"UnsteadyKen" wrote in message
m...
TT said:

In the manual it alludes to the arm dampener as if it is supposed to
remain
in contact with the arm while playing. Is this so? Or does it only
contact
the arm when the lift is engaged?


The problem is I can't seem to adjust the lift mechanism low enough to
clear
the arm when the stylus is in contact with the record. BTW cart is a
Shure
V15V.

I hope I'm not teaching granny to suck eggs here and am not familiar
with the damping trough if that is what you are referring to.
The solution for the lack of clearance between arm and arm lifter if
you have run out of arm height adjustment is to use a headshell
spacer. SME part number 5925 or 4925 or you can easily knock one up
from a piece of plastic of a suitable thickness, or your local DJ
outfit may carry one such as:
http://www.qualitydj.co.uk/headshell-spacer-p-68.html
I used to have a selection of plastic and metal ones which could be
used to vary the effective arm weight to suit various cartridges.
--
Ken

On an SME 3009 (both S2 and S3) the arm lifter goes up and down with the
arm, you don't run out of height clearance with the lifter. You can also
adjust the position of the lifter relative to the pivot if you want an
especially large (or small) lift. If the arm is parallel to the record when
playing, then the damper paddle should be in the right position relative to
the trough. The paddle may well touch the side of the trough when the arm is
lifted, or if the arm is dropped past the level of the turntable, but that
is of no consequence.

If you're using the V15V cartridge, however, I personally would prefer to
disengage the SME damper (remove the paddle altogether) and just use the
cartridge's own damper.

With the V15III which doesn't have its own damper, I found SME's damper to
be excessive even on minimum settings, as it would impede the free movement
of the arm in case of warps or with slight swingers. I've seen suggestions
to change the silicone damping fluid for something less viscous, motor oil
and washing-up liquid have been suggested, but frankly I preferred to do
without it altogether.

S.
--
http://audiopages.googlepages.com