Fidelity Research FR-54 Tonearm. ANTI-SKATE???

Unfortunately, the anti-skate force is never exactly right from one second to the next. So to some degree I share the notion: forget about it, unless you are hearing gross distortion in one channel or another, which you noted. And you did the right thing to correct that. NOW you can forget about it.

I never heard gross distortion. I was playing MONO. I just couldn't understand no AS adjustment on FR-45 arm.

I wondered if the lack of proper anti-skate would effect the Mono SOUND and wanted to solve the physics to prevent wear of: Grooves; Stylus; Cantilever; Depth of Stylus in the groove; my ears; sleep better at night.

I used STEREO cartridge on that arm:

imbalance of l/r SOUND (not distortion) to prove:

anti-skate was too strong: left and center guitars moved right; and

no anti-skate (an option, at least temporarily) proved to be worse, right and center moved left to a greater extent.

1.36 dangling nut got beautiful STEREO balance, imaging, therefore it must be better physics for the MONO cartridge.
...............................

my dead left channel was a blown 6SL7 in the amp, just happened to have 2 in stock in my random collection, whoopee. I had inadvertently mixed my 6sn7 with my 6sl7 for a short while recently, guess it was insulted, finally resigned with no prior notice.

On mono LPs the audio signal is encoded on the horizontal only. Any vertical deflection of the stylus is canceled using a mono cartridge. So it’s not a good idea to use a mono LP and cartridge to set AS if you’re then going to use the same setting for stereo. But I confess I don’t precisely know offhand what you would hear with a mono LP and a mono cartridge and aberrant anti skate. 

PRECISELY: less than ideal, that’s been the point of this.

what’s not a good idea?

Mono or Stereo Cartidge: The geometry of the stylus in the groove, sphere, ellipse, shibata, sas are all relevant to mono stylus regarding groove contact.

Anti-skate is critical, stereo or mono.

I wanted 1.5g tracking force for my MONO cartridge. That produces 1.5g inward force. So, set anti-skate at 1.5g, go to bed.

IF everything is accurate.

FR-45 has no way to adjust/lighten AS force. One 2.5g weight, 1 location, on or off. Weight has bottom threads to add more weight.
..........................

1. Down measured via digital scale.

2. Matching 1.5g Inward force measured by Newton while ice skating on a carosel.

3. Anti-skate needs to be refined by ear.

You cannot set anti-skate for a MONO stylus by ear, so:

I used a stereo cartridge, set tracking at 1.5g. Tested tonearms standard 2.5g weight, too heavy. Tried no AS, worse than too much.

Made my own smaller weight by trial,

1.36g floated the stylus in the groove, beautiful imaging of 3 guitarists.

........................

Put the mono cartridge back on, track 1.5g, the 1.36g weight will do the same as before, float that mono stylus in the groove.

The goal, from the get-go was to float the Mono stylus in the groove, to prevent all the wear issues I mentioned.

what’s not a good idea?

Anti-Skate varies by Stylus Shape!

I went back on the FR arm, Grace ME+ 1.5g down, and with the polished acrylic disc, no grooves, while spinning: the anti-skate 1.36g was pulling out too much.

I made a new weight, and for the GRADO’s Elliptical Stylus, 1.5g, a 0.9g weight was perfect.

Previous test was with Shure with Shibata tip, also 1.5g down, anti-skate 1.36 was correct.

I was scrolling thru Turntables just for fun, and came across a Garrard. The anti-skate dial had two sides, top and bottom. The bottom was labeled ’Elliptical’, the top was labeled CO 4 or CD 4, photo was a bit fuzzy).

How much stylus contact surface, how deep in the groove, it just shows, these dials cannot be relied upon, the disc with no grooves is a great help, especially for Mono where you cannot use your ears.

Learn something every day. Happily.