ORB SMF-2 Stylus Force Gauge

[audiocraz]

Stylus Force Gauge

Has anyone use this ORB SMF-2 Stylus Force Gauge? Please share your opinion on this gauge and also what you're currently using.

http://orb-audio.jp/english/sfm-2.htm

 

[audiocraz]

What kind of stylus force gauge are you using now? Please share and thanks.

 

[ripblade]

Haven't tried the Orb but seeing as it's made in Japan, I figure you can't go wrong.

How much are they selling for?

 

[Blue Shadow]

Seems way too much money for this operation. Since I use a Shure SFG-2 and tonearm calibrations on those tonearms that have the feature, I guess I'm just old-fashioned about this aspect.

For the life of me I just don't know how important it is to have the tracking force at 1.62 instead of 1.63.

I like the limited scale of this ORB unit. 0-15 grams. Many have seen the link in $ & ¢ for the scale that costs under 10 bucks on the bay. This one has a much higher capacity. I always like the capacity to be a reasonable multiple of the expected measurement. A few times, not 50 times like the 100-gram capacity scales would have. This 0-15 capacity allows the scale to work in the sweet part of the range, not one end of the range.

But what do I know, using old balance scales, to dial in 1.6 grams, the hell with anything in the third digit.

 

[audiocraz]

Haven't tried the Orb but seeing as it's made in Japan, I figure you can't go wrong.

How much are they selling for?

It's 465 on eBay and 431 in one of the Jap audio site.

 

[audiocraz]

Seems way too much money for this operation. Since I use a Shure SFG-2 and tonearm calibrations on those tonearms that have the feature, I guess I'm just old-fashioned about this aspect.

For the life of me I just don't know how important it is to have the tracking force at 1.62 instead of 1.63.

I like the limited scale of this ORB unit. 0-15 grams. Many have seen the link in $ & ¢ for the scale that costs under 10 bucks on the bay. This one has a much higher capacity. I always like the capacity to be a reasonable multiple of the expected measurement. A few times, not 50 times like the 100-gram capacity scales would have. This 0-15 capacity allows the scale to work in the sweet part of the range, not one end of the range.

But what do I know, using old balance scales, to dial in 1.6 grams, the hell with anything in the third digit.

I've got the Shure SFG-2 but my eyesight doesn't help much. Everytime I used the Shure it's way out due to the fact that my eyes unable to calibrate well. I need a digital gauge.

 

[ripblade]

It's 465 on eBay and 431 in one of the Jap audio site.

Wow, at that price I don't expect they'll sell very many. I guess they won't have to. Still, I'd feel more comfortable with one of these than one of the cheap ones that are littering eBay these days.

I use a general purpose digital scale that I adapted with a dropped shelf to measure VTF. It self calibrates when it's turned on and is accurate to .1 gm which is good enough for me. I had a Shure SFG-2 at one time but found the steel beam was inappropriate for the large magnets in a moving coil.

 

[saea501]

Good grief! Talk about over kill. This thing weighs a half pound.

Gimme a break. I'm with Blue Shadow. I still use my trusty SFG-2, have for 40 years. Works perfectly. You DO NOT need to measure tracking force in tenth gram increments.

$400+......puleeeze.......

By the way ripblade, you got me thinking....I use a Denon DL103D moving coil and I have never noticed any problem when balancing the arm with my SFG-2. I just checked, my balancing arm is not steel, maybe aluminum. But it's not ferrous.

 

[4dryhme]

No offense but that much money for a scale is a complete and utter rip off. I use one of those ultra cheap digital scales from ebay that another member here turned me onto. 8$ including the shipping. Done. [Had written that it was accurate to the hundreths just like the ORB unit but had misremembered -- it's accurate to the tenths.]

 

[ripblade]

By the way ripblade, you got me thinking....I use a Denon DL103D moving coil and I have never noticed any problem when balancing the arm with my SFG-2. I just checked, my balancing arm is not steel, maybe aluminum. But it's not ferrous.

It could be they changed materials over time - mine was fairly new....maybe 5 years old now. It was made in Mexico.

I forget which cartridge I was using at the time, but the beam came up and flattened the cantilever against the pickup body, nearly damaging it. Definitely ferrous.

 

[saea501]

It could be they changed materials over time - mine was fairly new....maybe 5 years old now. It was made in Mexico.

I forget which cartridge I was using at the time, but the beam came up and flattened the cantilever against the pickup body, nearly damaging it. Definitely ferrous.

HOLY CRAP! That is a problem. Yea, mine is anything but new. I think I got it about 1972 or so.