VPI Scout Manual

VPI Scout
Turntable Manual
Setup and Instruction Manual
Scout 2 upgrade instructions included
VPI Industries, Inc., 77 Cliffwood Ave. #5D, Cliffwood, NJ 07721
http://www.vpiindustries.com

1
Scout Turntable Packing List
Serial #:________________
Scout Chassis
Record Clamp
Azimuth Rod
Gauge
Cartridge Hardware
Instruction Manual
Drive Belt
Power Cord (115V Only)
Alignment Jig
Platter
Tonearm
Date: __________
Final Check by: ________________________

2
BECAUSE THE SCOUT AND UPGRADED SCOUT 2 ARE SO SIMILAR IN
CONSTRUCTION WE HAVE DECIDED TO PUT BOTH IN THE SAME MANUAL.
THIS MAKES IT MUCH EASIER FOR CUSTOMERS UPGRADING FROM THE
SCOUT TO THE SCOUT 2 TO HAVE THE CORRECT MANUAL AT A LATER
DATE. BOTH WILL BE CALLED SCOUT FOR MOST OF THE MANUAL WHERE
IT IS DIFFERENT WE WILL STATE IT AS SO.
1. Important: Read Before Proceeding!
1.1 Read and follow the
Safety Instructions below.
1.2 Save all packing materials. The Scout should only be moved or shipped in its original
packaging to reduce the risk of damage in transit.
1.3 The Scout must be placed on a flat, level surface. This will make setup easy, provide
better sound quality, and put less strain on the main bearing.

3
2. Safety Instructions
Follow the instructions below to reduce risk of electrical
hazard or injury.
2.1 To avoid electrical shock, do not open the motor housing.
2.2 If the power cord provided with the Scout does not reach an outlet, use a heavy-duty,
grounded extension cord.
2.3 To avoid electrical shock, always plug the Scout into a grounded outlet.
2.4 Do not expose the Scout to rain or excessive moisture.
2.3 Do not touch the male pivot point of the tonearm assembly. It is extremely
sharp.
Follow the instructions below to avoid damage to the
Scout
3. Minimum Specifications
Wow and flutter Less than .02%.
Rumble Greater than 78db down.
Speed accuracy within .1%.
Total weight 32 pounds/ Scout 2 45 pounds
Platter run out +/- .001 inch.
4. Unpacking the Box
The turntable and tonearm are packed very carefully to avoid damage during shipping. It is
important that you save the packing materials and box to use for shipping or moving the Scout.
4.1 Remove the 2 foam side pieces and foam block in the center.
4.2 Make space for the Scout and remove the chassis from the box. Put the chassis down on a
solid surface.
The warranty does not take effect until the warranty is
returned by e-mail at the end of the manual.
4.3 Remove and set aside the items in the next layer:
oAlignment Jig.
oRecord clamp.
oPower cord.

4
oBag containing screwdrivers and screws for mounting the cartridge.
oDigital stylus force gauge
4.4 Remove the pieces of foam covering the tonearm, then carefully remove the tonearm and
set it down in a safe place. Use caution with the tonearm’s delicate wires and Lemo
connector.
4.5 Remove the turntable platter and motor. Be very careful not to hit or damage the motor
pulley. It measured +/- .0005” when it was tested at the factory. Try not to disturb it at
all. The Scout 2 has an inverted bearing the Scout 1.1 has an oil bath bearing.
5. Setting up the Scout
5.1 The Scout must be placed on a flat, level surface. This will make setup easy, provide
better sound quality, and put less strain on the main bearing.
5.2 Place the turntable chassis, with the square cutout on the left, on the shelf or stand where
it will be used. The better isolation you provide the Scout, the better it will sound. We
highly recommend a 1 to 3 inch thick maple shelf sitting on rubber isolator feet for this
purpose.
5.3 For Standard Scout: Remove the turntable platter and place the platter on the tapered
spindle. The platter bearing is lubricated; no additional lubrication is needed for at least
one year. When you lubricate the bearing place 3 drops of 40 weight motor oil in the
spindle hole.
5.4 For Scout 2 Upgrade: Remove the tape from the spindle hole on the turntable
platter and place the platter on the spindle. The platter bearing is lubricated; no
additional lubrication is needed for at least one year. When you lubricate remove
the platter and place a blob of Super Lube (PTFE Teflon lube) directly on the ball,
gravity will move it down to lube the shaft.
5.5 Be careful doing 5.4, the bearing is the heart of the turntable.
5.6 Connect the power cord to the motor, then place the motor, with the power cord at the
rear, next to the square cutout of the turntable chassis.
5.7 Lift the chassis and place it over the power cord. The motor should extend approximately
.25 inch from the left side of the turntable chassis.
5.8 Place the drive belt around the platter and around the pulley on the motor. The belt does
not have to be level on the platter. It will self-level when the platter starts rotating.
5.9 For 33 RPM operation, place the belt on the upper part of the pulley. For 45 RPM
operation, place the belt on the lower, wider part of the pulley. The center groove in each
diameter is the correct speed. The VPI Synchronous Drive System speed controller
provides the ultimate speed accuracy and best sound. Check with your dealer about
availability.
5.10 Verify the turntable is level by using a 9 or 12-inch bubble level front-to-back and side-to-
side on the platter. If it is not level, rotate the aluminum cone feet up or down. If you
must turn the Scout feet more than three full turns, level the shelf or platform the table
sits on first.

5
6. Installing and Aligning the Cartridge
6.1 For cartridges with pass-through mounting holes, use the hardware supplied with the
cartridge and follow the alignment procedure carefully (Denon, Miajimma, etc.)
For all cartridges using 2.5mm standard metric mounting threads use the supplied Allen
head screws and the 5/64” Allen wrench. Be sure to use washers under the screw heads.
6.2 The tonearm wires are color-coded as follows:
Red right hot
Green right ground
White or Black left hot
Blue left ground.
If your phono section inverts phase, the hot color becomes the ground color.
6.3 Using tweezers or fine-tipped pliers, grip the center of the red wire’s connector not the
wire itself and push it onto the cartridge’s right hot terminal pin. Connect the
remaining connectors in the same way. To avoid damage to the cartridge, do not push
the connectors all the way on.
6.4 Place the Alignment Jig on the spindle with the V-groove against the base of the male
bearing shaft. Tighten the screws of the jig so it fits snugly against the male bearing shaft
and over the record spindle. The jig is adjustable and automatically corrects for alignment
when you put it in the position shown in the picture below.

6
6.5 Place the arm tube assembly on the male pivot point, using caution with the 4-color wire
and Lemo connector. Set the arm in its rest. If the cartridge has a guard, remove it.
MAKE SURE THE MALE POINT IS IN THE CENTER OF THE FEMALE CUP, IT SHOULD FEEL
SOLID BUT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SLIDE IT SIDEWAYS AND THE ARM RAISES AS
YOU GO FROM THE CENTER TO THE SIDES OF THE FEMALE BEARING. IT IS AN
INVERTED CONE.
FEMALE BEARING
6.6 Line up the red dot on the Lemo connector with the red dot on the receptacle on the
junction box. The Lemo connector can plug in only one way and should not be forced.
6.7 Swing the tonearm over the jig so the stylus is as close as possible to the dot in the center
of the grid. Set the counterweight for enough downward force to keep the stylus from
moving when resting on the jig.
6.8 Look down at the cartridge and align it between the lines of the grid. You should have the
diamond stylus on the white dot and the cantilever lined up with the lines on the grid.
Use a flashlight to look from the front and line up the cantilever with the grid

7
lines. That is the only alignment that matters, the cantilever lined up with the
white lines and the diamond on the white dot. The angle of the cartridge is
irrelevant.
6.9 Adjust the cartridge mounting screws and the counterweight as needed until the cartridge
is centered between the grid lines and the stylus is resting on the dot of the grid. The
picture below shows the setup, the jig is in white for clarity, yours is black.
6.10 When the cartridge is properly positioned, tighten the cartridge mounting screws and
remove the alignment jig. Do not make them overly tight, the Scout arm is self-damping
and you can damage the surface by over tightening.
VIEW OF CONICAL AND LINE CONTACT STYLI AND WHY ALIGNMENT MATTERS MORE WITH THE
LINE CONTACT.
CONICAL LINE CONTACT

8
For more detailed information on setup visit this link:
http://www.theaudiobeat.com/vpi_ms/cartridge_setup_2.htm
7. Setting the Anti-Skating –Two Solutions
7.1 Anti-skating is one of the least understood forces acting on a tonearm. Skating force is
created by friction between the stylus and the record, causing a force vector in a direction
towards the center of the record when the headshell of the tonearm has an offset angle.
Putting a stylus down on a flat, groove less record will cause the arm to move toward the
center of the record. Arm manufacturers have tried to compensate for this force, but that
is impossible because the force is constantly changing as the music and velocity change.
7.2 VPI has conducted careful listening tests and determined that every tonearm we tried
sounded better with its mechanical anti-skating disabled and the tracking force very
slightly increased.
7.3 VPI has a unique solution to anti-skating: the coiled wire of the Scout arm acts as a spring
and pushes the arm back without affecting the sound quality. You now have the option of
installing a mechanical anti-skate for those that want it.
If you try adjusting the anti-skate with a groove less
record, you will ruin the twist in the tonearm wire
and void your warranty. Do this with the mechanical
anti-skate if you want that much anti-skate.
7.4 If you need additional anti-skate go to the mechanical anti-skate we supply in the photo.

9
8. Setting Tracking Force (VTF) and Tonearm Height (VTA)
8.1 Tracking force is adjusted by moving the tonearm counterweight forward and back on its
shaft. If your cartridge is heavy and the counterweight is all the way back, you can order a
heavier weight from your dealer.
8.2 The Scout Tonearm does not have a built-in tracking force gauge. We recommend that you
use a digital gauge. Place the gauge on the platter (no record) and adjust the
counterweight for very little tracking force.
8.3 You must adjust the arm height, loosen the setscrews on right and rear of the round silver
base using the 5/64 Allen wrench supplied and turn the adjustment wheel above the base.
When the arm is parallel to the platter and the cartridge on the gauge lightly tighten the
screws.
8.4 If you do not make the arm parallel when on the gauge you will be between .2 to
.4 grams light or heavy when you are on the record. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!!
8.5 Follow the gauge instructions and set the tracking force according to the cartridge
manufacturer’s recommendation. We recommend always going to the high side of tracking
force. High frequency vibrations on a light-tracking cartridge can cause more damage to
the grooves of a record than running a cartridge at a heavy setting.
8.6 Put a record on the platter and lower the arm using the adjustment in 8.4 so it is parallel
to the record. Now you will be tracking at the force you set and not a lighter or heavier
force. You can adjust VTA later on a personal basis but always begin with the tonearm
parallel to the record.
9. Setting the Azimuth
9.1 Set a fireplace match or coffee stirrer (something light and about 6” long) into the groove
behind the mounting screws on the tonearm headshell.
9.2 If it is not level, use the supplied Allen wrench to loosen the setscrew on the
counterweight and rotate the counterweight around the shaft until the headshell is parallel
to the record. Be careful not to change the tracking force setting.