Setting right tracking force

[Chet63]

i need some help. using ortofon vms 30 mk2 cart with denon dp-35f tt...i was setting up tracking force using denon manual, and set the right tracking force with knobs since it is electronically controlled ( or so i thought)...

since it skips a lot i checked tracking force with digital scale and it was way off...0.6 grams instead of 1.3g...

i moved counterweight and set the right tracking force and set 2 knobs to the same value...but, i am not sure is electronic tracking force messed things up again?
if electronic tracking force is not precise is it the right method to set tracking force with denon tt's which have unorthodox settings...?

 

[NachoTemino]

Don't know how that Denon sets VTF, but a digital scale is allways handy to check. If you have managed to setthe right VTF, just forget it and enjoy your music.

That VMS30MK2 is such a wonderful cartridge that deserves good care, specially if you still use the original stylus and it is in good shape.
One of my cartridges is VMS15Mk2 with an original Ortofon Stylus i found and I am absolutely in love.

 

[Chet63]

Don't know how that Denon sets VTF, but a digital scale is allways handy to check. If you have managed to setthe right VTF, just forget it and enjoy your music.

That VMS30MK2 is such a wonderful cartridge that deserves good care, specially if you still use the original stylus and it is in good shape.
One of my cartridges is VMS15Mk2 with an original Ortofon Stylus i found and I am absolutely in love.

denon don't have tracking force gram labels on the counterweight, but tracking force is controlled electronically...when i do that, vtf is way off...at the end, i manually move counterweight and set tracking force using digital scale...but, you still have to move tracking force knob somewhere and that's what i am asking: is electronic messed up my manual vtf settings again....

agree about vms30mk2, it is fantastic and i can't find anything from recent production which comes close...i do have original stylus and i have slightly used original spare stylus as well....

 

[Mr Boochie]

denon don't have tracking force gram labels on the counterweight, but tracking force is controlled electronically...when i do that, vtf is way off...at the end, i manually move counterweight and set tracking force using digital scale...but, you still have to move tracking force knob somewhere and that's what i am asking: is electronic messed up my manual vtf settings again....

agree about vms30mk2, it is fantastic and i can't find anything from recent production which comes close...i do have original stylus and i have slightly used original spare stylus as well....

You can't turn off the electronic option?

 

[Chet63]

You can't turn off the electronic option?

it looks like this on denon and some other denon models...theoretically, you balance the tonearm, set desired values with these knobs, and that's it...but, as i've said, it's way off in such case..

i can turn the knobs to zero but don't know is electronic still doing something and messed up my manual settings, can't use digital scale every time i started turntable... denon has servo arm, and i suppose every time you start tt electronic is doing some checking or something...

 

[Mr Boochie]

it looks like this on denon and some other denon models...theoretically, you balance the tonearm, set desired values with these knobs, and that's it...but, as i've said, it's way off in such case..

i can turn the knobs to zero but don't know is electronic still doing something and messed up my manual settings, can't use digital scale every time i started turntable... denon has servo arm, and i suppose every time you start tt electronic is doing some checking or something...

View attachment 3128143

What a pain!

You will need to go through the electronics to figure out the solution.

Link to the service manual.

https://turntable.nethouse.ru/stati...a/cc/914a08d9b2f9a6105a6d788ec20837639e74.pdf

 

[Chet63]

@Mr Boochie

tt is working fine and sounds fine, but this one makes me wonder...i set up tracking force manually, set the knobs to the same value, and everything looks ok...tomorrow during daylight i will check tracking force with digital scale again and see what happens and if mine settings still stand...

i hope some fellow denon users will jump in with some experiences about settings...


thanks for manual...

 

[Doug G.]

I sold those Denons back in the eighties and customers were impressed with the electronically-controlled tone arm but I never liked that idea because I knew that eventually, anything electronic gets out of whack (I am an electronics guy) and sure enough...

I like relying on good old gravity. It's always there and consistent.

Doug

 

[leakingwater]

Those knobs are just potentiometers. Clean them with contact cleaner and see if it improves. Sometimes just working them back and forth a dozen times can work wonders too.

 

[Ilikevinyl]

I sold those Denons back in the eighties and customers were impressed with the electronically-controlled tone arm but I never liked that idea because I knew that eventually, anything electronic gets out of whack (I am an electronics guy) and sure enough...

I like relying on good old gravity. It's always there and consistent.

Doug

Less is better, is what I say.