ORTOFON - Tonearm weight scale - beam scale

Turntable setup - Tonearm balance - Ortofon

The tracking force is one of the most important parameters of the entire analog system - and one of the most frequently misadjusted. Even a deviation of ±0.2 g from the manufacturer's reference value can mean an audible difference in sound: too little tracking force leads to tracking distortion and increased record wear, too much puts unnecessary strain on the needle and groove. The scale on the tonearm counterweight is only a rough guide - a direct measuring tool on the stylus tip is a more reliable method.

The Ortofon bar scale is exactly that: a simple, robust, battery- and current-free pivot tool directly from the Danish cartridge specialist, who has known how to set cartridges correctly for over 100 years. No display, no electronics, no misinterpretation - by balancing the bar, the scale immediately indicates whether the set tracking force corresponds to the selected measuring point. Measuring range 0.8 to 3 g.

The handling is very uncomplicated: Look up the recommended contact force of the mounted cartridge in the technical data. Place the stylus tip very carefully in the grooved guide track of the scale at the corresponding gram mark. Then adjust the counterweight on the tonearm or the tracking force scale until the bar of the Ortofon scale settles horizontally. If the bar tilts downwards, the tracking force is too high - if it stays up, it is too low.

The scale is particularly useful after a cartridge change, after readjusting the tonearm or for regularly checking existing settings. Even if you are using your turntable for the first time and do not fully trust the scale markings on the counterweight, this scale provides direct, independent confirmation at the point of contact itself - exactly where the tracking force is actually applied.