Why has the part of the arm that holds the balance weight come adrift?

Balance weights can be removed and replaced easily. However when you say it snapped off, that could mean damage to the arm.
If everything is OK with the weight and you still have it, perhaps the weight could be "bodge" back into place. Perhaps with Blue Tack? If after all you can get the arm to balance correctly and apply the correct pressure to the stylus it doesn't really matter how the weight is attached does it? It might take a bit longer to set up correctly, but you might save some money if it needs a complete arm just to replace the weight!

not sure what you mean Ryan ... do you mean the arm swings to the middle of the record when you set it down in the groove? if so the arm is out of balance and you need to balance the weight forward. if there is no weight adujustment then your works off a spring and there a million ways to adjust that. Try balancing a penny on top of the head where the cartridge is to hold it done, if this temporarily solves the problem then teh arm is out of balance.

Have you checked the wheel balancing ? Sometimes those lead balancing weights come adrift, and you can get vibrations at low speeds.

there is a counter balance on the side of the arm called an anti skating weight.it prevents the grooves on the record from pushing the stylus inward,wearing out one side.when the anti skate weight system has a fault,it drags the arm toward the center of the record faster than needed.there is also a weight on the back of the arm.that is the balance.when set to zero,the arm should balance.then the weight is turned to 1 gram or so.if there is not enough force downward,the anti skate mechanism will drag the arm inward.

Sounds like your arm is tracking too light. To proper set the tracking weight on most units you need to zero the arms balance so that it is balanced just at the surface of the record. Once that is done using the weight on the back of the tone arm, or whatever system your unit uses, there should be an adjustment by turning the weight on the arm or perhaps a lever near it. You owners manual should really explain all this and give the recommended tracking weight in grams and fractions of grams. Each weight is different for different styli. Take a look at your operation manual and adjust the weight. Let me know how you make out.

hardrocko

Thanks for using FixYa

turn the whole weight until arm sits just above platter.hold back of weight and turn front disc to zero. turn whole weight to spec for cartidge fitted,usually around 2.

http://ortofon.de/ should give you the weight. It should also give you the range of tracking force. To get the right weight you can use a stylus balance. The electronic ones are expensive but good. The mechanical ones are not great but better than nothing. I set my turntable up with an Ortofon-branded mechanical balance for weight, and a test record for tracking force.

Balancing the tone arm is a two step process. Set the needle weight adjustment to zero(0) and make sure that the tone arm is balanced. It should rest horizontally without touching anything. Next, set the needle weight (usually 1.5 grams). Both adjustments should be on the rear of the tone arm. That should cause the tone arm to drop toward the record and have the correct pressure for the needle. Also, check the anti-skate adjustment. If that is off, the behavior you describe will occur as well.

Dan

There are two main things that will influence the anti skate settings.

1) The Headshell Weight and Balance
Firstly, check the data sheet for the cartridge and stylus you are using. It should tell you the correct weight setting which will vary from one cartridge and stylus to another. If the stylus is set too light, it can skate across the disc. This can damage the disc and the stylus. The sound will also be thin and it is likely to distort on high frequencies. If the weight is too heavy, it will not jump but will definitely damage the disc.

If you are a serious vinyl user, get yourself a tone arm balance. This is a device that you place on the turntable and you rest the stylus on a plate which is marked in micrograms. You place the stylus exactly at the correct weight marking and then make adjustments to the turntable settings until the tone arm is balanced. It's easier than it sounds!

If you don't have the data sheet for your cartridge and stylus and cannot find it online, use an old disc that you don't mind damaging, set the weight on the light side and gradually increase the weight until it stops skating.

2) Platter Levelling
Secondly, you need to make sure your turntable us on a level surface. If you are a purist, use a spirit level. to do this.

There are other things that can cause skating and jumping, especially if you use the turntable as a DJ. For example, vibration (caused hopefully by dozens rocking to your music). DJs will often increase the headshell weight very slightly to overcome this and I have sometimes placed the turntables on a thick rubber sheet such as carpet underlay to improve shock absorption.