Microscopes are really useful!

[needlestein]

I was considering getting a USB microscope for SRA, but I came up with a hack. I had a 20x loupe that I held in front of my LG V35 phone and got this for my Shure SC35C with N35X stylus:



I then uploaded into Gimp and used the measure function to get the angle. Only problem is it is not near 92 degrees, I got 98 with the tonearm perfectly level. There is no way to get to 92, the arm would be scraping the record. Anyone else try SRA with Shure stylii?

BTW, I've used Moongel pads to keep the stylus clean over the last year, looks like it is going a great job.

It’s a conical stylus, so alignment is not as critical.  I wouldn’t worry about it.

[robnik33]

I did some more web search, looks like other Shure cartridges are similar. I set the VTA based on listening, best when the tonearm tipped slightly down towards the stylus.

[brambleboy]

hi carl. just wanted to thank you. for a newbie your article was just what I needed to read

[pde2000]

The 1.5 mil goldring G800 stylus does play 78's well, and is most suited to my 4 acoustical antique discs with their very narrow grooves.  Also plays early 33's very well.  The suspension is stiff enough to play at several grams.  Sadly it seems to be probably sapphire rather than diamond, not sure - time will tell.  It even plays modern stereo discs fine, but the IGD is rather obvious.

Here's a pic or 2 or a steel needle after playing 1905 G&T 12" single sided disc;





Although very shallow grooves they still appear to be V shaped.  I have never seen any discs of any type with U shaped grooves.

Edit; I have no vertical cut discs, which do have a U shaped groove, according to https://78rpm.club/record-labels/gennett/

[needlestein]

I just saw a Swift 20X objective on eBay that looked like it might fit the the Shure (Swift) SEK-2 stylus inspection microscope, so I bought it.  The inexpensive price was worth the gamble.

Turns out, it does work and for close calls with the original 10X objective, it could be a real asset. 

I recently purchased for peanuts a used Goldring 910 IGC and under the 10X, it appeared to me that the diamond had a little bit of wear, but I wasn’t sure if I was seeing reflection halos at 200X



Looks like possibly in the neighborhood of 10% wear—maybe just a nice polish, the very very beginning of nascent flats.  Hard to tell.

I installed the 20X objective which doubles the resolving power and here’s what I could see at 400X after adjusting the light.



This is 400X and then cropped very closely giving the appearance of even higher magnification.  But what’s important to see is those perfect tracing edges.  They show no wear.  They don’t quite appear to be the same length and I’m not surprised.  I think there is a lot of variation in how diamonds come out.  I think it’s likely that what the jewelers say is true for phono diamonds: no two diamonds are alike.  Unlike jewelry diamonds, phono diamonds do not, unfortunately, last forever.

[Klemp]

Many years ago I have found a Shure SEK-2 microscope ... I know I am a happy guy.

[wer]

Bought a (glass lens) microscope with an ocular camera. Now i wonder if it tells me anything meaningful?



It is a 1 mil stylus for a GE cartridge (2MP camera).

Another 1 mil, this time with a 0.3MP camera

[RCAguy]

My "stylus certification station" with magnifications to 800x.

[Graceman]

I see we are 27 pages in on this topic - it makes for interesting and inspiring reading.

However, has anyone found a usb microscope that will work on Mac OS 12 (Monterey) which is the only system I have access to?

On that auction site all the descriptors are too vague and when I send a query to a seller, they promise to find out but then don't respond!

Thanks

[wer]

I see we are 27 pages in on this topic - it makes for interesting and inspiring reading.

However, has anyone found a usb microscope that will work on Mac OS 12 (Monterey) which is the only system I have access to?

On that auction site all the descriptors are too vague and when I send a query to a seller, they promise to find out but then don't respond!

Thanks

Unfortunately that would indicate that they do not have a solution 
I can not help you, because i stay away from anything connected to Apples. Is there no way of running a virtual Windows on the Mac?

[Graceman]

I guess that would be possible though I'm reluctant to go that way for just a single requirement.  I'll give it some thought and thanks for the suggestion.

[ianm0]

I see we are 27 pages in on this topic - it makes for interesting and inspiring reading.

However, has anyone found a usb microscope that will work on Mac OS 12 (Monterey) which is the only system I have access to?

On that auction site all the descriptors are too vague and when I send a query to a seller, they promise to find out but then don't respond!

Thanks

I have one that can be wifi connected to my iPhone, so it should work with your Mac. Hear is the link:
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/265208543674?hash=item3dbfa939ba:g:9eIAAOSwpmZfEXsU
They even have a $10 discount code.

[pde2000]

I took advantage of a 20% off ebay deal for another 1042 stylus, so the old reson mica stylus could go on a knackered jico sas.  The shure m97xe sas diamond had mysteriously fallen off.  Could be why I didn't like it so much, if the glue was weak or something?  Anyway the mica stylus sounds pretty good stuck on the boron shaft with a tiny dab of superglue

.

The diamond is pretty worn but its a FG2 so should be good for a bit more miles.

On second thoughts maybe not;



looks like it's shaving the vinyl 

[needlestein]

I took advantage of a 20% off ebay deal for another 1042 stylus, so the old reson mica stylus could go on a knackered jico sas.  The shure m97xe sas diamond had mysteriously fallen off.  Could be why I didn't like it so much, if the glue was weak or something?  Anyway the mica stylus sounds pretty good stuck on the boron shaft with a tiny dab of superglue

.

The diamond is pretty worn but its a FG2 so should be good for a bit more miles.

On second thoughts maybe not;



looks like it's shaving the vinyl 

You can’t tell anything from either of these photos.  The top photo is at the wrong angle and the bottom photo just has some kind of dust on it, likely human skin from your fingertip or just some dust.

[pde2000]

You can’t tell anything from either of these photos.  The top photo is at the wrong angle and the bottom photo just has some kind of dust on it, likely human skin from your fingertip or just some dust.

sorry about the picture quality.  In life the movement of light reveals a flat on the top picture and the whisps of vinyl are the same on other diamonds that have shredded before.  I played an uncleaned copy of Hair (10p charity shop disc) and the diamond got a polish so now it does not shred, just is a bit blunt.



These USB scopes are of limited use for taking a picture, but flashing a light around does show up flats.  Just a loupe is adequate really.

Here's a picture from the correct angle;