If you have a U-turn Turntable and haven’t experienced the Tonearm issue, you must be lucky. Aren’t you? Recently, I had an issue with my u-turn orbit stylus, and I did go for a u-turn orbit change cartridge. After that, the first thing that happened was u-turn orbit skipping, so I had to rebalance my U-turn tonearm.
Following is the comprehensive way to rebalance the tonearm of the U-turn turntable Tonearm. If you encounter a balancing issue, It will help you manage it.
When does tonearm need to be Rebalanced?
Unbalanced tonearms tend to skim the records. The arms tend to tilt towards the headshell and counterweight, and these forces will make the record jump. Changing the counterweight may cause the u-turn turntable tonearm to become unbalanced. Once the tonearm is out of proper balance, the tonearm must be rebalanced.
Steps to Follow|How to Rebalance a U-turn Tonearm
If your turntable is not balanced, it may be necessary to rebalance the tonearm. Changing the VTF is as simple as loosening the set screw and shifting the weight till you get the desired result. The tonearm should be straight to achieve a perfect balance. After adjusting the counterweight, clip the headshell so that the arm is resting on the platter. The arm should be completely horizontal.
Reminder: You need to get your protractor or alignment tool for readings
Remove the Cartridge First
Before performing the balancing procedure, you must remove the cartridge and clean the record. However, if the record is dirty, it is more likely that the arm is out of balance, which will cause the skips.
Significance of Counterweight
The counterweight is a large, round piece at the rear of the tonearm. This piece moves toward or away from the headshell and the counterweight. It is connected to the cartridge with four pins at the rear. Rotate the needle until it’s in the middle. It should be at its optimum position to keep the record from moving too much or too little.
Adjust Tracking Force
Once the tonearm is level, you need to adjust its tracking force. The counterweight should be set to perfectly horizontal without the user’s intervention. Finally, you should set the anti-skating control to “0” to prevent the tonearm from skipping outward. There is a complete description of the how-to set the tonearm in the u-turn orbit manual, but you need to buy the
Find the Proper Reading
Once the arm is balanced, you can install the cartridge. You must remember to align the cartridge. Before installing the cartridge, make sure the counterweight is zero. After mounting it, make sure your cartridge is correctly aligned using a protractor or alignment tool.
Once the arm is balanced, you must calibrate the counterweight. You must put the counterweight in the corner where the stylus tip rests on balancing the arm. Then you should place the other part of the tonearm. If it still makes problems, then you need a u-turn tonearm upgrade.
You may also check:
- How to Stop a Record from Wobbling [Working Method]
- Are Linear Tracking Turntable Good Enough to use in 2022?
Final Words
Adjusting the balance of a U-turn Tonearm is both simple and challenging at the same time. All you have to do is comply with the steps. Simply follow the instructions from removing the cartridge to reinstalling the counterweight and taking final readings to complete the process.