Calling All (Any) Cartridge Alignment Experts in Western North Carolina

While you track down the ‘scope guru, order a MintLP protractor and get yourself a cheap USB microscope. Accurately setting up a cart isn’t that difficult if you’re not optically straining (and you’re using a mirrored arc protractor). Will a ‘scope allow for a more accurate setup? Yup. Will you be able to tell the difference? Doubt it. 

 I guarantee you a stiff neck, bleary eyeballs, and frustration if you use the Mint.

This is why a USB microscope (with a small stand attachment) is so helpful. Once you have the alignment and focus of the microscope set, it’s very easy to confirm alignment of the cantilever and physical azimuth. Plus there’s no stiff neck, bleary eyeballs or frustration. Sure, using a ‘scope may yield “better” results, but for the love of all things holy, don’t let really, really good be the enemy of great. 

My USB stand is very small and sits on the platter itself. Took me probably 90 seconds to position the scope, set focus, and rotate for relative perspective. 
The Technics 1200G table (presumably with stock arm and headshell) is a pretty known table...there’s enough practical experience to determine the appropriate parameters for an arc protractor. 
You seem to be very defensive about Yip and the MintLP product. I apologize if I’ve struck a nerve. I have no dog in this hunt. Respectfully, I just don’t think a SMARTractor will deliver 4x the benefit at 4x the cost (especially if you’re not frequently setting-up a litany of tables, swapping tonearm and cartridges, or experimenting with different alignment geometries). 
Also not sure how a SMARTractor is any better at VTA / SRA, azimuth, or....VTF(?) than the Mint offering.

Sure, a ‘scope can help optimize those parameters, but as we’ve established, that type of resource may not be practical.