Problem in fixing Shure Cartridge to my Technics Headshell

jani schrieb:

Hi, I am facing few problems while setting up my Shure M97xE Cartridge to my Technics SL1210 MK5 TT. The problem I am facing is I am not sure which end of the headshell top will the screws be fitted.Will it be at the end close to me or at the farthest end on the top?Also the cartridge is not fixing firm with the headshell as its moving a bit between the farthest and near end of the headshell. Now why is this happening and what's the technique followed while fixing the cartridge to this Technics Headshell. Please help.

LOL! you have gotten yourself in a load of trouble getting into vinyl!! It looks like you took the plunge while being COMPLETELY ignorant about TT setup. You are so clueless that I'm amused....
But..............I give you many + points for being the brave soul to figure this out w/ some help. Sometimes the best way to learn to swim is to simply jump in the water & figure it out.

The headshell has 2 slots (rather than just 2 holes) because you will need to move the cartridge up/down in those slots until it is aligned. Additionally, you might need to rotate the cartridge left/right -j-u-s-t- a little during the alignment process (I know that I had to).

What you need is a protractor (not the compass-protractor you used for Geometry in school) - a cartridge alignment protractor. Several free are available. Here is the link to one such free protractor:

free cartridge alignment protractor

print it out & EXACTLY follow the instructions.

This protractor uses the 2-point alignment technique & I *think* that it uses the Loefgren alignment technique (there are other techniques such as Baerwald & Stevenson). NOTE: I HAVE ASSUMED THAT YOUR PIVOT TO SPINDLE DISTANCE IS 222MM. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT ASSUMPTION ON MY PART (BUT I THINK THAT I AM CORRECT BECAUSE YOU ARE USING THE TECHNICS SL1210 TT WHICH IS AN OLD ENOUGH MODEL THAT USED THE POPULAR 222MM PIVOT-SPINDLE DISTANCE).

Once you print out the alignment tool & create a hole at the top-center such that the tool can slid over your spindle, you can then commence the alignment process. Be warned that the alignment process is a TEDIOUS & TIME-CONSUMING PROCESS. If you experience that you are going blind during the process, be sure that you are on the correct track! that is EXACTLY how it should feel.

Put the cartridge in the middle of the slot. Finger tighten the screws that attach the cartridge to the headshell. Adjust the cartridge alignment tool such that it is along the path that the tonearm sweeps on the platter. Adjust the tonearm-cartridge combination such that it is over the outer-edge "S" cross-hairs. Now, pull the lever that is normally used to drop the stylus onto the LP & ENSURE that the tip of the stylus lands EXACTLY at the center point of the "S" cross-hairs. You will need a flashlight (or "torch" as it's called in India) to ensure this. Once you are 100% sure, take some cello-tape & tape the cartridge alignment tool to the platter. At this point, the cartridge alignment tool CANNOT move even a fraction of a mm.

Next, use the lever to lift the stylus off the cartidge alignment tool. Swing the tonearm-cartridge combination to the inner-edge "S" cross-hairs. Adjust the tonearm until you feel that the stylus tip is EXACTLY at the center of the cross-hairs of the inner-edge "S".

you will VERY QUICKLY find that it's not so easy!
You will have to wiggle the cartridge back/forth + twist it left/right to get the alignment.

Do NOT play your LPs w/o proper alignment otherwise the diamond stylus tip will rip thru the LP grooves & will destroy your LPs once & for all!

hope that this helps.......