Fidelity Research FR-54 Tonearm. 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.
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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.

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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.

Yes the skating force is due to friction between stylus and vinyl groove.It therefore stands to reason that the size of the contact patch afforded by different stylus shapes would affect friction and therefore affect the skating force and therefore affect the amount of anti-skate required.

yeah, the whole 'use my stereo cartride, listening, then good for mono' didn't prove correct, glad I figured it out.

gotta wonder why more turntables don't have different scales like that single Garrard did.

Glad I tried the grooveless smooth disc method, that is so easy.

I'm getting rid of the Fidelity Research arm, I just don't like it.