Need help with SME 3009 Template

[arunvenkatesan]

Hello Friends
Writing after a long time due to work /shifting home etc,could not spend time on vinyls. I have managed to dust and clean my 301 (oil brg) which is lying around since 2014. Have cleaned up the spindle bearing and oiled the motor, gave a complete clean (cant say a complete professional cleaning but already the tt was pretty good shape). gave a spin and checked speed. all seems to be in order except the speed is correct only when the speed knob is kept at max + position. rest all fine. now I want to try it on a temporary plinth with my SME 3009 Improved(fixed headshell). I do not have an SME template and what I find on the net are not to scale. I have measured the spindle to pivot distance on my TD 160B on which the SME is presently fitted which shows 217mm.
Appreciate your help on how to go about making / cutting the hole or a template to scale. ( FMs in chennai with 301/sme please let me know if I can trouble you to call you for some plinth ideas)

Arun

 

[jls001]

I don't have a ready template for the II Improved on a 301 but I once made it for a 401. The critical number is the mounting distance - 215.4 mm.

It is easy enough to figure out the template for the SME base.

 

[arunvenkatesan]

Joshwa,
thanks for the reply. the doubt is on the mounting distance only. as I mentioned when I measured the distance on my TD160 where the arm is mounted it shows 217mm and the same I read on audiokarma about the same subject. but if we cut the slot towards the spindle instead of forward/aft direction as in my TD160, then i can adjust easily a few mm.About cutting the slot, should I remove the base plate and mark it on the plinth after marking the distance or any other better way to cut the slot. in any case I should confirm 217 or 215.4 before running.

 

[jls001]

Vintage SMEs have lots of mounting distance adjustability due to the sliding mount. So even if your slot is off by two-three mm it doesn't matter as you can adjust final mounting distance by sliding the arm on the mounting bracket.

Do PM me your email ID. I will mail you a protractor I made to adjust the overhang of the II/Improved (IIRC offset is fixed as the headshell hole is just a hole and not a slot like on some other headshells, so offset adjustability is NIL which is probably a good thing as we have one less thing to worry about). Will also mail you the arm base cutout template I downloaded long ago from VE, in case you don't already have it.

You can mark the template on the TD 160's arm base without removing it (but remove the arm that's currently installed), remove it after marking and make the cutout accordingly.

 

[arunvenkatesan]

Good idea Joshwa. will try as you suggested. sent you a PM. Thanks

 

[arunvenkatesan]

Managed to fix the SME with 301 on the temporary plinth. thanks to Joshua for the suggestions and template. but unable to get the correct overhang. as we have to slide the pillar to get the overhang adjusted, I cant decide which one is correct. If I keep spindle to pivot to 215.4mm then I am getting 20mm overhang and if I keep spindle/pivot distance as 217.5 (as given in SME specs and as per my measurement on TD160 then the overhang is 18mm. is this because of the cart Im using( AT15sa /Shibata). Any one used this arm ,please through some light.
could not find exact spindle to pivot distance for SME 3009 S2 improved/fixed headshell.

Joshua- sending you PM

 

[jls001]

Pillar slide is for adjusting pivot to spindle distance. Adjust that to the best of your understanding of what ought to be the pivot-spindle distance (saying this because there are conflicting numbers, and we don't know for sure which is the truth unless we measure it from an original SME protractor).

Since there is no overhang adjustment facility, you must accept whatever overhang you achieve after fitting the cartridge and adjusting pivot-spindle distance.

 

[G401fan]

Nothing to do with the cartridge.

Do you have a protractor for setting tracking angle at both (or any one of ) the inner and outer grooves, that is calibrated for the SME arm? If so, then just slide the arm base back and forth to get the cartridge body perfectly parallel (and I mean perfectly) to the indicator lines, with the stylus tip precisely centered on the spot marked on the protractor. If you get that right, then overhang will take care of itself.