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Vintage Computers Any vintage computer systems, calculators, video games etc., but with an emphasis on 1980s and earlier equipment.

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Old 9th Mar 2018, 5:05 pm   #1
Chris123
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Default Identification of data recorder used with ZX computer

Hi

My name is Chris and I'm new to this forum.
I'm trying to find model# (and spec. if available) of data recorder presented in attachment. The picture comes from computer show TV series, which was popular in Poland in 80's. The data recorder was used in this show to load data into 8 bit ZX Spectrum computer. Do you recognize brand and model of this device ?

I appreciate your help
Chris
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Old 9th Mar 2018, 5:11 pm   #2
paulsherwin
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Default Re: Identification of data recorder used with ZX computer

If it was being used in Poland in the 80s then it's likely to have been an East European product.

The Spectrum cassette interface could be used with any cassette player with an earphone socket. The idea was that people could use it with whatever they already had.
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Old 9th Mar 2018, 5:39 pm   #3
Chris123
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Default Re: Identification of data recorder used with ZX computer

Thank you ,
I asked about the same in Poland vintage computers forums and users are saying there it is rather western product
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Old 9th Mar 2018, 7:36 pm   #4
SiriusHardware
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Default Re: Identification of data recorder used with ZX computer

It's also worth mentioning that you can use any audio replay device with a sufficiently powerful output (such as a dedicated MP3 player or a smartphone or PC) to load software onto a Spectrum if you can find the software in audio file format. Of course if it's original tape-based software you wish to load then yes, you'll need a real tape machine but as Paul said, the majority of mono cassette tape recorders or radio-cassettes were usable for this: Sinclair themselves never sold an 'official' data recorder for the Spectrum although the +2 came with a cassette deck built in.

Acorn did, for their machines, but it was just a conventional audio cassette recorder colour matched to the Acorn machines and with an Acorn logo on it.

Certain other machines such as the C64 did use proprietary non-standard cassette 'decks', but the vast majority of home computers from that period could use more or less any audio recorder.
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Old 9th Mar 2018, 7:40 pm   #5
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Default Re: Identification of data recorder used with ZX computer

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris123 View Post
Thank you ,
I asked about the same in Poland vintage computers forums and users are saying there it is rather western product
Well, I don't recognize it. It looks rather sophisticated for use with a Spectrum, which was a very cheap home computer.
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Old 9th Mar 2018, 10:14 pm   #6
Chris123
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Default Re: Identification of data recorder used with ZX computer

If this help here is fragment of this show

https://youtu.be/kLyZtIVoIgA?t=5m57s
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Old 10th Mar 2018, 9:22 pm   #7
jamesperrett
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Default Re: Identification of data recorder used with ZX computer

The two silver things (lights?) in the picture make me wonder whether it was a small stereo cassette deck. Radio Shack/Tandy used to sell small cassette decks a bit like that although I don't have a catalogue to hand at the moment to see if it was one of theirs.
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Old 10th Mar 2018, 9:59 pm   #8
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Default Re: Identification of data recorder used with ZX computer

if it was used in a TV studio setting maybe it was something semi / professional loaned to the programme makers by the station's tech department?
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Old 11th Mar 2018, 3:13 am   #9
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Default Re: Identification of data recorder used with ZX computer

You used to be able to get cassette recorders specially designed for use with computers; they dispensed with the battery box and electret condenser microphone, and had an even smaller speaker than usual, but beside that they were just the usual Far East (nothing) Special internals in a different form factor. Some of them offered a "phase invert" function for especially picky computers.

The picture is too blurry to make out any of the writing that might reveal the manufacturer or even just hint at a language, unfortunately.
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