Goldmund Studio/T3 with Helikon cartridge

Michael Pettersen
Applications Engineering
Shure Inc
Response 03/17/2005 01:44 PM

Subject
RE: Shure SFG-2 stylus force gauge

Can the SFG-2 be used with moving coil cartridges, or only with
moving magnet cartridges?
* We can only speak for Shure cartridges - all are moving magnet and work well with the SFG-2.

It is my understanding that the magnets in moving coil cartridges are powerful enough to attract the stainless steel balance beam of the SFG-2 and produce incorrect readings.
* This is possible, though we have never tested them. Some phono cartridges use Mumetal for the cartridge body that acts as a magnetic shield.

* FYI- Stainless steel has very slight magnetic properties.

My experience with the Shure SFG and Helikon is that the reading on the SFG was pretty darned close to what I expected, 1.75gm, when I set up my arm (SME 10) by following the manufacturers directions. The cart tracks wonderfully and sounds great.

The biggest problem that I found was that the SFG didn't have the resolution at 1.75gm that would allow me to draw any meaningful conclusions about the actuat VTF other than it was in the ballpark. The SFG certianly wasn't off by a drastic amount.

Could you have an arm/cart resonance issue?

Here's an update. I purchased a small digital scale recommended by an audiogoner and re-checked VTF. The digital scale reads slighly over 2.1 grams.

This takes us back to the original problem. Why am I having to track the Helikon at higher than recommended force to get proper tracking? My old cartridge had no such problem.

I am not familar with the turntable/arm so I may be totally off base here. Do you have an antiskate adjustment for the arm? This can cause mistracking often attributed to improper vtf. Just a wild guess on my part.

Bgpowell,
The T3 is a linear tracker, so no AS adjustment.

Willster,
I've never used a T3 but I just read this in the manual:

IMPORTANT: With some cartridge, the arm may have a tendency to "dive" forward. If so, adjust the back and front rails by tipping the rail slightly forward so that the flap at the end of the tonearm remains in the photo-sensor of the pilot arm when the cartridge is down on the record and rises sufficiently when the arm is lifted up horizontal. The arm should be halfway across the record.

Adjust the 4 screws under the corner of the rail accurately so that it is perfectly horizontal between its front and back supports.

When the above operation is completed, tighten the 4 horizontal screws attaching the rail to the lateral sides.

I'm not sure what that means. Heck, I'm not even sure it's English! But it might help to check that mechanism.

Just a shot in the dark. Good luck!