Catridge alignment / overhang gauge? Who uses one?

[Number13]

I now do enough cartridge installation and tone arm set up that I am
considering buying a mechanical gauge to make it a quick job.
Does anyone have any recommendations?
I am thinking of something like this:

Clearaudio - CARTRIDGE ALIGNMENT GAUGE-Audio Advisor

Anyone use this or anything similar?

thanks

[Jacques Merde]

I don't have any experience with that particular one. It does seem rather expensive. I use a cart-align alignment protractor I've had for many years and which allows for a dual point alignment.

[Number13]

Thanks for the response. I have used the paper protractors but find
them tiresome and time consuming. All the mechanical tools are expensive, which
I can deal with, but was wondering if anyone has used one they really liked or disliked.
I'd hate to drop $275 on a tool that didn't do the job.

[SGregory]

If you have autcad you can make one in about ten minutes. I'll make you one if you want. What is your spindle to pivot distance and what alignment do you want. I'll post a pdf of one. It will allow arc tracing and the two null point alingment lines for the cantilever.

P.S. It doesn't solve your mechanical need though

[woodturner-fran]

After years of getting frustrated with homemade and paper gauges, I recently forked out the dough for a feickert gauge. It's worth every penny - it would have saved me hours of crappy setup woes.

It's especially good with homemade tables and arms where you need to accurately set up pivot - spindle distance etc. Its quick, easy and accurate.

[BOON]

I may have misspelled the name of this thing. It is no longer made, but works very well. It is a single point protractor that has a pointer that goes over the tonearm pivot, so it corrects for different spindle-to-pivot distances.
The only problem in using it is that the grid on which the stylus sits is molded plastic, rather than etched on perspex or something similar.

[BOON]

I just looked at the clearaudio. It is a refinement of the Denneson Soundtraktor (I had the name wrong). Should be dead easy to use. Your call as to whether the extra cash is worth the ease of use.

[merlin el mago]

Originally Posted by SGregory

If you have autcad you can make one in about ten minutes. I'll make you one if you want. What is your spindle to pivot distance and what alignment do you want. I'll post a pdf of one. It will allow arc tracing and the two null point alingment lines for the cantilever.

P.S. It doesn't solve your mechanical need though

SGregory could you do one for coolzero?

Effective tonearm length 8,6 " (218,5mm)
Effective tonearm mass 8,5g
Overhang 19mm

Thank you

Felipe

[Jacques Merde]

Originally Posted by merlin el mago

SGregory could you do one for coolzero?

Effective tonearm length 8,6 " (218,5mm)
Effective tonearm mass 8,5g
Overhang 19mm

Thank you

Felipe

You know, a lot of printers aren't terribly accurate (i.e., they introduce significant distortion). I'd be suspicious of one prined from a PDF, no matter how accurate the "original". YMMV.

Cheers,

[Number13]

Thanks for all the replies gents.
I should explain that I do repair and setup
as part of my work, so while I would rather not
spend oodles of cash, it would be a work expense
that would pay off eventually. The feickert gauge looks
like the best being offered.