Today's thrift store find is this Vintage 1945 Gray Audograph Sound Writer Machine made by Northern Electric. It was made right here in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. I'm assuming 1945 by the patent date on the machine.
I had seen a brochure for one on eBay quite sometime ago and bookmarked it. I didn't think about buying it at the time because I had never seen one of those machines before. After buying this Audograph Sound Writing Machine today, I checked back with eBay for the listing and found that it had ended. I sent a message to the seller to see if he still had it, he replied that he did and he would relist it. I bought it.
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Vintage-Gray-Audograph-Sound-Writer-Machine-Brochure-1948-USA-Northern-Electric-/172924902878
(http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Vintage-Gray-Audograph-Sound-Writer-Machine-Brochure-1948-USA-Northern-Electric-/172924902878)
WOW! Pretty cool machine. Is it working? Great find!
Quote from: HarrySmith on October 13, 2017, 04:31:11 PM
WOW! Pretty cool machine. Is it working? Great find!
Thanks Harry, I haven't tried it yet. I will check over all the wiring before attempt plugging it in.
Where do you get the blank disks?
I assume vinyl and not wax, but I could be wrong?
Would these work?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/7-Blank-Vinyl-Records-QTY-of-10-/252950754541
Quote from: Duffy on October 13, 2017, 04:54:39 PM
Thanks Harry, I haven't tried it yet. I will check over all the wiring before attempt plugging it in.
Good idea!
Quote from: TelePlay on October 13, 2017, 05:53:49 PM
Where do you get the blank disks?
I assume vinyl and not wax, but I could be wrong?
Would these work?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/7-Blank-Vinyl-Records-QTY-of-10-/252950754541
No, I don't believe so. These ones are a floppy type of plastic. The curved mark on the disk is the reflection of the camera lens.
If it works, it will be interesting to see what was recorded on that disk, when and maybe by who.
Quote from: TelePlay on October 13, 2017, 06:42:23 PM
If it works, it will be interesting to see what was recorded on that disk, when and maybe by who.
I will certainly try my best to get it working.
That's a large power transformer.
Most likely more than a handful of paper caps underneath the tubes to replace before powering up. The mechanical mechanism looks clean and corrosion free. Interesting cross over project for you.
I found a couple of YouTube videos on how this thing works.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyM0H11-rjs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyM0H11-rjs)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CnC5FGE01A&list=PLC11FA5728DD447DA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CnC5FGE01A&list=PLC11FA5728DD447DA)
That drive belt strongly resembles an old upright vacuum cleaner beater bar belt. Be careful with it. Ofttimes such apparatus has floating voltage on the metal case.
Up date on the brochure I bought off eBay.
The guy relisted it and I bought it, paid for it right away. That was October 13th, I never received a tracking number but was notified that it was shipped on October 18th and could expect it before or on November 1st. So on November 2nd I sent a message to the seller and asked if they had a tracking number for this shipment because I hadn't received it yet. A few hours later they sent me a full refund and never left a message to explain what happened. I sent them another message asking what happened, they never replied.
I don't get it.
Doug ... I'd guess they either lost it, got a better offer after the auction ended from someone who tried to enter a last second bid was beat by the clock, or they thought they should've gotten more money for it and will re-list in the near future, or, it got lost in the mail, and they don't have a tracking number. Send them another "contact seller" message, and tell them that without an explanation as to what happened, you'll leave "negative" feedback. So far they have 100% positive feedback, and they probably want to keep that statistic where it is.
Jeff
Don't know if it will work, or the seller will comply, but you could also ask the seller, leverage the negative feedback threat, for the contact information of the person to whom it was sent in hopes of at least getting a scanned copy of the item for your use.
It's a shame that some eBay seller's have more greed in their body than moral, ethical blood.
I'll just give it a week just in case it is still in the mail. Maybe they paid it back because of the late mail and didn't want a negative feedback hit.
But I have my doubts, Mail from Tillsonburg Ontario to Belleville Ontario should only be a couple of days. If it doesn't come by next week and they don't answer my messages. It will be a negative feedback for them.