Correct way to us Shure VTF gauge?


Hey guys, I have one quick question for anyone using the Shure Gauge to set VTF. Should you make the arm bounce slighty after placing the stylus on the gauge. The reason I ask is because when I just gently place the arm on the gauge using the cueing lever it wll give me a reading of lets say 1.5g, then if I bounce the arm a little while it is resting on the gauge the reading will stop at aprox 2grams. Are you guys finding that you get a different reading when doing the two above mentioned methods, or are my RB300 bearings screwed? Is there something terribly wrong?

Thanks for your time,
Dave
ziggy23
Oh great Dave, I didn't have anything new to worry about this evening. So now I have to drag my sorry self and get the Sure out of the cabinet and test it. Ever think about say, flower arranging instead of audio? And besides its happy hour here in Utah now, so it will wait for the fresh light of dawn. I hope to heaven it just means you need a little cleaning because grunge is acting as a damper unless you do your pogo stick act.
Cheers
Hi Dave,

Well, I don't want to alarm you since we audiophiles can get a little obsessive compulsive, etc., but I've been using a Shure VTF gauge quite a bit lately and it doesn't behave the way your setup is behaving. On mine, the results are very repeatable (for the same tests). I've been using it recently with a SME tonearm and not only does the gauge read the same every time, but the markings on the SME arm correspond almost exactly with the gauge. So, I guess it's possible your gauge is "gummed up" - one way to find out would be to get another gauge; if it reads different from the first one then you likely have a gauge problem; if it reads like the first one, then you might have an arm issue. Hope some of this helps.
Unfortunately I must concurr with Hi hifi. I got mine out and it reads just as above.
Aceto, which arm are you using? Your guys are telling me that once you lower the arm USING THE CUEING LEVER, take a reading.

Then, WHILE THE ARM IS STILL ON THE GAUGE, you dab your finger gently on the Gauge steel part end (to inflict a little Teeter-Totter action) you get the same reading as you did above?

Some folks on Vinylasylum are getting a slightly different reading (higher) after the teeter-totter stops and then the gauge settles.

Anyone Else?