Sony PS-FL77 owners: Can you comment on your tonearm "drop" action?

[b-rider]

I recently noticed that my PS-FL77 tonearm is literally DROPPING the stylus down to the record surface, like you can almost see it bounce. Doesn't look like it's a damped lowering motion, but can anyone with a FL77 watch their own "dropping" action and report what it looks like?

I don't see ANY reference to drop-speed or damping in the service manual.

 

[Tonoje]

Check videos online to compare against your turntable. But arms generally shouldn't drop fast. I don't know about linear models, but probably, as with direct drive etc, you need to clean out and relubricate the lift mechanism with grease of a certain viscosity. There are threads that discuss this and suggest values for old Sonys. The exact viscosity may ultimately be a matter of your preference.

 

[Tonoje]

From the videos I saw:

Arm lowering on this one looked quite abrupt:

This one much less so:

The same in this one:

So I'd say that in the first video, the arm is probably dropping too fast.

I said I don't know about linear models, and I wasn't kidding. Apparently, viscous damping is not involved. I'll take a guess and assume that your arm mechanism is very similar to this Sony model. At just after 2'40", a tension/height adjustment is described that looks like it might be what you need. I still don't see exactly how it works; I'd have to watch the video a few times for that.

 

[b-rider]

Interesting, and thx for the videos. Difficult to tell anything from the 2nd/3rd vid except that it's playing a VERY warped record, you can see the cart moving up/down.

The 4th vid shows what COULD be a FL77 Biotracer arm, I'd have to take the top cover off mine and have a look. What surprises me, though, is I don't recall seeing any descriptions of adjustments within the arm in the factory service manual. Maybe I better check again. I'll also see if I can post a vid of my own arm dropping for the shock value.