how do you set VTA onthe SME 309 tonearm?

Do you have a nearby hi-fi dealer who knows turntables? Here in S. California we were lucky to have (until his passing a few years ago) THE turntable guy in the country, Brooks Berdan. When you bought a cartridge from him he would install it on your arm and set-up the entire table free of charge. His son, Brian Berdan, now carries on that policy at his new shop in Pasadena, Audio Element. I would give him a call.

"04-10-15: Mofimadness
Zd542...SME supplies a special wrench for these screws. These are the correct screws to both move the arm forward and back and up and down.

I was a SME dealer for many years and have owned quite a few different SME arms through the years."

I can't quite make out what kind of bolt it is from the pic. (except for the center piece that makes it "tamper proof". Most bolts like this use torx. If it that's the case, he shouldn't have any problems finding a tool. I know Lowes sells them under the kobalt name.

It's a Hexagon Wrench,the same one that is used to balance the tonearm.

I had an SME V. Included in with the arm is a kind of screw driver that fits that screw. The V works the same way as I remember.

From the two pics posted, it looks like a standard hex wrench with a center-drilled hole to let it slip over the tamper-resisting post in the center of the bolt.

If you can't find one online or from an SME dealer, worst case would be to DIY. You'd need a drill press with work clamp and a very hard bit. Any machine shop could do it in about 2 minutes, including the metal shop in the local high school/trade school. Please wear eye protection!

But really, they should be readily available...