Victor UA-7082 Arm OR Micro Seiki MA505L ...? (both fit my existing alternate 270mm hole)

Bought this JVC Victor UA-7082 for $758. New Rubber Grommet. all misc parts, 60 day return.

was OEM Long Arm Option back when my TT81 was new, fits my existing alternate 270mm hole. Height is good (my Blackbird needs a spacer due to the TT81's wide/thick tapered rim design).

Victor's armtube headshell fitting is not azimuth adjustable like many Micro Seiki models are. I'll use my Pat's, or my Audio Technica Headshells with azimuth adjustment.

I just got two of them with the used AT150e and 160ml cartridge bodys I just bought (both with used ATN160ml stylus with beryllium cantilevers),

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My NewArtVinyl Blackbird 12.5 Arm is fixed cartridge and is giving me trouble. I am a firm practitioner of properly set anti-skate for fidelity, balanced l/c/r imaging, improved contact surface area while preventing/reducing uneven stylus/groove wear.

My Blackbird's original delicate Litz wire's silk insulation was damaged by movement against the sharp edge of the hole it passes thru in the arm base (design flaw). they now make it with an integral 5 pin din connector (above the plinth).

Litz Wire Fun

VAS re-wired it, BUT they put a protective sleeve that is too stiff, I am unable to get a full arc of free movement without a speck of tonearm wire resistance, or set anti-skate reliably.

After I mount the UA-7082, I will widen/round the edges of the Blackbird plate's hole, and remove the stiff protective sleeve on the wires, which will hopefully allow free movement for anti-skate forces to be accurately set. 

@lewm, I speak from some experience since I own a 505.  However it was used when I got it and the stub was not in the same plane as the arm tube.  After some investigation I found MS designed it to be in a single plane, so I had mine repaired as new.

However I didn't audition it before and after.  I'm not familiar with the JVC arm although I know it has a solid reputation.

I owned a nice 505 too, but because I had no TT that could easily mount it, I eventually sold it without ever having used it. Beautiful craftsmanship for sure. My fallible recollection is that the CW stub extended straight out from the rear of the pivot at the same height as the arm wand but I certainly could be wrong. Anyway, Elliot owns one, so he can set me straight.

I did not need to mess with my friend's  MA-505 or 505L counterweight section

a thin gasket that could deteriorate is seen here

I took a defective Victor UA-7045 apart, measured, found a solution in Home Depot plumbing dept, gathered new and old info here in 2020

bad victor gasket discussion here

the Victor Gasket is a stepped design, the front portion is smaller diameter and is drawn inside the end of the forward tube, the rear portion is the same diameter as the tube and is seen separating the rear counterweight tube from the front main arm tube

the Victor Arms gasket definitely deteriorate, the one I bought seems to have been renewed, but until I take it apart, I cannot be sure. There is a brass piece within that prevents rotation while tightening, I will verify it's condition

many photos of victor gasket problem here

Yes, no one disputes that the Victor tonearm counterweights tend to sag over time.  Happens to the best of us. Chakster used to describe this problem as an indication the tonearm was ruined thereby.  You and several others were able to fix the problem. Good on you. I've got a bag of faucet washers, some of which are tapered when viewed in cross-section.  Perhaps I will give it a shot, though at present I have no use for my Victor UA7045. Maybe there's no Home Depot in Russia.