BaerWald vs VPI setup protractors

In my experience, the Turntable Basic protractor is fatally flawed in that it does not permit the user to precisely locate and align the spindle with the pivot point of the tonearm.  You've got to aim it by eye at the pivot, which is usually several inches beyond the edge of the protractor surface. Yes, it can be modified by the user to allow for closer approximation, but that's still a big problem with the original design.  And to say it will "work" for any cartridge and tonearm is really to say it will approximately work, because there are minute differences for which it cannot account.  Take a look at the UNItractor or the SMARTractor from Acoustic Sounds, and you will appreciate what those tiny tonearm to tonearm variables might be.  Or even the Feickert.  This is why Mint protractors are made one by one for each tonearm.

In my experience, the Turntable Basic protractor is fatally flawed in that it does not permit the user to precisely locate and align the spindle with the pivot point of the tonearm.

lewn FYI, the VPI alignment jig does just that... what it does not is give you Baerwald.
All of the protractors you mentioned are good, but they are not free like helomech's option... I'd rather spend my money on LPs, but that is just me...

If you print an arc protractor on photo paper, it will give you the same precision as the Mint, minus the mirror for azimuth. For those of us who care about $130....

fsellet

If you print an arc protractor on photo paper, it will give you the same precision as the Mint, minus the mirror for azimuth.

This is mistaken, and shows you don't really understand the basics of phono cartridge setup.

The value of the mirror isn't so much for azimuth - although it's useful for that - but aligning the cantilever for tangency. There's no way to do that with a paper protractor.

@cleeds

The Conrad arc protractor does well without a mirror because of the thoughtful design of the grid layout. If one views the cantilever straight on (not quite from above, but as though one is looking down a barrel), it's quite obvious if it's off by even a small fraction of a degree. I encourage you to try it for yourself.

I would agree with you when it comes to most other protractors, where the grid lines are much too far from the cantilever, or they only include one reference line down the middle of the grid.

The problem with the Mint protractors and the like is that they don’t measure at the exact height of the playback surface. One might be able to experiment with mats and such to approximate a similar height, but it still won’t be as accurate as placing thin paper on an LP. As I mentioned in my first post, another problem with most tractors is spindle hole size. All the Dennison style tractors I’ve used have too much slop at the spindle hole to allow for reliable results.

@cleeds We agree: I know very little about the world. At least I know enough to not assume, and to be civil.