Audio Additives Stylus Force Gauge inconstantcy


I recently purchased an Audio Additives Stylus Force Gauge and it is driving me nuts. I get inconstant readings every time I lower the stylus onto the little black dot on the plate. Without moving the arm, every time I lower, raise, lower, etc., I get a different reading between 1.68 - 1.88. The batteries are new, device reads 0.000g at start up, calibration checks out using supplied weight, room temperature is 72F, no interference from tonearm lifter and everything is level.
Anyone else have this problem?
128x128seasoned
@seasoned, one thing to be aware of about the Riverstone gauge is that it is so sensitive merely breathing near it will change the reading. A ceiling fan, wind from an open window, even moving your hand can change the reading. So, set your stylus down, stand still and hold your breath, and take a reading!
I use the ortofon digital scale and believe it or not, the old shure scale works great
Bought the Riverstone few years back and never looked back.

Extremely accurate and repeatable, really like the drop down bracket so stylus is then at same height it would be playing vinyl.


Unfortunately the Riverstone will not work with carts like Benz that use very powerful magnets. I tried it with my Benz Wood SL and it exhibited the classic "negative read" as the cart approached the landing zone. Both on the body platform and on the accessory arm. The folks at Riverstone confirmed they had received some reports about this with carts like Benz. I was disappointed because I otherwise really admired what Riverstone did with the design.

I used the Ortofon and it was so unreliable I threw it in the trash !
The Shure is fine to 1.5 , over that a PITA .
By the way...

@melm- If you owned an AV Designhaus Derenville VPM 2010-1(about $650K) with(say) an Air-Tight Opus 1 or Koetsu Coralstone Platinum($14-15K ea) mounted, you wouldn’t be asking that. Some of, "we"(though: not me) have that kind of scratch, for lab-quality instrumentation(God bless ’em).

This Dereneville VPM 2010-1 is not for sale - it’s never for sale!It’s just a prototype for testing.No one can buy it.

Cheers Rainer
from AVDesignHaus