Technics SL-1600mk2 Tonearm Bearing Adjustment

[Harderror]

Originally posted by Netlist
But aren't the SL1200mkII and SL1600mkII equipped with the same arm? (Apart from manual/automatic)
Indeed very different than the SL1300 arm.
Have to check again but IIRC they have ball bearings.

/Hugo

I apoligize, I went and looked it up. They are indeed the exact same arm. I assumed that since the years they were released were so close to one another that the 1600 had the same dinosaur of an arm as the 1300. That arm does use needle bearings. If in fact the bearings are loose, I would imagine that tightening the set screwed would not help. If in fact someone loosened them (a DJ for instance attempting a looser system so the insane tracking force they use is unimpeeded) then tightening just may help. Good luck!

Tom

[thinker10]

I have adjust my SL-1200MK2

The Lateral (the one on top) is quite easy to get right.

With no play and the arm free floating when you turn the antiskating slighty to less than 0.5 grams the arm should start to come back to it's rest.

With the vertical plane only one side is needed for adjustment but you will need a small piece of 20 lbs paper of about 1.5 cm² that you drop on the headshell when free floating , if there is any movement lock it softly and check if any play repeat till you get it right.

If still some play go a bit bigger at 1.75 cm² then 2 cm²

A 1 cm² of 20lbs paper weight 7mg but is almost impossible to achieve.

[Netlist]

Nice way to calibrate. I usually use the layman's method: blow on the head shell area in zero position. If the slightest wind makes the arm move I know it's OK.
If not I fit another arm.

/Hugo

[Bart2k]

I would also like to try this on my SL1200...
Do I have to unscrew the outher screw only half a turn or so, or do I have to unscrew the outher screw entirely before adjusting using the inner screw?

[Panicos K]

Release the outer one a bit,enough so that the inner one can move.Adjust the inner one where you feel it is ok (holding the outer one not to move)and then tighten the outer one securely,but not too much.Too much tightening of the outer one will "pull" the inner one out as much as the threads tolerances allow,and you might have some play again.

[2004ex]

Originally posted by thinker10

With no play and the arm free floating when you turn the antiskating slighty to less than 0.5 grams the arm should start to come back to it's rest.

A newbie question: when setting up the arm initially with the counter-balance weight (and anti-skating set to zero), should the arm be able to float and remain "stationary" in "any" position in the plane (e.g., at the outer edge as well as towards the center of the record)? I was never able to achieve that - the arm always swings back towards the outer region of the platter, even though the player is positioned carefully with a level indicator. Is this a normal behavior, or an indication of bad bearings or something else not right? Thanks.

[Panicos K]

It seems that your arm has excessive antiskating at "zero" position.Usually Rega arms have this.Nothing to worry about though,you just adjust the final antiskating manually and forget about the readings

[Netlist]

Originally posted by 2004ex
the arm always swings back towards the outer region of the platter

This is normal if the arm does it very slowly. If it does that at the speed as if you would activate your anti skating, the bearing is broken.

/Hugo

[Bart2k]

The tonearm of my technics with no friction starts moving to home position when anti-skating setting is approximately 2.
My other tonearm (which has a little friction) starts moving to home position when anti-skating is set to 0 and moves faster with higher anti-skating setting.
Is really because of a broken bearing that it doesn't move @ low anti-skating setting or could it also be causing because it needs a tiny drop of oil or is just to tight?

[Panicos K]

Bart2k,I suppose you talk about two identical tonearms.If so,I would suspect antiskating tension inconsistency first and then the possibility of a broken bearing.What is a broken bearing afterall?Usually they are closed type,(although I have to admit that I have a long time to see a Technics arm bearing,so I'm not sure about them),and quite robust.And no oil to the bearings.It will perhaps help at first,but after some time it will dry out causing a sticky bearing.As I said in a previous post,adjust the antiskating manually watching how the stylus sits in the first groove and forget the readings on the scales.It is the same story with tracking force.Your arm might show say 2gr. and another tracking force gauge might show 2.1 or 1.9gr.Which is the correct?I would say your ears after manual(personal)adjustment of the tracking force,or antiskating in your case.