Experience With Linear Tracking Turntables

That formula, AS = 0.1*VTF is a nice rule of thumb, if any of us could possibly measure AS in grams or any other unit of weight.  I understand that Wally Tools make a gadget for that, but otherwise the vast majority of us do not know exactly how much AS we are applying. My point was that the cure for skating is NOT to increase VTF or that cartridges requiring higher VTF are NOT less prone to skating.

I use the lowest magnitude of AS possible with a given tonearm, and I never worry about it after that. However, I do find that some AS is better than none.  As to your experience suggesting that cantilever deviation is never due to not using any AS, I was never in the business so I do not have a vast experience that could speak to that proposition. In my own private experience, setting azimuth off dead center (less than or greater than 90 degrees) has more potential to cause a deviation of the cantilever and especially aberrant stylus wear (worse in my opinion) than does too much or too little AS, unless you crank in an absurd amount of AS.  Many audiophiles seem to think that if the AS adjuster is graduated in numerical fashion (1, 2, 3...), that should correlate with VTF, which is to say that for a VTF of 2g, set AS to 2. Yet I know of no tonearm that comes with that instruction. (I know someone will contradict me, and I am happy to learn of some tonearm that does tell you what their gradations mean.)

For the moderator:  This is the fourth time today that I have had to log in to respond to a post here in the forum.  Something is amiss.

lewm, I am not in Florida so I cannot be certain, but I am going to state here with a certain level of confidence that in the manual for my Technics SL 1200 GAE there is instruction to match the setting for AS to coincide with the setting for VTF.  Frankly I am almost certain that is so.  I worked with Japanese engineers in my profession for many years and in my experience they left nothing to chance. Technics/Panasonic in particular has a reputation for being thorough and accurate in every particular.  

SME brochure for SME IV "The dial is calibrated and should be set to correspond with the VTF in use".

Jelco instruction manual for TK-950S and TK950SL

"It is calibrated from 0 to 3gr in 0.5gr increments and should be set to the same value as the tracking force setting (or somewhat less) pressure."

the manual for my Technics SL 1200 GAE there is instruction to match the setting for AS to coincide with the setting for VTF. 

Jelco instruction manual for TK-950S and TK950SL

"It is calibrated from 0 to 3gr in 0.5gr increments and should be set to the same value as the tracking force setting (or somewhat less) pressure."

And that is the problem.

Shure and Grado did extensive testing with anti-skate, examining in some detail the action of the stylus in the groove ( you can find it in the Shure white papers ) - both their conclusion were that anti skate should be between 25-35% of the tracking force.

On the Van Den Hul XGW I currently run the recommended track force is 1.35-1.49g, and recommended anti-skating 0.6g as tested by the cartridge builder.

Similarly on the Van den Hul Grand Cru that I listen to regularly - recommended tracking force 1.35-1.50g, recommended anti-skate is around 0.2g

Running anti-skate at the same level as the recommended tracking force will kill these cartridges.

If in doubt you should use the cartridge manufacturers recommendation for anti-skate, not the tonearm manufacturer. You would not ask a plumber how to rewire the electrics in your house would you.