The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Does this look about right?
Thanks!
Dave

Maybe a bit too vertical. It should be better between 55 and 65 degrees. But when adjusting it, try to improve the alignment between the grooves and the plane of the diaphragm. These should be tangent which is impossible to maintain along the record for geometric reasons (the needle describes an arc).
The ideal would be to try to minimise the angles both at the start and at the end of a record.
When the tracking is perfect, the tangent is obtained only in two intermediate points across the record. You may search for a paper measuring tool named protractor in Google. Print it and follow the instructions.
If you are able to modify the vertical angle of the needle and the length of the needle, and the tonearm length and the distance from the tonearm pivot to the player spindle are adequate, you can get a good alignment. Ideally you should be able to vary the angle of the diaphragm plane to the tonearm too, to get the best possible alignment, but this may not be possible.
Some photos of the tonearm playing the start and the end of a record, taken from above the spindle looking down to the center of the plate will help in assessing the conditions you have in your machine...
This web explains it
http://pspatialaudio.com/tracking%20angle.htm
And this one has a free printable alignment protractor for vinyl turntables, but playing with the needle length and the angle, you can figure out how to use it. It has also instructions for use
https://www.vinylengine.com/cartridge-a ... tors.shtml

This what the manufacturers of the highly regarded Meltrope soundbox recommended :

Thanks so much! That was very helpful.
Dave D

But... I've always been curious as to why the HMV 102 needle angle is much closer to vertical...

I've read somewhere (maybe PW's 1929, maybe herein...) that same thing, a more steeped angle for orthophonic era soundboxes. I'm not fully aware of this, for in the three soundboxes I use most (hmv no4 and 5a, and the Meltrope iii) I've installed those plain red rubber connectors, and I frequently do small adjustments in the angle for the sake of better tracking alignment, changing the point on which the needle falls on the grooves. Using mainly self made triangular bamboo needles (there aren't two equal) I don't notice any changes in sound due to different angles. Thinking about it, I believe the best angle should be that in which the borders of the triangular cut face were vertical, thus riding on the groove walls at the same place as the point, so the groove sees a completely vertical triangle. But slight changes don't make harm to the sound nor to the drag of the needle on the grooves.