Is there a best cartridge track force gauge?

i use the Winn's ALM-1 electronic VTF guage good to .01 of a gram. i also have the Shure which works fine as a backup.

i agree that once you are in the ballpark it becomes a matter of tuneing by ear....so having exact tracking force measurements is not so critical.

but i do find that having the ability to make .01 gram changes that are repeatable has a value. as i own three cartridges and the Rockport arm makes it very easy to change cartridges; it is nice to KNOW you are back exactly where you were.

another benefit is checking the 'tune' of your cartridge. with such precision i will know if anything changes......and the process of measurement is very speedy......and the guage is easy to read.

the Winn's guage puts the stylus at the same height as the record so you know that the affect of VTA is considered. not cheap but i would buy one again......i've had this one for 6 years.

PS: HI,Doug.Hope all is ok in CONN,after the latest barrage of rain you got.

Thanks, we're bailing out okay.

It's a good thing I use a VERY heavy periphery clamp. Otherwise this silly wood turntable might just up and float away!
;-)

Mikelavigne sez:

the Shure (...) works fine as a backup

Mike, how do you get round avoiding the (cartridge) magnets attracting the metal base?? Whenever I get the stylus in the slot, the whole metal pivot sticks to the cartridge:( Of course the reading is way off...
Thanks

Some of the Shure scales have a steel arm, while others, like mine, have aluminum. I simply cannot believe that Shure ever made such a mistake, but they did. Find another one if you plan to keep using a Shure gauge.

As an aside, I've compared the Shure to my digital scale and it is very accurate. But, the "repeatability" factor as accomplished by the digital is one that cannot be beaten by the Shure. Otherwise, they are about a wash and you should always do a final fine tune by ear anyway.

4yanx, you concerned me as my Shure is too shinny to be aluminum. It is not magnetic, however.