https://forum.talkingmachine.info/
I measured the angle of the tonearm and the center of the record for outer, half-way and inner part of the track using the CAD tool and they are all 90 degrees. Perfect tracking across the entire record.Marco Gilardetti wrote:To the best of my knowledge, tracking error can't be zeroed throughout a record with a pivoted arm, whichever the length of the tonearm. It can only be zeroed locally in two points, and kept to an acceptable minimum in all others.
This is parachute cord with lead shot inside. It adds mass and dampens the tone arm so it does not vibrate.What's the purpose of that blueish cord wrapped around the tonearm?
Marco is correct, unlike a tangential tonearm, perfect tracking can not be achieved with a pivoting tonearm. Tracking error can, however, be improved by either making the tonearm impractically long, moving the tonearm bracket sideways to approximately half the radius point of the record (playing half) or introducing an offset angle at the soundbox (or pick-up) as with most post 1925 machines.audioengr wrote:I measured the angle of the tonearm and the center of the record for outer, half-way and inner part of the track using the CAD tool and they are all 90 degrees. Perfect tracking across the entire record.
Well, if the ~39 inch tonearm is not exactly on-track for the entire record, it is within a fraction of a degree, less than 1 degree off, not that this is practical. Just an interesting analysis.jamiegramo wrote:Marco is correct, unlike a tangential tonearm, perfect tracking can not be achieved with a pivoting tonearm. Tracking error can, however, be improved by either making the tonearm impractically long, moving the tonearm bracket sideways to approximately half the radius point of the record (playing half) or introducing an offset angle at the soundbox (or pick-up) as with most post 1925 machines.audioengr wrote:I measured the angle of the tonearm and the center of the record for outer, half-way and inner part of the track using the CAD tool and they are all 90 degrees. Perfect tracking across the entire record.
The 90 degree upright angle of the soundbox does not normally change throughout the course of playing a record. Of course the tracking alignment angle does.
jamiegramo wrote:It is interesting, I often wondered what the minimum length of the tonearm would need to be to achieve near perfect tracking.
Infinity. Theoretically speaking, of course.jamiegramo wrote:It is interesting, I often wondered what the minimum length of the tonearm would need to be to achieve near perfect tracking.
True but if the tonearm stretched from here to Australia I guess the error would be very difficult to determine!Henry wrote:Infinity. Theoretically speaking, of course.jamiegramo wrote:It is interesting, I often wondered what the minimum length of the tonearm would need to be to achieve near perfect tracking.
The Greeks determined the size and moon and the distance between them in the second century BC BTW. The tone arm is an easy problem.jamiegramo wrote:True but if the tonearm stretched from here to Australia I guess the error would be very difficult to determine!Henry wrote:Infinity. Theoretically speaking, of course.jamiegramo wrote:It is interesting, I often wondered what the minimum length of the tonearm would need to be to achieve near perfect tracking.