Thanks, Al for these thoughts and observations. Andy Baron Santa Fe
On Sep 10, 2008, at 4:34 AM, ClockworkHome at aol.com wrote: > IMHO - My vote would be NO, NO, and NO. > > The effective pressure a stylus exerts on the record is a function > of contact > area. When a record has the correct diameter stylus riding in the > groove the > weight is distributed evenly across the total contact. To put a 4 > minute > stylus in the middle of a 2 minute groove raises the effective > contact pressure > by having a smaller contact point. It is the same weight but on a > much smaller > area. I have examined 2 minute records played with the wrong 4 > minute stylus > under a microscope and can see the new track cut into the wax and a > path of > compression on a 2 minute celluloid which did handle the pressure > much better > but was not completely unmarred. > > The Diamond B has a round point contact as opposed to the elliptical > contact > area of the doorknob C and H styli. The effective pressure per unit > area on > the recording medium is thus higher than the elliptical. I would > surmise that > some deformation of the 2 minute groove occurs. I may get out my > microscope > and check at some future slack time. > > I have a number of Bacigalupi brown wax recordings that were not > done with a > pantograph copier but were individual takes. While not great they > are very > presentable. I took one that was not too hot and tried a Model C on > it. The > wax was deformed with peaks being worn. The stylus ended up with a > wax build up > on it. When played with an Automatic the distortion was very > apparent up to > the point I quit playing with the Model C. > > Occasionally one may find a 4 minute R that has been fitted with a 2 > minute > stylus by someone along the way. It will play 2 minute records very > well as > will an N with a 2 minute stylus. The bugbear of the R and S is > that getting > the swollen potmetal out of the adapter shoe is a pain when one > wants to put in > new gaskets and service the diaphragm. A rebuilt R with a tuned up > diaphragm > and 2 minute stylus plays records very well. > > There is one more dimension to stylus pressure problems. A sapphire > 4 minute > stylus will flatten more quickly on celluloid than wax Amberols. > The flat > spot will damage wax Amberols when it gets too wide. Even the > diamond stylus > will eventually become worn and thus increase wear on even the Blue > Amberols. > > There is a reason that "modern" LP turntables strove to get the > tracking > weight down below 2 grams. Less record wear was the goal. Edison > was no doubt > aware of the problem when the company trimmed the weights on the O > reproducers > to a trowel shape. Why they did not do all the O weights this way > consistently > is a mystery with an answer sitting somewhere in the Edison Site > vault. > > Kindest Wishes to All, > > Al > > > > > **************Psssst...Have you heard the news? There's a new > fashion blog, > plus the latest fall trends and hair styles at StyleList.com. > (http://www.stylelist.com/trends?ncid=aolsty00050000000014) > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org
