And obviously a magnifier of some sort. Shop glasses with built in magnifying lenses work. But more mag power is better. Anyway you can’t possibly get a good look without dismounting the cartridge if tonearm has fixed headshell.
What devices have you found useful when inspecting your stylii for cleanliness?
Please do not describe how you clean your stylii once you have discovered they are dirty. Make that another topic!
I am interested in what you have found useful during your inspection. My Audio Technica microline stylus is so small I can hardly see it at the best of times. To make things worse for me, I need reading glasses and my current tone arm is a fixed head-shell design so I cannot easily get a good viewing angle - the arm does not tilt much! Also the background, mainly a black mat, does not offer a good contrast.
Suggestions please ....
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Belomo Triplet loupe - nice and sharp, crisp image. 15x is about perfect to see what you need with a bright image and not too much "judder" effect from the magnification. There is a 20x which can be useful too, but its image is dimmer. Much better than the plastic or single-element loupes, ugh. Of course you can get more magnification (USB microscope), but for daily cleanings and general inspection that is unnecessary! |
I keep a small 20x magnifying mirror loose on the deck below my cartridge, no need to remove the headshell or cartridge or stylus. The arm remains locked in the rest, you simply rotate/tilt the mirror this way and that for any view I just found this diagram indicating distance/magnifying power, my stylus tip is 2" above the mirror when at rest.
for $10, I am going to try this 30x one with built in light 30x Magnifying Mirror, 4" dia, with light
You don’t need or want the suction cups, you pick up one edge, angle it about this way and that, seeing the cantilever and stylus easily. In my case, I just move it below whichever cartridge I am checking. Now, I have a nearby light fixture, and I bounce the light down onto the mirror and it reflects under the cartridge. This new one with it’s built in and dimmable light might work, might not. Scissors as a bonus ............................................ Brush, or Stylus Cleaning Fluid: I lift the arm up higher out of the rest, and can see magnified in the mirror the brush/cartridge/cantilever/stylus as I approach and draw rear to front.
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I think your magnifying mirror will work well for me! I have tried a loupe, but not as good a one as @mulveling recommends. I will get both! I have a USB digital microscope, but it is a pain to set up. I might also try a car inspection camera which at least includes a light source and is self-contained. I don't think it would help for cleaning, though. Really need something I can use after each side is played, and which can stay in place @lewm I am getting pretty quick at removing the entire tone arm from the mounting board. Much faster for me than removing and refitting a cartridge! |
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