The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

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It is worth noting that the tracking error on most crapophones is so bad that it will significantly damage records on just one playing.

jamiegramo wrote: Thu Jul 31, 2025 4:52 pm It is worth noting that the tracking error on most crapophones is so bad that it will significantly damage records on just one playing.

What is the tracking weight of a normal external horn machine vs on a Crap-O-Phone? I don’t have a scale that is small enough for a stylus and also isn’t designed to weigh a human.

Victroid wrote: Sat Aug 02, 2025 5:10 pm

jamiegramo wrote: Thu Jul 31, 2025 4:52 pm It is worth noting that the tracking error on most crapophones is so bad that it will significantly damage records on just one playing.

What is the tracking weight of a normal external horn machine vs on a Crap-O-Phone? I don’t have a scale that is small enough for a stylus and also isn’t designed to weigh a human.

The tracking weight is not so much the problem anymore than a genuine machine. It is the tracking error where the needle meets the record at a poor angle or there is resistance in the tonearm bearings which do not allow the tonearm to move freely. Lack of compliance in the reproducer will also cause record wear. Sometimes the tonearm is so short that the needle falls well short of the turntable spindle.