VIII. Mounting and adjustment of the pickup cartridge
Figure 18
Figure 18

Figure 19
Figure 19

Figure 20
Figure 20

Figure 21
Figure 21

Figure 22
Figure 22

Figure 23
Figure 23

The TP 63 cartridge wand has been designed for low effective mass and for functional convenience in interchangeable use of more than one pickup cartridge with the turntable. It can be kept safely in the hinged storage case when not in use.

If the pickup cartridge intended for use is not already installed in the cartridge wand, it is to be mounted according to the following instructions:

  1. Place the pickup cartridge facing the transport mounting guide as shown in Figure 18.

  2. Compare the height of the stylus tip with that of the sighting graduations on the front side of the guide. Select the appropriate spacer to bring the stylus in line with the marks. There are 5 different C-spacers available, from 1 to 3 mm thick.


  3. Two of the spacers, A and B, fulfill additional functions; as a consequence, the assembly scheme indicated in Figure 19 should be maintained.

    The A-spacer is identifiable by the guiding ridge along each mounting hole. The shoulders fit into the mounting slits of the cartridge wand to prevent misalignment of the spacer assembly, and, therefore, this spacer must always be used.

    The B-spacer possesses an embossed 0.5 (mm) identification and a collar around each hole. This spacer is intended for pickup cartridges with large mounting holes only; the collars snap into the holes to prevent misalignment of the cartridge.

  4. Remove the metal lifting handle assembly from the headshell. The following steps are performed outside of the wand.

    Disassemble it. Select two screws of appropriate length together with washers and insert them through the mounting holes of the pickup cartridge and the spacers. Secure the assemblagee by screwing on the metal lifting handle with the attached insulating spacer. The screws employed should not now extend more than 1 mm out of the handle when fastened.

  5. Slide the mounted pickup cartridge onto the cartridge wand (Figure 20).

  6. Slide the cartridge wand as far as possible into the mounting gauge. Figure 21 illustrates the correct positon of the stylus tip. The longitudinal position of the stylus can be varied by sliding the cartridge with respect to the arm. If the spacers have been properly chosen, the stylus tip will lie within the sighting slits. After the correct stylus position has been achieved, the mounting screws are tightened. Thereafter, the pickup cartridge should be compared with the edge of the arm on the handle slide as shown in Figure 22. If the two are not parallel, a misalignment of the cartridge is indicated.

  7. Using a pair of tweezers, push the contacts of the tone arm leads onto the connection pinns of the cartridge. The leads are color coded in compliance with international standards, as follows:

    White- Left channel signal lead
    Blue- Left channel shield

    These leads are also to be used when a monophonic pickup cartridge is employed.

    Red- Right channel signal lead (hot, positive)
    Green- Right channel shield (cold, negative)

    The second contact on the green lead is connected to the bare pin on the inner side of the cartridge wand to establish a ground connection between the shield of the right channel and the tone arm. The existence of hum may indicate poor grounding of the cartridge; should hum persist after the instructions in Section III have been followed, consult your THORENS dealer for assistance.

  8. Insert the cartridge wand into the bearing assembly and tighten the knurled nut.

  9. After the tone arm has been mounted and adjusted, it is necessary to verify the correct horizontal position of the cartridge with respect to the platter. Place a mirror on the platter and lower the pickup stylus onto its surface. When viewed from the front, the cartridge must be position symmetrically about its vertical axis. By comparing the cartridge and its mirror image, the correct position may be determined (Figure 23); if necessary, the cartridge can be adjusted by holding the wand and rotating the head part only, until symmetry is achieved.



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