theaudiophileman.com/rega-atlas/

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

for anyone interested, nz distributors rmc, will have this priced at $325.

if you've seen the analog planet rega factory visit video, you will know this was designed as a tracking force gauge from the ground/platter ? up, it is not an adaptation of a portable scale like other gauges.

At 10 times the price of the usual digital gauges: No Thanks.

Aside from reasonable accuracy, one of the important requirements IMO for a Stylus Force gauge, is for the measuring platform to be set at close to record level.

Not sure if the Rega Atlas bothers to meet this criteria.

Especially beware with tonearms that have 'underslung' counbterweights, the goemetry of which allows significant tracking force variation with stylus height.

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the instructions on the rega website say first remove the platter mat before placing the atlas on the platter.

i like the curved base and the dimple in the sensor pad.

both should promote consistent readings.

I'd look at one if it was around the $100 mark, but not at the current price.

Hi Owen,

What do you mean by significant tracking force variation ? My understanding is that there is some leeway in the manufacturers recommendations anyway ? So how accurate does it need to be ?

Jun 29, 2017 22:27:16 GMT 12 Owen Y said:

Aside from reasonable accuracy, one of the important requirements IMO for a Stylus Force gauge, is for the measuring platform to be set at close to record level.

Not sure if the Rega Atlas bothers to meet this criteria.

Hmmmm... So a vastly over priced tracking force scale, designed from the ground up for just such a purpose that fails to take into account one of the more important parameters of an accurate and user friendly vtf gauge. Pass. This industry really does take the piss.

michaelw could be right, the baseplate of the Atlas does look about the thickness of a platter mat, but we know that records are only 1-2mm thick, so it would still appear to me that the stylus platform is a rather high.

The vast majority of tonearms have their counterweights on same axis as the arm wand, but some have counterweight 'underslung' and/or really close to the pivot and/or offset down to stylus level. All of these setups may have other advantages but create a geometry where up/downward movement of the tonearm will change the tracking weight - just something to be aware of.

This example is extreme maybe, but you can see how the c/wt moves closer to the pivot as the arm swings up:


Examples of 'offset' counterweights:

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I hadn't really thought about it before, the benefit of an underhung weight being touted as lowering of the centre of gravity but you are correct it also creates an out of balance moment of inertia.