VINTAGE LP RECORDER "mail A voice" Make a record

Very interesting item! But I wonder what the replay trouble is. Were you trying to play them back on the same device? - maybe it is record-only? Have you tried playing them back on any standard sort of record player? What speed does it record (& thus play back) at? How many blanks do you have (left!)? NB that if it is old enough to be 78, most modern players won't do 78rpm. What size are the blanks? Might give a clue. Cheers! ~ newlydug (234 )  8:06 pm, Wed 19 Apr

OK, I've found some information on this. It's not any sort of "LP" or "record" recorder, but rather a magnetic disk based dictation device - almost like an early floppy or hard disk recorder. Your problems in playback may be related to the device, ie a fault, or operation of it: "Never play a recorded disc with switch in "Record" position or recording will be partially erased." See: http://history.acusd.edu/gen/recording/begun6.html#25 and http://home.hetnet.nl/~kalma99/Recordon/Recordon.htm newlydug (234 )  12:38 am, Thu 20 Apr

From a reply to a newsgroup query: "The device uses magnetic discs... much like a large floppy disc but not in a sleeve. The magnetic disc is placed on the turntable, then a spirally grooved (smaller diameter) hard plastic disc is placed on top of the magnetic recording disc. (the hard plastic, grooved disk appears to still be with the pictured unit) You then place the "tone arm" which in actuality contains a magnetic recording head, on both the grooved disc and the magnetic disc... " (cont.) newlydug (234 )  12:05 am, Fri 21 Apr

(cont.) ... "the grooved disc advances the tone arm across the magnetic disc and helps prevent the magnetic disc from slipping on the turntable. The "tone arm" has a blunt stylus that follows the spiral groves in the hard plastic disc. Notice how the tone arm is curved. The machine produces a magnetically recorded, spiral track across the recording disc. I would also suspect that this unit can also play back the recording. I hope that my explanation is clear." So you need the paper disks! newlydug (234 )  12:11 am, Fri 21 Apr

Only trying to help, out of intellectual interest;-) "Paper" may have been a mistake; I was thinking of info on the web links earlier; I meant the magnetic "large floppy" recording discs - looks like you may have some in the 2nd photo. It's a valve machine, & very old. May have a fault internally if no playback. Maybe a museum might be interested if you can't sell it! (like the Museum of Transport & Technology?) Regards;- Ross ~ newlydug (234 )  9:05 pm, Sun 23 Apr

I'll be interested to buy (and pick up) ... but I'm afraid not at the starting price advertised. musikal (859 )  9:59 am, Tue 25 Apr