[Vintage-Audio] Re Cartridges and Styluses

[vintage-audio@mailman.qth.net]

Don't remember the penny routine. My red "Jolly Green Giant" record
played fine at 78 RPM without any additional weight on the arm. I think I
still have that somewhere. The turnover cartridge was generally found on
low to mid scale record changers or on record changers being used with
receivers/amplifiers that did not have a magnetic input.  Also, many 50's
and 60's style record changers could be changed to "turntable style" by
merely pulling the changer spindle and replacing it with a short fixed
spindle.
Pete

On Mon, 30 Jun 2003 14:11:33 -0400 "Duane Fischer, W8DBF"
<dfischer@usol.com> writes:
> Pete,         
>         
> Some were 1 mil and others were 3 mils in depth. The older vinyl 
> required
> anywhere from 3-6 grams, remember putting a penny on the tone arm? 
> That penny
> weighed 4.11 grams!         
>         
> There was a change in the depth and width of the grooves somewhere 
> back there
> and the stylus and tracking weight changed also. I believe it was 
> the late
> sixties to early seventies, but I would not swear to it. I do know 
> that there
> were several variations in the fifties.         
>         
> Yep, I remember those flip over stylus/cartridge units. Did they 
> ever come for a
> turntable though, or just a record changer?            
>         
> Duane W8DBF         
> 
> 
> ----------
> From: manualman@juno.com
> To: vintage-audio@mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [Vintage-Audio] Re Cartridges and Styluses
> Date: Monday, June 30, 2003 12:43 PM
> 
> I thought the tracking weight had to do with the type of stylus 
> and/or
> cartridge and the type of tone arm and its balancing mechanisms. I 
> seem
> to recall  playing 78's required a different stylus size than for 33 
> or
> 45 records but not a different weight. Many of the ceramic 
> cartridges had
> the typical turnover mechanisms (1 side of the cartridge for playing 
> 78's
> and the other side for 33 and 45 playing; each side with a 
> different
> stylus size) mounted in the arm head. Many magnetic cartridges 
> required
> changing out the plug in stylus. I don't recall ever considering the 
> type
> of vinyl when using the various measuring tools to set up the 
> initial
> parameters on a tone arm.
> Pete
> 
> On Mon, 30 Jun 2003 08:51:35 -0400 "Duane Fischer, W8DBF"
> <dfischer@usol.com> writes:
> > 
> >         
> > During the seventies, what was the typical tracking weight 
> > recommended for a
> > stylus used to play stereo records of that era?                
> >         
> > The same question, but for the sixties?        
> >         
> > What about the mono recordings of the middle fifties and then 
> stereo 
> > into the
> > middle to late sixties? 
> >         
> > When did the vinyl industry go from the thicker recordings to the 
> 
> > flimsey 33 1/3
> > records that flexed if you wanted to fan yourself with one? 
> >         
> >         
> > When the vinyl record itself was changed, did the tracking weight 
> 
> > change? If so,
> > to what?         
> >         
> > What was the tracking weight recommended for playing the mono 45 
> rpm 
> > records?
> > What weight is now recommended for the reissues still available 
> from 
> > oldies
> > specialty record stores?         
> >         
> > The wisdom used to be to change the stylus every thousand hours of 
> 
> > use, I think.
> > Does anybody know the truth of the issue? The goal is to minimize 
> 
> > wear on the
> > grooves and to maximize the fidelity.        
> >         
> > Thanks to all for sharing your experience on these issues.         
> 
> >         
> > Duane Fischer, W8DBF         

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