn't change still high.

I've often read many times that people usually have the A/S set too high even when they have it set to the same value as the tracking force.  Mine is set at least 10 higher?

Any ideas?

Thanks, Nick
nicktheknife
nicktheknife OP
194 posts
 
Well, I tried the putting the anti-skate at 0 to see how it reacts to the HiFi News tracks.
It got past the first track and that was it.  The seconds track I immediately got buzzing in the right channel so this is telling me that the A/S mechanism is at least having an effect.
nicktheknife OP
194 posts
 
I just incrementally brought the a/s up from 1 where I was getting buzzing/breakup in the right channel. 
Each increment brought just a little bit less breakup until I reached 1.9 where it went away. 1.9 grams is what I have my VTF set at so the A/S setting coincides with that anyway.   
It still won't play the third track without breakup so I'll listen to records with this setting to see how everything sounds.
I really want to invest in a good headshell.  I got the LPGear Pro headshell which is a Technics knock-off for $20 just so I can get the Benz mounted without removing my Ortofon MC Rondo Red from the headshell that came with the turntable.  
One with azimuth adjustment and less chinzy.  Maybe that would make a difference?  IDK.
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
This is what i expected, if the problem is the last track on Hi-Fi Test LP then you don't have to worry about it, the real music does not have such high groove modulation. Maybe your previous tonearm was better match for your MC cartridge. But again if your cartridge does not skip on REAL MUSIC then everything is fine! 

You can put 10 cartridges on Hi-Fi Test LP and only few of them can pass the last track without skipping. A high compliance cartridge will do that easily, but a low compliance cartridge simply can't do that. This is the hardest groove modulation. 
nicktheknife OP
194 posts
 
There's four bands on the HiFi News test record for anti-skate.

Most cartridge/arm combos I've used had been able to get through the first three but none were able to make it thru the fourth band.

The Benz can only get through two without putting the a/s adjuster up to 3.  Maybe the Technics arm isn't the ideal match for the Glider but so far it sounds good.  I'll listen for awhile to see if I hear any mistracking or other anomalies.

As I said earlier,  I'd like to get a better headshell with azimuth adjustment to see if that would make a difference.

If it doesn't do anything well, at least I'll have a spare headshell of decent quality.
lewm
13,282 posts
 
Sounds like your AS is at least connected and working.  Like Chak said, I wouldn't worry about what is happening with the test LP, if you are happy with the music.  There are other things that can cause mistracking which are unrelated to skating force or its correction.  If you keep increasing AS, eventually I would think you'd hear problems in the L channel.
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