Reed 2G magnetic antiskate

iseland

We all wish some trick would get it right, but my experiences do not agree with what you describe.

While it is vital, anti-skate is tricky, friction changes during play, the friction in a groove is different than just the tip on a blank surface.

all we can do with a blank LP it make an approximation, then use music with easy to discern Imaging to refine the adjustment.

I use the blank side of an LP to get started, then I confirm my system is balanced by playing the CD version, and after that, I play the last two tracks of this LP

https://www.discogs.com/master/68141-Al-Di-Meola-John-McLaughlin-Paco-De-Lucia-Friday-Night-In-San-Francisco

with only the sounds of 3 guitarists playing. You can readily hear Paco on the Left, John in the Center, Al on the right.

LAST, after everything else is aligned, and tracking force is set (zero anti-skate applied)

start with the blank side of an LP (other side of my Hudson HiFi Protractor)

1. confirm there is inward skate, there should be, if not something is wrong

2. confirm anti-skate mechanism is working (OP’s is not)

3. adjust anti-skate for two locations, a little in from the edge, a little out from the label area, and find a compromise, if any slight movement, I allow a bit inward pull, I never allow outward pull.

NOTE: this is not correctly set, it is just to get ready to use your ears for final adjustment

4. play the CD (or Stream?), get familiar with the Imaging of the last 2 tracks 4 and 5, they are the only tracks when all 3 guitarists play. Confirm your system’s L/R BALANCE is correct. No other sounds distract from the 3 primary guitars.

5. play the Vinyl, refine anti-skate force to get the imaging the same as the CD.

Recently, I mounted/aligned/calibrated two cartridges, using the blank LP.

When refining by EAR, I added a bit more anti-skate to one arm, and reduced anti-skate a bit on the other arm, so what the heck does that tell me/us: It’s tricky!!!!!

I have this album, so I will try...thx!!

Now that that’s settled, what’s wrong with your tonearm AS device?

I disagree that setting AS is tricky. The skating force is variable across the LP surface, as repeatedly noted, and AS is either constant or changing linearly, depending upon the design of the mechanism. Therefore the best one can hope for is to set AS somewhere within the upper and lower boundaries of the skating force, which is easy to do for a given tonearm and VTF. Then relax and never think about. For example, Elliot, in your complex method, what would be lost if you went directly to the play an LP with familiar music part, your last step?

"yes, the forward one attracts, the rear one repels"

that does not make sense to me,

the anti-skate force once set, should remain constant throughout the full arc of the armwand.

as the arm is pivoting, those two round elements change their position relative to the ’fixed location’ of the end of the adjuster (which is moved closer or further away within the threaded shaft).

how does this work? I'm having a hard time visualizing the shifting attract/repel forces, as they occur/shift within the arc.

I suppose attraction in front of the pivot pulls outward for a while, and repulsion behind the pivot could also maintain an outward force.

how to keep it regulated, some brainiac was involved, that's not me!

Skating forces are max on the outer LP, and decrease

as the arm tracks inward. I will presume the designer/engineer figured out

how to create  varying antiskating force by the placement of these magnets. 
They should know how to do this better than me….