Digital Stylus Force Gauge Q

[Fido]

I just bought my first digital stylus force gauge. I sat the unit on my TT platter and turned it on and it zeroed itself. As I sat my tonearm/cartridge/stylus down onto the circle on the gauge the gauge began to read -.03x, then after the stylis was firmly resting on the gauge it showed a solid reading. But now I am wondering if it might be off by -.03x ?
Why would the gauge start showing -.03x a few mm's before the stylus touched the pad?

[Fido]

nobody?

[AudioNut]

Originally Posted by Fido

I just bought my first digital stylus force gauge. I sat the unit on my TT platter and turned it on and it zeroed itself. As I sat my tonearm/cartridge/stylus down onto the circle on the gauge the gauge began to read -.03x, then after the stylis was firmly resting on the gauge it showed a solid reading. But now I am wondering if it might be off by -.03x ?
Why would the gauge start showing -.03x a few mm's before the stylus touched the pad?

Magnetic force of the cartridge? Most cartridges do have very strong magnets.

I would imagine that when the stylus rests on the pad, the magnetic force would not affect the weight reading. The negative (-) reading would indicate that the cartridge is pulling the pad upward. (This is a guess - my gauge does not exhibit this phenomenon.)

Other than that, I don't have a clue.

From snowy Monteagle, Tennessee! Wish it would warm up. Do you still have snow on the ground in Nashville?

Julian

[Removed]

The scale most likely has some type of magnetic material at or near the platform......and the cartridge magnet field is effecting the reading as you lower the cartridge onto the platform. I also find certain cartridges will exibit your senerio more than others.

I have tested two of the same scales with aluminum platforms and one did what you have experienced and one did not......but both readings once the cartridge was rested on the platform was with in a few 100ths. When I do my final VTF I always check it with two different scales.

[Fido]

Hey thanks Jeff. The scale does seem to work fine once the needle settles down. I was using the old Shure see-saw scale before and I was running my cartridge way too heavy.
I backed the weight off to 1.98 or so and it sounds wonderful. I also figure it must be the magnets in the cart affecting the reading. I also assumed that once the entire weight of the cartridge was sitting on the pad that it wouldn't make any difference.

Hey Julian! I been through Monteagle many many times! I have been really sick so I haven't been on, so sorry for the delayed response. Snow seems to be gone now! I am ready for spring.

[JohnK]

I am enjoying the irony of using a digital gauge to measure an analog playback device! Sorry, couldn't resist!