Phono Stylus Digital Scale
With our "GrooveForce Tracker" electronic digital stylus force/pressure gauge you will never doubt your actual stylus tracking pressure again! The range is up to 5 grams.
While adjusting your counter-weight is good and necessary, there are several variables that cast doubt about the actual amount of pressure the diamond tip is exerting on the vinyl. Not the least of which is operator unfamiliarity. Additional factors such as a new cartridge of a different weight, & how far the cartridge sticks out beyond the headshell can also make you wonder what is really happening at that tip. FEATURE UPGRADE: As of March 2015 all GrooveForce Trackers will also be 100% compatible with all moving coil cartridges as well as moving magnet. We discovered an issue where some moving coil cartridges affected the scale reading. Moving magnet cartridges are not affected. Competitors' models will likely exhibit this issue for some time. We paid extra for a special feature to allow full compatibility with all magnetic cartridges. Our competition will have to sell through existing inventory and reorder and pay extra if they want to specifically request this feature. If they don't mention their scale is compatible with moving coil cartridges, it isn't. As of Sept. 2017, these are no longer shipping with the included grey foam piece between the scale and the metal guard. We do include a piece of blue foam in place of this grey one.Armed with precise information, one can keep notes as the stylus tip goes thru it's life cycle, you can confidently know when it is time to replace the tip without having to try to learn what it should look like under a microscope. A jeweler's loop is not enough, you must have experience under a special microscope with side lighting to really properly see tip wear.
But, by taking a 'baseline' reading when you 1st setup your stylus and then checking the tracking pressure with your digital gauge as soon as you notice a problem that is not fixed by cleaning the tip, you can then gauge if a big jump up in tracking pressure is necessary to continue 'proper' playback. When this happens, your finely polished diamond tip is on it's way to becoming, well basically a chisel dragging through your grooves. By replacing the needle not too soon & not too late you will confidently know when to invest in a new needle and also not be chiseling out your records for a while until it becomes completely obvious to all that it's time to replace the needle.
Capacity: the 5 Grams version is plenty sufficient for all players starting in about the 1960s and newer. the 15 gram version may be needed for very old record players generally older than the 1960s (this 15 gram scale is no longer in stock).
Originally sold elsewhere for upwards of $149.99 (as of March 27, 2010) We have always offered this scale at well under $100. It comes from the same factory in China as the 'other guys' no matter what "brand name" logo they put on the case.
Compared with the entry level stylus force gauge shown below, this scale has these extra features:
1. Aluminum panel instead of plastic panel to reduce the disturbance of electromagnet fields and provide higher quality.
2. Touch screen buttons.
3. 2*AAA Batteries = less battery maintenance.