Any suggestions for a reasonably priced one that is accurate? A forum search brings up all older recommendations. I have a Riverstone (it’s my least favorite) which is inconsistent and the scale itself is real funky to set up with the platform the crosses the scale body and I have others that seem just ok. I have zeroed them with a 5gr weight and calibrated and then each has +/- that varies. I have an old Ohaus Triple Beam but of course that won’t work for this application. Weigh in…
How resolving do you want your VTF reading to be? Like you I’m personally not fond of the Riverstone, but a lot of folks seem to like it. If you’re not too worried about reading to two or three decimal places, a mechanical see-saw type like a Clearaudio, Ortofon, or old timey Shure actually work pretty well. Ortofon also makes an electronic that I hear is quite nice. Ironically a cheapo Neoteck that you can find on Amazon checks out quite accurately, but it uses those dumb button cell batteries that are so hard to find nowadays. Or, you could search for a Winds and forget about the rest of them. I have all these and more. When I want to be absolutely positively sure I use the Winds. For everyday use I use the Neoteck. They read close enough to where the difference doesn’t matter.
And oh, if you have carts with really powerful magnets, like a Benz, only the Winds will work without the reading scale shifting as the cart gets closer to the landing.
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Rega makes a nice one.
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I use the Ortofon DS3 with a 1 gr weight for calibration. Works well for me
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Thanks, I’ll go for averages. I have a Neotek and a couple others and the Ortofon mechanical that used to be the top of the range. My first real table was an AR-XA that came with a scale that had like little clear plastic coins that were different weights for placing on the baseline side of the scale. Fully manual, no lift, no antiskate and lift off dust cover. $89 with a Shure M91ED,the yellow with red letters that had to be the most sold cartridge in their line. I can still smell the oil on the walnut plinth, same they used on their speakers then and I used to sell stereos when I was a child, and that is what we called being in that the business back then.
I know about that one, but I gotta still save some for the stylus amputation replacement cartridge or rebuild I see forthcoming in my balance of year 2025. Oh and I got my eye on a pair of Kustom 2x15 cabs for my den guitar rig system that I can use in the living room too by simply wheeling them out and hooking them up.
I use this one:
$15. Spending any more is ludicrous.
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That’s my best one too, but since I have others and I have calibrated them all and the one that measures the most off (-/+.5gr) is the audio darling Riverstone that, in my view has a very ill design. I’m going to check later with my old mechanical Ortofon. There’s lots of du jourism going on and no solid scientific leader that I’ve seen in the little digitals. I guess I’ll play some albums later today on the Plattenspieler Mark IV lathe.
@paul172 Please go check on Al.
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I really like the Rega gauge too. Not sure you’d consider this “affordable” and yes someone needs to check on Al.
EDIT: What I noticed with a similar el cheapo gauge (like the one Al shows above) is that it would attract the cartridge magnets and sometimes give a force reading that was potentially incorrect.
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Happy cake day!
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Happy cake day buddy!
Say what? Attract magnets? What magnets.
I am a REGA fanboy. But spending what they want for their special tracking force measurement device can not be justified to me. It is just plain dopey.
How many times per year do you check your tracking force? Unless you change your cartridge, once at install should do. It doesn’t jump around with the seasons.
Plus or minus 5% is not audible when it comes to tracking force. In my world at least.
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That’s in part why asked this is I was getting +/- 1/2 gram difference on calibrating some gauges which is a big deal. 5% of 1.5-3 grams could move with the solunar tables or what your zodiac is. I’m worried about my original pressing K-Tel records getting damaged.
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I use the gauge that Aangen linked to and it seems to work fine. These gauges from the Partsconnexion also look like inexpensive options. I’ve always had good luck with anything I’ve ordered from them.
https://partsconnexion.com/search.php?search_query=stylus%20gauge
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And it comes with a 10% off coupon it’s already low price!
Al,
Thanks for implying I’m “dopey”. Was really hoping this forum wasn’t going to devolve the way Audiogon forums often do.
Anyway, you’ll see diagram below for the main components in an MC cartridge. MC carts actually have larger magnets than MM carts.
That was tongue in cheek my friend. I do not ever think of you as dopey.
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I checked these three VTF gauges after checking against a 5gr weight. I also checked each one for magnetism, the Riverstone was drawing a magnet on the posterior (as it’s pictured) The little Neotek worked the best. I was shooting for 2.0gr. I’ll use either the Neotek or the on called Goka which is the middle pic. I’ll retire my Riverstone as it’s too far off.
Your Riverstone is obviously defective. They are highly regarded for a reason.
I just checked mine with 2gm, 5gm, 20gm weights. It measures perfectly.
My only gripe with the unit is the weight band that must be properly installed for it to measure correctly. Because of the fiddly band, I usually use my Ortofon.
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