Troubleshoot tracking issue

Frank: Interesting about the cartridge ;--) I've been using the same SME V for about 18 years, so there's probably nothing I don't know about its quirks ;-) OK, the tonearm wires are completely internal in an SME V and terminate in a DIN plug -- so no torque can be produced from that part of the system.

However, you seem to be unaware (as many people are, apparantly) that the (rubber covered) sector arc of the SME V's tonearm lift mechanism is height adjustable! Yup! And for the very reason/problem you are encountering. It involves using a tiny, TINY, Allen wrench (think about 1/64th inch) that you plunge through a (seemingly invisible) hole in the center of the rubber covering (right above the lift post) and you have to feel for the Allen socket underneath. When the wrench is locked into the socket, you can turn it cw/ccw to adjust the height of the platform so that it can drop fully away from the tonearm. This is covered in the Owner's Manual and if you need either the manual or the wrench, you should contact Sumiko USA.

Another different but related problem with the SME V has to do with the fat armtube cross-section at the rear of the tube. If your cartridge is too short -- i.e. the height from the stylus to the top of the cartridge body surface (where it rests against the headshell) then it is quite possible, once you've adjusted the armpost height for proper SRA, for the rear/bottom of the armtube to hit the edge of the record when the stylus reaches the inner groove(s). I've had this problem with (most recently) van den Hul and Transfiguration cartridges. SME is aware of this (and has been for years!) and offers a "headshell spacer" a 1/8" thick aluminum blank that you insert between the top of the cartridge and the headshell to build up the cartridge body's height. Also available from Sumiko.

Neil

Neil, thanks for the info!

Yes, I am aware that the lift mechanism can be adusted. I took a closer look at how it was lowered when I turn the lever. The lift will eventually dropped completely clear of the arm tube. That's why after the initial issue, the cartridge would play through the entire side without any issue.

So my take is that the lift is not lowering down fast enough at the beginning, so that by the time the stylus hits the groove, the lift is still somewhat supporting the armtube, thus temporarily decreasing the VTF. And that cause the cartridge to glide through the surface until the lift is completely lowered, and allowed the full VTF to be applied to the stylus. That's my theory.

I tried shifting the lift up and down a few times to "warm" it up, and the problem would go away. But that's not something I want to do every time I play a side of an LP.

Thanks eveyrone for all your great input!

FrankC

Frank, if the arm is about 8 years old, there is a good chance the 'dashpot' (the spring/silicon/piston mechanism) needs cleaning and fresh silicon - there is a DIY procedure which you can get (along with fresh silicon) from SME directly or from Sumiko. This never happened to mine, luckily and about 4 years ago (when my arm was about 14 years old) I sent the whole shebang back to England for better internal wiring and a complete overhaul, so they took care of the dashpot. You could however, just remove the dashpot by itself and return it to SME. It's not that hard to do.

Oh yes, one possible simple remedy (similar to your shifting the lift lever up and down) is (with the arm in its rest) to fully drop the lever while gently-but-firmly pushing down on the rubber platform with your finger. Doing this a few times can redistribute the silicon and you might get a few more years out of it ;-)

-N
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