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Vintage Tape (Audio), Cassette, Wire and Magnetic Disc Recorders and Players Open-reel tape recorders, cassette recorders, 8-track players etc. |
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27th Jun 2020, 1:20 pm | #1 |
Diode
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK.
Posts: 3
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Elizabethan FT1 Tape Recorder.
Hi Folks, I am new to this forum so please excuse any faux pas.
In the early 60's my wife was given an Elizabethan FT1 tape recorder as a birthday present, and this has resided in the loft for over 50 years. I have restored a good number of electrical items, mostly valve based so I have (been) volunteered to restore this. I have done all the obvious things, seized mechanics, dodgy capacitors, tarnished switch contacts etc, and it works , well it plays anyway and sounds good, nice and crisp, and it's the original tape ! Recording is another thing. I have no info on this model at all, even the user manual went AWOL years ago. The recorder uses a BSR TD2 deck, which now works perfectly but there is clearly a problem with the electronics and I cannot find any info on this model. Is there anyone who has info, or can point me to someone who has. A circuit would be useful. I assumed the basic circuit is shared with other Elizabethan recorders but as far as I can see no others use this valve line up. EM84, 8D8 (EF86), ECL82 plus one other, which looks like another ECL82 and this is the audio output, which is OK. Any help or suggestions would be gratefully received. Thanks, JalandVR. |
27th Jun 2020, 4:40 pm | #2 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Worthing, West Sussex, UK.
Posts: 6,587
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Re: Elizabethan FT1 Tape Recorder.
Hello JalandVR,
A little FT1 documentation attached. David |
27th Jun 2020, 4:57 pm | #3 |
Diode
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK.
Posts: 3
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Re: Elizabethan FT1 Tape Recorder.
Many thanks David, you are indeed a hero.
JalanVR |
29th Jun 2020, 1:48 pm | #4 |
Pentode
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Denton, Manchester, UK.
Posts: 186
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Re: Elizabethan FT1 Tape Recorder.
Thanks from me too, David. This is the first time in 55 years that I have come across any information on the FT1. I was given one of these as a christmas present about 1963/4. I always thought of it as being slightly better than run of the mill recorders but in practice I found it not very impressive. What it did have was the four track facility which was unusual back then. Anyway, it's still in the loft, not been powered up for years. The BSR deck is a TD4 (exactly like TD2 except for the heads).
More recently,like 25 years ago, I was given an Elizabethan "Major" machine, a different ball game altogether with a Collaro deck . PS, That Brimar 8D8 is a bit unusual , did they give up with that later on and bung an ECC83 in? |
29th Jun 2020, 1:57 pm | #5 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Worthing, West Sussex, UK.
Posts: 6,587
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Re: Elizabethan FT1 Tape Recorder.
Of no use but of slight interest, here is old spares listing.
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29th Jun 2020, 3:23 pm | #6 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Worthing, West Sussex, UK.
Posts: 6,587
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Re: Elizabethan FT1 Tape Recorder.
Not really familiar with the 8D8 Pentode, I see that it was a later valve than the EF86, both basically being very similar.
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5th Jul 2020, 11:37 am | #7 |
Diode
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK.
Posts: 3
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Re: Elizabethan FT1 Tape Recorder.
Hi Bill, I stand corrected, it is a TD4 deck.
I don't suppose you still have the User Manual? |