Linear tracking turntables, whatever happened?

Not necessary to constantly fiddle, with the Trans-Fi at least. However, most fiddles bring a reward, so the temptation is there. Also, with the Trans-Fi adjustments are stable, rather more stable than most conventional arms I have used.

@harold-not-the-barrel 

Good questions. Yes, I support the manifold with an arm bolted to an aluminum column, bolted to the plinth. Actually, I designed my TT to accept this mod, and so the air thrust bushing supporting the platter sits on a panzerholz plinth which is fixed to big blocks of steel. The aluminum column is bolted to one of these steel blocks. The Trans-Fi is bolted to the panzerholz plinth through another aluminum column.

The manifold is slightly extended with a machined aluminum piece which is epoxied into the vee of the manifold. This machined piece has a protruding shelf which accepts a #0-80 screw, which touches the new supporting arm. A 1/16 turn of this screw adjusts height by about 20 microns, acting over a distance of about 30cm (screw to manifold pivot), corresponding to an angle of 0.00007 radians, or about 15 seconds of arc. In practice, I use only about half of this resolution, so adjustments are +/- 30 seconds of arc, which is sufficient. The settings are stable.

I haven't found it necessary to damp the Trans-Fi's base - I think that the air cushion covers that. But I haven't tried it, so I don't really know.

Nice talking with you, Harold. All the best!

@clearthink- Have you owned, possessed and used a linear tracking arm for any length, duration or period of time? I'm curious, wondering and eager to know whether your view, opinion and position on these arms is based on experience, involvement and actuality, since my ownership, use and experience has not really required, mandated or necessitated ongoing adjustments, alterations or calibrations. 
Thank you, regards and salutations, 

Since restoring the Beogram 4002's I use, I've never had to fiddle with them. They just work....

Here in Seattle our marquee high end dealer is Definitive Audio. Their founding location on Roosevelt has the flagship clearaudio turntable, linear tracking arm, and cartridge, feeding a host of similarly ultra-high end components terminating in a pair of Wilsons, sorry I forget the model. I just can't get my brain worked up that hard for stuff that doesn't sound good. And this was the worst most expensive (well over $600k and no that is not a misprint, well over a half a Doctor Evil voice MILLION dollars) pile of audio assault I've ever heard. 

Sorry, but I was only able to remember the other gear long enough to do a web search and come up with the $600k. Because I knew it had to be a phenomenal waste of money. But just how pornographically obscene I could hardly believe even after adding it all up. 

But wait! Sorry! Almost forgot! That doesn't include speaker cables, interconnects, power cords, or power line conditioner! Actually it was probably a cool MILLION dollars worth of audiophool bling.

Linear tracking is one of those things people can think of, that seems like it should be better, just look at all the fancy engineering. Only its not. For proof look no further than the nearby current thread where everyone so far is chiming in saying the same thing, tracking distortion from cartridge alignment just don't matter. Which just happens to be the be-all reason for linear tracking arms. 

A fool and his money.... will find their way to Definitive.... and linear tracking tone arms.

They may not have died and disappeared. But they should have.

Many propositions which do not prove the conclusion. The only relevant proposition is the existence of another thread, which proves little, and certainly not your conclusion. It's called a non-sequitur, Mr. Miller.