I need help! Tonearm SME-309

[Editor]

Immediately, please, forgive me for bad English!
I bought myself a new cartridge and started installing the system.
I understand that the VTA setting is necessary that the shell is parallel to the vinyl record. I started tuning the VTA on the shell. And then I checked along the line on Tonarm and was horrified.

 

[Editor]

I checked the shell. He firmly enters. No backlash.

 

[kernow]

Isn't the VTA just miles out from the base? 

 

[Editor]

Isn't the VTA just miles out from the base? 

Sorry, I did not understand the question...

 

[Lurch]

I would set vta by the lines on the arm, the headshell is to short for a meaningful reading. 

Over the whole effective length of a 9" arm (pivot to stylus) a difference of 1mm is only around 0.3 degrees in SRA. 

 

[Editor]

I would set vta by the lines on the arm, the headshell is to short for a meaningful reading. 

Over the whole effective length of a 9" arm (pivot to stylus) a difference of 1mm is only around 0.3 degrees in SRA. 

Thanks for the answer. But this should not be such a difference?

 

[Lurch]

No, it should be as level as possible, my mention of 1mm was to illustrate how small, the change in SRA is if you don't get it absolutely spot on. Sometimes the sound can be preferable to people with the nose or tail slightly down. Once you get the arm level (using the lines) then you can tweak to your aural taste. 

 

[Beobloke]

I hate to break the news but your hradshell mount is damaged by the looks of it.

The headshell should remove completely and you should see 4 pins on the end of the arm - no wires!

 

[Editor]

I hate to break the news but your hradshell mount is damaged by the looks of it.

The headshell should remove completely and you should see 4 pins on the end of the arm - no wires!

This is the design ST-309. Is not it so?

 

[Editor]

I hate to break the news but your hradshell mount is damaged by the looks of it.

The headshell should remove completely and you should see 4 pins on the end of the arm - no wires!

When I bought tournable, I was warned that the wiring was changed in Tonarm.

 

[kernow]

That headshell connection does look pretty broken tbh 

 

[Warszawa]

Adjust the arm height by comparing the height of the top line close to the headshell and close to the edge of the record. It needs raising.

 

[uzzy]

I would set vta by the lines on the arm, the headshell is to short for a meaningful reading. 

Over the whole effective length of a 9" arm (pivot to stylus) a difference of 1mm is only around 0.3 degrees in SRA. 

Tapered arm tube - align with writing down the centre of the arm 

 

[uzzy]

That headshell connection does look pretty broken tbh 

not sure - it is held in by clamping the arm tube with an allen bolt to set the azimuth  - but taking it off and bending at 90 degrees is not doing the arm leads any good for sure 

 

[DomT]

Immediately, please, forgive me for bad English!
I bought myself a new cartridge and started installing the system.
I understand that the VTA setting is necessary that the shell is parallel to the vinyl record. I started tuning the VTA on the shell. And then I checked along the line on Tonarm and was horrified.

View attachment 91445

Watch this video about how to set up an SME 309 tonearm 

 

[DomT]

When I bought tournable, I was warned that the wiring was changed in Tonarm.

It appears that when they changed the wiring they changed how the arm functions.  You should be able to remove the headshell completely. There should not be a wire connecting the arm and the headshell.  But maybe the arm now has ‘through wiring’. It’s ok if it does. But it makes no sense to have done this. 

 

[DomT]

This is what should be in your headshell

 

[uzzy]

This is what should be in your headshell

Not in a 309 I think you will find - the above looks to me to be a pic of the fitting from a detachable headshell 3009 

 

[mac72]

Set tonearm tube so lines are parallel to the platter then loosen up the headshell screw to allow bit of movement and tilt it up in vertical plane to make top parallel to the platter as well . Removing connector wasn't greatest idea I bet if you loosen the headshell screw there is a lot of movement in both horizontal and vertical planes throwing headshell alignment out .