Mechanical vs Digital Stylus Pressure Gauge: What is More Accurate?

I found my old Shure stylus pressure gauge in a shelf and it looked sad and lonely, not being used for centuries.
So, just for giggles, I thought to try it. I set it up for a reading of 1.80 g and then I checked with my two digital gauges, an Ortofon DS-1 and a cheap no name digital scale.
They both agreed that the VTF was 2.00 g instead of 1.80 g which means that the Shure was off. Significantly off.
I was surprised cause I always thought that the mechanical Shure was accurate. I guess not.
So, am I right in thinking that the digital scales offer more accuracy?

I remember when the Shure was the only option and when the digital scales appeared they were very expensive. Now you can purchase them for less than $20.
I guess we have come a long way since these days.

 

A while back I bought one of those Shure gauges. What a pain in the a$$ to use compared to the digital gauge. I never did compare their accuracy against each other. The digital gauge though has always spot on with what the number on the weight says. And this is on several vintage turntables.

 

I have a Shure level gauge and a cheap digital one and they pretty much agree but the digital is much easier to read and goes out a coupla decimal places to I uae that.

 

Mine is pretty close, Shure reads 1.90 while digital reads 1.95 ... the Shure of course loses accuracy when you go above 1.5 grams, but back then they tracked at a gram or less

 

The digital has a calibration weight
So let it 0
Then calibrate to 5 gm
Should be very actuated

a new penny weighs exactly 2.50 gm
Dime 2.268

 

Both gauges are, in fact, mechanical. The displays vary in an attempt to assist a reading.

 

Interesting, I did not know that they become less accurate above 1.5, that's good to know. That digital gauge is the same as mine.

 

Well, maybe resolution is a better term, the scale effectively changes from 0.05 gram index markings to 0.10 gram markings.

 

Classic test question: Describe precision vs. accuracy.

Not exactly a challenge in this group, but very few non-geeks know the difference.

Just rhetorical guys; I miss school sometimes.

Cheers,
Robert

 

Accuracy: how close to the actual value
Resolution: how many pieces the range is broken into eg, if range is 10, with 20 graduations, resolution is 1/20 or 5%
with digital usually decimal places

 

Well, kind of, but I think all of the digital scales use a strain gauge element, which is an electrical sensor, force to resistance. So compromise and call it electro-mechanical

 

Transducer

or mechanical - electrical ?

 

I have used the Shure for years and it is surprisingly accurate but can be tricky to use.

I recently bought a Riverstone Digital gauge (great product, no affiliation), and suffice to say, the Shure is now retired, and will be used in emergencies if for some reason the Riverstone fails.

 

Although resolution can be related to accuracy, they are not the same. But the interesting thing is that rhetorical is not understood.

Cheers,
Robert

 

it was for the non-geeks

 

A nickel is 5 grams.

 

Close enough
+0.8%

 

I have both types. Like some of the others have mentioned, the digital is far easier and faster to set up and use. I wanted to get the digital right from the start but some people "in the know" suggested the Shure. I resisted for 3 years but I finally got the digital scale. My old eyes cast the deciding vote. I have checked the digital scale with test weights and it is very accurate.

 

If you have an expensive to replace stylus digital would be better to dial the vtf in most accurately to squeeze every last drop of life out of the stylus tip.

 

This is something that has intrigued me for a long while. I have owned three Rega Turntables....all employing a Rega Exact cartridge, set to the "recommended" 1.75gms. I f I set that stylus pressure via the table "gauge", and then check with a digital scale, there is a measurable difference between the two.
I am wondering if Rega are suggesting just to set the "dial" at 1.75, and trust all is well, rather than set via a scale?

 

I'd be inclined to take what the scale says any day of the week.

 

That would be the logical approach....I just wonder on a"higher end" Rega (P8 for example) why the "dial in" seems less than accurate....but of course how accurate are my digital scales?

 

Do you have a calibration weight?
Mine has a 5g weight that came with the scale.

You could always go analogue with a Shure SFG-2
I was forced to use mine last time I needed to set downforce (batteries were dead in the digital balance), and when I checked a few days later with the digital gauge (new batteries fitted) it was bob on.

I wouldn't trust any of the setting dials and whatnots with a Rega arm.

 

Yes....I do have the weight....perhaps I should recalibrate and test again:

 

Trust the scale. A good measurement is always better than just blindly assuming the mechanical dial is calibrated exactly so. Furthermore, there may be production varying and local installation situations that result in variability. You can't go wrong with a measurement. If you're concerned about the accuracy of the measuring device, these digital scales are easily check and calibrated.

Mechanical dials can be all over the place -- like, I have a oven with a dial with a tremendous amount of play in it. I always check the surface wall of the oven temperature with an infrared thermo instead of relying on that dial to tell me even close to accurately what the oven temp is.