Anyone used a USB microscope to align cartridge?


I am both short and long sighted and its getting harder for me to visually align stylus especially using the MintLP protractors which require a 10x LUPE to be done right. I have seen USB Microscope camera's on eBay etc and some of them go for about $30 while others can run to about $400. All of these USB mmicroscope camera's claim magnification from 10x-200x and beyond. Was wondering if anyone has tried using these to align cartridges and what models you would recommend. The cheaper ones seem too cheap to be true and the more expensive ones should be fine but these offer magnification from 50x or higher and I am thinking this is too high for the prupose of cartridge alignement. Any comments or inputs would be appreciated.
ddriveman

Showing 1 response by moonglum

Although we are 5 yrs down the line I agree with Stanwal. ;^)
The Graham is the easiest method I've ever used and the most easily re-checked (i.e. by putting it back on the jig any change in position due to applying the stylus guard or loosening of cartridge screws is immediately apparent - as I discovered recently!)
The only advice I would give is to be careful with self-induced parallax errors.
The Graham method is very comfortable and easy on the eyeballs with minimal risk of damaging the cart during install.

On the subject of parallax errors I would also suggest that using a 400X or 800X magnifier on a cart is not as straightforward as the casual purchaser might think. Ideally, the cart would be attached to a machined platten with the microscope locked on to it and with the capability of adjusting it to an exact measuring position. Since you really want the stylus to be standing upright on the LP at the time of measurement such accuracy isn't even remotely possible without a variety of angular errors occurring. Eyeballing cartridge vs microscope orthogonality isn't a reference point I would personally rely on.
Just my opinion...