The BEST cart alignment tool

ohbythebay

ohbythebay

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Oh the daunting task of cart alignment...we've all struggled for that perfection. what type - Baerwald, Stevenson, proprietary ...but the real secret - Cantilever alignment.

even the best protractors rely on squareness of the headshell and don't take in to account any slight deviation in cantilever. This is the most crucial piece because boys and girls that is the part holding the stylus needle and truly aligning in the grooves. why worry about rake angle and such of you are not perfectly aligned.

enter the cantilever mirror protractor. A buddy of mine on another site makes these by hand and sells them. It has changed the way I do my final alignment. I still "rough in" using a normal baerwald protractor..But then I use the cantilever protractor (still baerwald) to ensure the cantilever is precisely parallel to the line. Here is a picture of the thing and it is truly a great piece of craftsmanship and ingenuity ..plus very easy to use (okay, for us older guys , 53, you may need glasses..lol)

Easy to use. Do your alignment, sight down the center line and the cantilevel should cover it. If it is skewed slightly either way, adjust for PERFECT stylus alignment.

IMG_2622.JPG


IMG_2664.JPG


IMG_1759.JPG
 
ohbythebay said:
Oh the daunting task of cart alignment...we've all struggled for that perfection. what type - Baerwald, Stevenson, proprietary ...but the real secret - Cantilever alignment.

even the best protractors rely on squareness of the headshell and don't take in to account any slight deviation in cantilever. This is the most crucial piece because boys and girls that is the part holding the stylus needle and truly aligning in the grooves. why worry about rake angle and such of you are not perfectly aligned.

enter the cantilever mirror protractor. A buddy of mine on another site makes these by hand and sells them. It has changed the way I do my final alignment. I still "rough in" using a normal baerwald protractor..But then I use the cantilever protractor (still baerwald) to ensure the cantilever is precisely parallel to the line. Here is a picture of the thing and it is truly a great piece of craftsmanship and ingenuity ..plus very easy to use (okay, for us older guys , 53, you may need glasses..lol)

Easy to use. Do your alignment, sight down the center line and the cantilevel should cover it. If it is skewed slightly either way, adjust for PERFECT stylus alignment.

IMG_2622.JPG


IMG_2664.JPG


IMG_1759.JPG
Click to expand...

No one ?? Chirp chirp ? I thought this one would have SPARKED some interest...don't we love gadgets ? LOL
 
Mike said:
Very cool. Let me know where I can get one.
Click to expand...

Thanks Mike, I asked the builder to come join us here...AND , all hush hush...but they may be commercially available soon from a reputable Audio retailer...They are THAT good...I had him IMPROVE mine...lol. Originally, he only had the cross hatch at each point...I had him add an extra line to each side as a frame of reference. PLUS, the stylus tip GENTLY fits in the etched cross hatch so no bouncing around. Gives a very cleat picture of alignment especially on the HARD TO SEE microlines (that is the majority of what I have and they have always been a bear).


This one is mine...excuse the dusty picture...LOL

182060_550686791613454_2039979551_n.jpg
 
Absolutely! That's great. I encourage everyone to invite their friends who are interested in this great hobby.
 
Hi Folks. That's an interesting device, but it really doesn't improve on either the Mint protractor nor the (now unobtainable) Wallytractor. Both of the aforementioned devices rely on cantilever alignment (nobody should ever align a cartridge by looking at the headshell, cartridge body, etc), and have the added benefit of being made for a specific tonearm (a set pivot to stylus distance) using arcs; the Ken Willis protractor does much the same. While I agree that a mirrored surface is necessary to eliminate parallax, this device provides none of the benefits of arc protractors, which automatically set overhang (and effective length) just by aligning the tip of the stylus to hit the arc at two points. A nice accessory, but not an alignment protractor per se; why use two devices when one superior model can do it all?

Sorry to be negative in my very first post. I'll cheer up.
 
palasr said:
Hi Folks. That's an interesting device, but it really doesn't improve on either the Mint protractor nor the (now unobtainable) Wallytractor. Both of the aforementioned devices rely on cantilever alignment (nobody should ever align a cartridge by looking at the headshell, cartridge body, etc), and have the added benefit of being made for a specific tonearm (a set pivot to stylus distance) using arcs; the Ken Willis protractor does much the same. While I agree that a mirrored surface is necessary to eliminate parallax, this device provides none of the benefits of arc protractors, which automatically set overhang (and effective length) just by aligning the tip of the stylus to hit the arc at two points. A nice accessory, but not an alignment protractor per se; why use two devices when one superior model can do it all?

Sorry to be negative in my very first post. I'll cheer up.
Click to expand...

I don't see it as negative....Looked up the MInt...very nice ! Double the price but its all relative correct ? So lets look at it two ways..or more

For those who don't even use one, they should have some kind of protractor, even the $19 one from Amazon..(least desirable)

For those only using that, the one I showed is better as it goes to the heart of cantilever alignment (and by the way, I have to correct you that it does in fact verify overhang, etc. because you can't have perfect cantilever alignment at both points UNLESS you are there...if overhang is wrong, then it wont align..so by default, fiddling with the cart till it is aligned will do all you say) - Much BETTER

The Mint protractor - DESIGNED for your individual table - Does the same as the above but very precise and easy to use because it is designed to get you THERE much quicker and more precisely. - BEST


How is that for a summary ? Thanks for showing me the MINT..Ill stick with mine for now but may get one when my ClearAudio arrives.
 
elcoholic here. Thought I'd register and say hello. The protractors ohbythebay posted here are mine. I call it elcoholics Mirror Protractor 2.1. Upon 1st glance I see several advantages to my universal protractor over the mint. The 2.1 is durable and can even survive being dropped. Not so sure about a piece of mirror. The diamond etched null points on the 2.1 won't ever fade, shrink, yellow or peel. The mint is a computer printed decal, stuck on a mirror with a hole drilled in it. You have to buy one for every turntable you own. It sounds like the best protractor for the guy selling them. My original prototypes were made that way. My cost for the mirror and decal material were $6 and that was buying supplies retail. I won't argue the advantages of an arc vs a 2 point protractor, we'll leave that to the Baerwald's and Stevensons. We like what we like. I'm a craftsman and vinyl enthusiast, not a mathematician. I will say that although ohbythebay likes to use a conventional protractor to rough it in and mine to fine tune, they work just fine by themselves and it takes 5-10 minutes to go from fiddling to listening. I don't know the rules here about selling, so I won't talk prices beforehand, but if I serialized the 2.1 and doubled the price it would be still be cheaper than the Mint. See you soon.
 
elcoholic said:
elcoholic here. Thought I'd register and say hello. The protractors ohbythebay posted here are mine. I call it elcoholics Mirror Protractor 2.1. See you soon.
Click to expand...

WELCOME MY FRIEND !!! Glad you made it ! Cool place and I still think the EMP 2.1 is the coolest...Know what? When I lock in the alignment with your protractor, my test records pass with flying colors...its just a natural fit.. !!!

Look around and as to sales...Ask Mike the Admin and founder !! He is awesome..
 
Hi Rob, thanks for the invitation. I'm glad you're happy with the protractors. I only have 2 left and they're spoken for, so it looks like I'm sold out for the moment. I will be making another batch pretty quickly. I'll check with Mike on the rules shortly.
 
Cool..I use mine often as I move tables around. Will be using it tonight when my ClearAudio Concept arrives and I mount my MC cart. That extra detail of aligning to the cantilever just does the trick. Passes test records with flying colors which tells me I am spot on to how the vinyl was cut.

Rob
 
Me thinks you're getting a seriously nice table there. Well done. Which MC cart are you going to christen her with?
 
Hi elcoholic,
Uh, when you get some more made, could I get one too? I currently use a mirrored one like the one Rob uses in his video which is what solved a perplexing mystery for me by the way and that is showing how to use on of these confounded alignment tools. The printed paper ones are usless to me (too many lines). My eyesight is piss-poor so while the mirrored one I got is somewhat easier to use for me, it looks like yours would do me one better. Let me know when you have some more made and we can go from there.
Thank you

Eric
 
I will definitely do just that. I should be making another batch in in the not to distant future. My current project is making making 750 red 1/8" plywood hearts about 5" across for Vacation Bible School.
 
I'd like one too. I have a VPI classic 3 and Lyra Kleos cartridge coming soon. Thanks!
 
Hi Mike,

I hunted around but didn't find the rules on selling here. Is it OK to post prices or do you prefer I quote by PM?
 
The protractors are available in Baerwald and Stevenson alignments and either work with most turntables and cartridges. It comes down to the length of the arm, offset angle, the dimensions of the cartridge, location of the cartridge mounting holes and the length of the head shell and it’s slots. The difference between the alignments is 2 or 3 mm and a degree in offset angle. The choice between these 2 optimized alignments is mostly a matter of preference. Baerwald is said to be more common and averages the tracking error across most of the record resulting in lower overall tracking error. Stevenson favors the inner tracks and seeks to reduce inner groove distortion on the last track. Manufacturers’ alignments are usually pretty close to one of these, but sometimes vary.

Protractors are $50 each or $75 for both alignments when ordered together. Shipping is via USPS Flat Rate Box, which is $5.35 and generally takes 2-3 days within the CONUS. For Canada and the UK it's $19.50.

CONUS PayPal prices are $57.01 or $82.76 for 1 or both protractors respectively. Please PM me for my PayPal ID.

Here's are links to photo albums showing the development history and production from V. 1.0 to 2.0 and to 2.1:
https://picasaweb.google.com/teamo65/MirrorProtractor10?authuser=0&feat=directlink
https://picasaweb.google.com/teamo65/MirrorProtractor20?authuser=0&feat=directlink
https://picasaweb.google.com/teamo65/MirrorProtractor21?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMeQgP-k7Py15wE&feat=directlink
 
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