Feickert analogue protractor....Owners impressions


I'm contemplating the purchase of this brand of protractor.

Over the years I have relied on a good friend to mount cartridges and set up the few tables that I have owned in the past.
Relying on someone else to do this was for good reason.

I would never make it as a watch maker or any other profession that requires a fine touch and skill with steady hands.
The time has come where I will have to do this totally on my own.

My question to you owners of the Feickert protractor is what is your experience with it regarding ease of use and accuracy compared to other protractors?

Secondly, the disk has strobe markings for speed set up, does the Feickert package come with a strobe light for the $250. selling price?

I asked these question of a dealer sent via a e-mail and have not received a reply as of yet.

Thank you for your replies.
stiltskin

Thanks for the feedback on the Phantom, Downunder. I really need to play with this fine tonearm. I hope my earlier post wasn't taken as a negative one, but rather as one to describe how to increase the precision on the very fine method that Bob Graham has designed for his earlier tonearms.

Yes, if the magnetic mechanism keeps the unipivot from wobbling during the alignment process, then you are correct and the problem is solved. As I mentioned, the fact that you're using the actual tonearm for the alignment process is a wonderful thing.

For those not familiar with the Graham alignment technique, a small nylon step-down adaptor is fit onto the record spindle. It tapers down to fit into a hole drilled in the headshell. This procedure needs to be done once - at tonearm mounting time, and before the cartridge is fit onto the headshell.

The object of the game is to fine-tune the pivot to spindle distance (using the built-in play in the arm mounting holes) until you can swing the arm over the record spindle and engage the hole in the headshell into the spindle adapter.

The other brilliant thing about the Graham technique is that the remainder of the alignment work is done with the jig which snaps onto the headshell - work which can be done on a well lighted desk.

Turntable Basics, Well Tempered Experience, Dyna 17D3 ...

Regarding the Turntable Basics protractor, itÂ’s the two-point protractor of choice - for those inclined to using a two-point protractor. I'm guessing that you were trying to use the alignment line to aim at the tonearm bearing pivot.

This likely drove you batty and is not recommended. Small errors in aiming are magnified, and I know of no one but Frank Schroeder who can use this technique - whether with the aid of a thread or not. You're welcome to try.

When using both the Turntable Basics protractor as well as the one supplied by Triplanar (made in the same shop), use it as a two-point protractor and forget about the sighting line.

Yes, the Dynavector 17D3 has a very difficult cantilever to view. Even with great lighting and a magnifying glass it will drive you nutty. I love this cartridge, and it plays well above it's price point, but viewing the cantilever during the alignment process (intentionally short - by design) is not its strength.

As far as the remainder of the Well Tempered, the wobble and such is characteristic of the design as you mention. I recommend stabilizing it in some fashion (e.g. cardboard shims under the platter at three points), because no alignment technique will obviate the need for doing so. You probably thought about this on the drive home ;-)

In general (with all turntables), it's helpful to use a piece of masking tape to keep the platter from rotating. Of course, in the case of the Well Tempered, the stabilizing shims will accomplish this.

I've not played with a Well Tempered arm, but from your description, it fits into the same category as the SME, and Schroeder Reference/DPS as far as fixed cartridge mounting - from the perspective of the stylus position relative to the cartridge mounting holes determining the tonearm's effective length. Your effective length will vary depending on the cartridge manufacturer and model. See below for further comment.

Arc-style Protractors - Difficulty of Use ...

Well, they're difficult to use in the way that any fitness coach is. They won't let you off the hook until you get it right. If you want someone to whisper sweet lies in your ears, then don't choose an arc-style protractor.

I look at the Feickert as sort of a weigh-station, on the route to using an arc-style protractor. I say this because it emphasizes getting pivot to spindle distance right to a higher level of precision than measuring with a ruler. It also has a number of alignment points for various arm lengths which means that you won't get as easily confused when you shift your attention to working at the headshell slots. This is a good thing and I applaud this effort.

I hate to come down so hard on such a nicely executed design, but it reminds me of the current trend in software design - called SOA (service oriented architecture). This design philosophy emphasizes usability and the problem that the software is intended to solve. There's more to the philosophy than that, but the point is, that the best software design in the world is not as useful as that which is designed in collaboration with the user community which ultimately has to live with it.

As far has how the Feickert works, the photos linked to here should make it quite clear. http://www.feickert.com/engl/schablone_handling.html.

The relevant point is that for a particular arm geometry (one that is defined by a pin and dedicated pair of alignment grids), you get less confused between cartridge offset angle and fore-aft adjustment in the headshell (effective length/overhang). This is a good thing.

Lastly, I find it curious that Feickert in his instructions shows us a Schroeder tonearm for his setup example, because (as with an arc-style protractor), the Schroeder Reference, DPS, and SME arms (those without cartridge mounting slots) will give you varying results depending on the cartridge and how far its stylus to mounting bolt distance varies. This would mandate (in the case of the Feickert) another set of grids and alignment pin hole, or in the case of an arc style protractor, either a different arc (on a universal protractor) or a different protractor. Of course, a universal, two-point protractor will work. I go into this in the thread I link to in my previous post.

Again, the caveat with all of this stuff is that the tool you relate to best, is the best tool. For many, this might be the Feickert.

The experience of everyone to date has been that once they go to an arc-style protractor, they find it easier to visualize the solution as well as to implement it. Most importantly, the results are audible. Again, this doesn't necessarily mean a faster setup, as the precision level will demand that you really get it right and not just approximately right.

I liken this "getting it right" (in comparison to getting it approximately right with a two-point protractor) to be an order of magnitude improvement in the musicality of your analog rig - an ease (lack of distortion), delineation of musical lines, along with everything else that Dan_ed reported. Now, the higher the resolution level of your rig, the more you'll hear the improvement, but it's still a very worthwhile investment for owners of Regas and such.

Another benefit I've found with getting your setup perfect is that it is much less finicky in terms of VTA adjustment. I first noticed this in my work with the ET-2, linear tracker. For those without an easily repeatable finely adjustable VTA mechanism, this is not a trivial advantage.

I have no doubts that people can get it right with a two-point protractor, with my good buddy Frank Schroeder being one notable exception. Doug D. tells us that he can, and they're both to be congratulated for this. I'm going to send Dough an arc-style protractor to try. I suspect that he is so fastidious with his alignment process that he won't note an improvement, but it will be interesting to hear from him nevertheless.

For the large majority of us however, I think that a better tool is a worthwhile investment.

Cheers,
Thom @ Galibier
Dear Thom, We did use something straight and rigid (no joke intended) to extend the linear guide on the Turntable Basics protractor toward the true pivot of the WT tonearm, and I did use masking tape to immobilize the platter AND to try to keep it from flopping over. Eventually I think we did shim it. The confounding thing, along with the tiny cantilever of the 17D3, was the unavoidable tendency of the WT tonearm to twist when one tried to tighten down on the screw that holds it in place. At home with my Triplanar, I find the Turntable Basics very easy to use, but I agree with you on the difficulty of sighting down those lines toward the pivot, and on the drastic effect of a small error in sighting the pivot.
Thom, my SME V situation with the Feickert is a moot point as i will be receiving a Phantom shortly i hope (after a 6 months wait or so). I will be selling my Feickert and will likely order a MintLp. For discussion purposes here, if you had to mount and adjust an SME V to the highest level of accuracy, what type of "jig" would you use?
P.S. Cart is Dynavector XV1`s
All the best....
This discussion has turned out to be a very productive one.

Again ,thank you everyone.
Thom, welcome, your views are always of interest.

For those familiar with the Phantom B-44

Graham's alignment spindle adapter method and cartridge alignment jig both adjustments can be made secured in detentes in the tonearm headshell.

Puttering around with it, with my new Dynavector cartridge in it I found with a bit of dexterity and coordination that I could align the cantilever and stylus with the Baerwald position, dead nuts as Swampwalker puts it...I have not heard that line in years.

However,the engraved target lines on the cartridge alignment jig run parallel with the cantilever with a period mark to the right indicating where the stylus should end.
Thinking about it , if there were a tiny dimple where the stylus tip it self could rest into, another detente except on a minisquel level, I think this would be an improvement on an already well designed jig.

What I,m getting at, unless you know somehow , the jig and cartridge is square to your line of sight while viewing through a magnifying glass, there is room for error...Do Zeiss make magnifying glasses?

All I want to try to do is get the best performance out of my new table arm and cartridge.

I have ordered a Best Tractor from MintLp and should have it by the end of the week.

So , I have the Feikert, Graham's factory jigs and the Mint Lp tractor.
I'll let you know...
This is an excellent thread.
It is a good chance to exchange advice, experiences and views.

I have been using the Feickert, and I find it easily accurate to 1/10th of a millimeter, and able to do things that none of the others can...to explain..

I needed the Feickert on a table\arm combo that called for 210mm pivot to spindle distance. The problem was that this particular cartridge had a short stylus to mounting hole distance.. so you could not slide it far enough out in the slots for the proper overhang. (Pivot to spindle distance can be changed of course, but you have to compensate everywhere else.)

I went to 106.5mm to get a nice fit on this combo.
If I had tried to use an arc protractor made for 210mm pivot to spindle distance, I would have been out of luck - no good at all. Instead I set up the Feickert for exactly 106.5 mm.

Until I used this protractor, I did not realize just how accurate the Feickert is. Read this paragraph completely and then CLICK HERE to see a composite picture showing the Feickert accuracy. You will see that you can get a perfect setup for any combination of arm and table, with this one being setup for 222.8 mm. (make sure to view the pic full size to see it clearly)

In picture 1 you will see that it is extremely easy to center the rod over your pivot. (& get a measurement that is exact..not just close, but perfect.)
Rulers will not get near this kind of acuracy.

In picture 2 you can see that the measurement markings are crystal clear and easy to read the exact distance..(this one is 222.8mm - if it were 223 you would see half of the next black line)

In picture 3 you can see exactly where the stylus needs to meet the line on the platter for the perfect overhang.

Do you think anyone would order an arc protractor for 222.8? No way... but you just did a perfect setup with the Feickert.

Once you have the Pivot to Spindle distance "nailed" like this perfectly and the platter taped, the Feickert can do wonders.. and you are basically using a platter template that has ALL the arcs on it, not just one..

(I guess you can tell I like this tool.)

Thanks to all our Audiogon members contributing to this thread.

Joe