stratocaster Posted June 12, 2023 Share Posted June 12, 2023 Is it common for the cartridge to lose the weight adjustment every couple of months? It seems that every 8-10 weeks the weight is off by 10%. The counterweight seems to be tight enough and doesn’t look like it could be moving with repeated use… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holmz Posted June 12, 2023 Share Posted June 12, 2023 1 hour ago, stratocaster said: Is it common for the cartridge to lose the weight adjustment every couple of months? It seems that every 8-10 weeks the weight is off by 10%. The counterweight seems to be tight enough and doesn’t look like it could be moving with repeated use… No. … something needs to be moving, as the cartridge is not outgassing or sublimating off mass. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratocaster Posted June 12, 2023 Author Share Posted June 12, 2023 It's certainly confounding.. I have had the turntable for over 18 months and initially I thought it was me since I am new to the world of vinyl. However, it has been consistently demonstrating the same behavior as far as getting the weight imbalance is concerned. The only thing that is consistent is that the weight is always reducing and not increasing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratocaster Posted June 12, 2023 Author Share Posted June 12, 2023 It's a VPI Prime turntable with their 3D tonearm and a Hana MH cartridge. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holmz Posted June 12, 2023 Share Posted June 12, 2023 I have no idea on that tone arm… but maybe a dab of silicon on the counter weight would be like a wax seal on a letter to indicate if it was altered. Or even a dab of wax put on with a toothpick. The scale also could be a causal mechanism, and it would be easier to bring the scale somewhere and compare it against a different scale… on a different set up. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkeske Posted June 13, 2023 Share Posted June 13, 2023 (edited) I check mine every few weeks, including rechecking my alignment, azimuth, VTF, VTA, and anti-skate. There are times when these get slightly ‘out of whack’, and I readjust. I don’t see it as an issue, but simply maintenance. Edited June 13, 2023 by bkeske 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratocaster Posted June 13, 2023 Author Share Posted June 13, 2023 @Holmz @bkeske good tips.. thanks.. will explore options suggested. Am using the digital scale that came along with the turntable so am not sure about the quality/accuracy etc. Nevertheless, I will try your recommendations.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomicTime Posted June 13, 2023 Share Posted June 13, 2023 Udit - a good friend of mine has a saying about unipivots: “ they are in a perpetual state of unsetting themselves “… i use the hyper precise but unfortunately expensive Clearaudio digital scale. Both my Triplaner and Dynavector arms are pretty stable for VTF w the Dyna variance due to spring. Best to you Jim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomicTime Posted June 13, 2023 Share Posted June 13, 2023 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratocaster Posted June 13, 2023 Author Share Posted June 13, 2023 Jim, you are right... The unipivot design certainly freaks me out especially since the tonearm always just feels like it's trying to find a sweet stable 'point' to rest on. Guess, I should have done some more research on turntables before buying the VPI. I will look into the scale you referred. thanks, Udit 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomicTime Posted June 13, 2023 Share Posted June 13, 2023 i didn’t mean it as critical of sonics..just needs more attention…. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stringreen Posted June 15, 2023 Share Posted June 15, 2023 If you are seeking extra stability from a VPI arm, they have a 2nd pivot for it that solidly stabilizes it...very inexpensive upgrade. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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