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Goldmund Studio/T3 with Helikon cartridge

I recently pur a Helikon on my Goldmund table and have been experiencing some curious issues. The manufacturer specifies a tracking force of 1.75 but in order to get reliable tracking I am forced to use something in the range of 1.9 to 2.0.

Even at that vtf I still occasionally get a record that, although it always played and tracked normally on my previous setup, that the Helikon doesn't like. It skips like crazy in some cases even though the disc isn't warped and/or worn excessively, etc. Very curious.

Anyone care to venture an opinion?
willster
nameci
53 posts
 
I recommend to check T3 set up completely, using cheaper cartridge and any LPs the you don't care of. It is most likely that T3 arm is not set up properly.

I had a similar incident with Goldmund Studio/T3 and ended up ruining a couple of my favorite albums(which will be very hard to replace) and one of the expensive cartridge.
willster OP
66 posts
 
I have checked as best I can that the arm is working properly. I have had no problems in the past with the previous cartridge and setup. The Helikon has been in use with the existing setup for several months and I detect no damage to records or cartridge from use at the higher than recommended tracking force. VTF was set using a Shure gage. I've been wondering if it is an issue of suspension breakin for the cartridge. Haven't tried going back to the recommended VTF now that the suspension has some hours on it. At the current VTF I only occasionally find a record that the cartridge doesn't like for some reason.
nsgarch's avatar
nsgarch
2,524 posts
 
Aha!! A lot of folks don't know this but:

Shure tracking force gauges are made with stainless steel and cant't be used with MC cartridges! The large magnets in MC cartridges throw off the reading by a gram or more depending on the cartridge. (The magnets in MM cartridges are very small and do not affect the reading with the Shure gauge.)

Get a good digital gauge if your tonearm provides no method for determining the VTF.
jphii
485 posts
 
I've found that going from a Shure gauge to digital scales made a tremendous improvement in reliabile readings, I don't know if I necessarily agree with the magnet theory, but the scale WILL be much more precise. I do agree there is as much as a gram difference between the two.

I'd try it if I were you. Sometimes Occam's Razor works!
willster OP
66 posts
 
Well, that's an interesting bit of info that I hadn't heard before. One of the reasons I have the Shure guage is that I don't change cartridges or setup often enough to justify a very expensive VTF guage. The digital guages that I am aware of cost around $500 or maybe it was $400.

Any recommendations for an inexpensive solution that improves on the Shure guage (which cost me $20)?
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