Feickert Universal Turntable Protractor

Alignment for Arms from 8.6 to 17.7 Inches — and the Pivot-to-Spindle Distance First

The Feickert Universal Protractor covers tonearms with effective lengths from 8.6 to 17.7 inches. Unlike a printed template, it sets the arm's pivot-to-spindle distance as well as the cartridge geometry — which is the step most setups skip and most arms get wrong.

A cartridge on a pivoted arm traces an arc across a record cut in a straight line. Every alignment geometry assumes the arm was mounted at a specific distance from the spindle. If that distance is wrong, aligning the cartridge only hides the error.

Accuracy, Range and Fit

What It Sets and How

The Feickert works with arms of 8.6 to 17.7 inches effective length, which reaches well past the 9- and 10-inch arms on most turntables and into 12-inch designs and beyond. That span is why it earns the word universal.

It measures pivot-to-spindle distance directly, then aligns the cartridge to the geometry that distance implies. Doing them in that order is the difference between a setup that is correct and one that is merely self-consistent.

It assumes a radial, pivoted tonearm. A tangential or linear tracker has no pivot-to-spindle distance in this sense and follows its maker's own alignment procedure instead, so confirm which kind of arm you are working with before ordering.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Edward Barker wrote on 6moons in December 2005 that "it is extraordinary how often arms arrive set up at the wrong pivot-to-spindle distance or with no ability to move the arm to the required overhang" — the case for measuring the distance rather than assuming it.

Who Is the Feickert Protractor Best For?

• You are mounting an arm, not just a cartridge — it sets pivot-to-spindle distance, which templates assume is already right
• You run a 12-inch arm — the range reaches to 17.7 inches, past where most tools stop
• You own several turntables — one tool covering 8.6 to 17.7 inches replaces a drawer of templates
• You suspect your arm was mounted wrong — this is the tool that tells you rather than working around it
• Your arm is a tangential or linear tracker — those align by a different principle; the pivoted-arm tools are in cartridge alignment tools

How Do You Set Up and Use It?

Start with the mounting distance: locate the protractor on the spindle and measure to the arm's pivot, adjusting the arm if your turntable allows it. With the distance correct, move to the cartridge — lower the stylus to the first reference point, align the cantilever, then check the second and go back to confirm the first.

Pairs Well With

What most owners of an alignment tool shop next.

• Stylus force gauges — geometry and force are the two halves of a cartridge setup
• Phono cartridges — a protractor is what makes fitting one yourself reasonable
• Test records — for hearing whether the alignment landed
• Tonearms — the mounting distance a protractor measures is set when the arm goes on

Frequently Asked Questions

How accurate is it?

It measures pivot-to-spindle distance directly rather than assuming it, which removes the largest error in most setups. Cartridge alignment then follows from a distance you have verified instead of one you have hoped for.

Which tonearms does it fit?

Radial pivoted arms with effective lengths from 8.6 to 17.7 inches. That covers 9-inch, 10-inch and 12-inch arms and a good deal beyond.

What is effective length?

The distance from the tonearm's pivot to the stylus tip. It differs from mounting distance by the overhang, and it is the figure alignment geometry is calculated from.

Do I need it if my arm came pre-mounted?

A pre-mounted arm is usually close, but Edward Barker's point in 6moons was how often it is not. If you have never measured yours, this is the tool that settles it.

What does it not do?

Tracking force, azimuth and vertical tracking angle are separate adjustments. This sets mounting distance, overhang and offset angle.

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