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Trying to set the HTA on an SME IV. I don't have the SME protractor...SME's shipping one to me. I've been trying to use the Turntable Basics protractor but I'm not getting proper alignment. Seems I have to move the arm all the way to the front of the sled & still is short. I'm thinking I'm not lined up with the pivot. Is there a visual on this arm to help me line it up? The deck is pre-drilled & the previous owner used it so it seems like my error. Any help would be appreciated.
Follow Ups:
Hi,Firstly I would forget about the sight line, because the exact location of the pivot of the SME IV is not easy to determine.
The procedure which I recommend is as follows.
Mount the cartridge so that it is square in the headshell, i.e. with the outer facing side of the cartridge** parallel to outer facing side of the tonearm headshell (that's the right hand side in each case when viewed from the front). Then position the stylus on the inner grid of the protractor, and check to see if the outer facing side of the tonearm headshell is parallel to the lines on the grid.
If they are parallel, then the alignment is finished.
If not, adjust the position of the tonearm in the sliding base to make the outer facing side of the tonearm headshell parallel to the lines on the grid. Moving the tonearm base backwards will rotate the lines on the grid in an anticlockwise direction relative to the tonearm headshell, and moving the tonearm base forwards will rotate the lines on the grid in a clockwise direction relative to the tonearm headshell.
It really is a straightforward procedure.
Best regards,
BK
**For those who prefer to align the cantilever and not the cartridge body, this step requires positioning the cartridge in the headshell so that the cantilever appears parallel to the outer facing edge of the headshell when viewed from below, and is easier to accomplish this with the tonearm removed from the turntable.
Thanks, I'll give that a shot. One more question. I purchased the arm used, and aside from receiving no protractor it's missing the HTA key. I've been manually moving the arm in the sled. I assume the key does the same thing, offering a more precise method? I'm sure after I receive the key & protractor from SME setup will be a breeze.
Yes, the HTA key just moves the sliding base backwards and forwards in a controlled and precise way, just like the adjustment was made using a spanner on the SME series III.The HTA key is somewhere between a T10 and T15 Torx key, but neither is exactly right. I'm not sure if something between T10 and T15 is available, but none of the sets of in my toolkit had anything suitable; moreover, the key needs to have a long tip with no taper.
Best regards,
to use - I'd get it as close as you can and wait. You're not going to do a whole lot of harm. As for a visual - it's tough with this arm but it is at the peak of the (sort of) triangular shape.
"Man is the only animal that blushes - or needs to" Mark Twain
The Turntable Basics protractor uses the exact same alignment as SME. I don't really know what to tell you except to wait for the SME alignment tool. That will confirm whether you are using the Turntable Basics protractor correctly or whether your tonearm was mounted incorrectly.
Thanks...I'll do what I can until it arrives.
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