Basis Vector Setup-Am I missing anything?


Hello all!
Well, I thought I was being a smart ass putting a Basis Vector 3 on a Rega p9(original version) but the joke may well be on me. I was able to get around the VTA issue with a locking collar and washers which worked out OK but I seem to be having troubles getting enough tracking force to make everything work. I know that there are add on weights for this arm but I figured that it would work with a range of cartridges out of the box.

Long story short, I first tried an Audio Technica AT33PTG that was on my Origin Live arm and there was no way to get enough VTF without adding a bunch of weight on. A moment of silence please as this cartridge no longer has a tip. Great cart by the way and an outstanding cost vs. performance ratio as well.

Now then, that cart is not terribly heavy at 6.8 grams but I briefly popped a Shelter 501II on there which is 8.1 and the arm is still tipping back even with the weight right close to the pivot point. I had read that the Denon DL103 was a good match for this arm but it's even lighter so that's where I decided to leave things for now and see if anyone has some insight.

I am quite excited to hear this arm as it is supposedly top notch but so far it doesn't seem that things are going my way. Not too concerned as it still has 0 hours on it so if it isn't meant to be I'm sure that there will be interest on this wonderful website. Any help is greatly appreciated.
audiojedi
Sorry to waste your time everyone, I have decided to quit while I'm ahead on this one and move the arm to a home that is better suited. Both the base/pole of the arm and the VTA and VTF issues that I had suggest that this arm is better suited to a different table and different cartridges than I am using. I should have done a bit more homework before pulling the trigger but I was afraid that I would get scooped on a great deal.

If this were a true drop in Rega replacement mount I would be more willing to work with it but the whole ordeal has me wanting to focus on a more simple analog rig for the time being.
Or! You could watch for a used 1400 or other Basis, mount the Vector on that and you'd be way, way beyond the P9. You could also purchase the additional weights. I don't think they are that expensive.

IIRC, Basis uses a slightly larger bore than the standard Rega. They epoxy a sleeve over the stub on Rega arms to match their tables. But you've already figured that one out. :-)
Thanks for the response. I can't quite get my head around a complete upgrade and changeover at the moment. I thought that maybe they had a different base for the arm to mount on other types of tables but it seems that is not the case. Having to use spacers to adjust VTA just seems plain wrong on an arm like this and the VTA micrometer becomes essentially useless so all that just didn't quite add up for me.

Ah well...