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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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Old 7th Nov 2011, 11:42 am   #41
camtechman
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Default Re: History Of Philips EL33XX Series Cassette Recorder

The first Philips cassette tapes weren't called "Cassette", they were called "Cartridge" (see exploded dia from EL3300 service manual below).

Also, at that time, it had no provision for anti-erasure, nor had it been registered under the trademark of: " Compact Cassette"

Pic 2 shows one of these earliest of cartridge tapes, part no: EL1903-01
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Old 7th Nov 2011, 11:53 am   #42
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Default Re: History Of Philips EL33XX Series Cassette Recorder

Forgot to add the Registered Trade Mark
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Old 7th Nov 2011, 12:45 pm   #43
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Default Re: History Of Philips EL33XX Series Cassette Recorder

I remember those ghastly early MEMOREX blank cassettes that had foam in place of the metal spring to push the tape onto the head. They either fell off or disintergrated.
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Old 7th Nov 2011, 2:56 pm   #44
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Default Re: History Of Philips EL33XX Series Cassette Recorder

Quote:
Originally Posted by 'LIVEWIRE?' View Post
Later sets(no doubt to save a few pennies per unit in production!)were assembled using self-tapping screws.
Sorry, I meant the cassettes themselves, not the recorder (deviating a bit off-topic here).
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Old 7th Nov 2011, 5:07 pm   #45
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Default Re: History Of Philips EL33XX Series Cassette Recorder

Re Camtech's "cartridge", I've yet to find a Philips patent for what we know as a 'cassette' though Philips hold several "Improvements to...". They most likely used the 'cassette device' as a registered design/trade mark to protect their interest.

As I said earlier there were many 'cartridge types' available in the 1950s and of course miniature open reel recorders such as the Fi-Cord by 1958. Where Philips really scored was in their 'Musicassette' pre-recorded tapes which gave purpose to a truly portable music machine.

How's the book progressing? Think of deadline and postpone it a year!

Barry
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Old 8th Nov 2011, 1:29 pm   #46
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Default Re: History Of Philips EL33XX Series Cassette Recorder

in case it's of any help, I've knocked-up a list off key identifiers of the EL3300.

Please feel free to add to it:

External:

1) No Finger Tabs On Cassette Compartment Lid
2) No Inspection Window On Cassette Compartment Lid
3) Chocolate Brown Body Plastic
4) No Silver Reflective Strip Inside Cassette Compartment
5) No Removable Cassette Head Alignment Cover
6) No Anti Erase Finger At Rear LH Side Of Cassette Compartment
7) Early Versions Have White Record Button (Red On EL3300/15)
8) Embossed: Made In Holland (Next To Level Meter)

Internal:

1) No Motor Speed Control Circuit
2) Mechanical Governor Speed Controlled Motor
3) No Anti Erase Lever Assembly
4) Thicker Drive Belts Than Later EL3301/3302 Versions
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Old 8th Nov 2011, 2:53 pm   #47
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Default Re: History Of Philips EL33XX Series Cassette Recorder

I know the later models had an improved frequency response and higher output than the EL3300, but the electronically regulated motors seemed to be very unreliable, at least on the machines I owned.

I am not talking total failure, or wow and flutter, but the speed would suddenly change by a few percent, almost as if someone had knocked the speed control pot! And then the next day it would change back ...

Did anyone else suffer from this?

Paul
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Old 8th Nov 2011, 4:54 pm   #48
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Default Re: History Of Philips EL33XX Series Cassette Recorder

Quote:
Originally Posted by camtechman View Post
in case it's of any help, I've knocked-up a list off key identifiers of the EL3300. Please feel free to add to it:
I have a particularly early EL3300 and one of the odd things about it is that most of the moulded nylon parts inside it (plastic wheels etc) are black instead of the more usual off-white. If you peer down through the two holes where the spool drives are you can see if the two wheels here are white or black, or just take the bottom off and look at the pulley of the take-up clutch.

The month and year of make is printed on a sticker on the motor (the one with "WR" on it), e.g. 35 65 is the 35th week of 1965. Who has the earliest one?

Sony's TC-12 (see www.walkmancentral.com) is only distantly related to the original Philips design, National Panasonic made an exact replica however, it's in R+TV S. Sony's first cassette recorder was the TC-100, which is nothing like an EL3300 inside. Hitachi made one too, I'll post a picture later on.

Last edited by Studio263; 8th Nov 2011 at 5:01 pm. Reason: more stuff added
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Old 8th Nov 2011, 5:20 pm   #49
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Default Re: History Of Philips EL33XX Series Cassette Recorder

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Did anyone else suffer from this?
Sure did, when I used to commercially repair the EL3301-3302, the first thing I did was to replace that darn pot with a vertical Bourns 3386 100R (see pic) & never had the problem again.
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Old 8th Nov 2011, 5:53 pm   #50
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Default Re: History Of Philips EL33XX Series Cassette Recorder

"I have a particularly early EL3300 and one of the odd things about it is that most of the moulded nylon parts inside it (plastic wheels etc) are black instead of the more usual off-white"

Some of these black parts were also used on early EL3301 machines, probably to use up stock.

The month and year of make is printed on a sticker on the motor (the one with "WR" on it), e.g. 35 65 is the 35th week of 1965. Who has the earliest one?"

The earliest, fully complete & fully functional I have was manufactured between June 1st & 7th 1964 (23/64) but I have parts & part ass'm chassis from 1963.

"Sony's TC-12 (see www.walkmancentral.com) is only distantly related to the original Philips design"

From your link, they seem to put the relevancy of the TC-12 chassis as somewhat more than that of "distantly related" : "The TC-12 represents the typical Japanese cassette recorder product of the early 70’s. For this model, Sony used an identical mechanical layout to that employed in early Philips cassette recorders"

Pics below:
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Old 8th Nov 2011, 5:57 pm   #51
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Default Re: History Of Philips EL33XX Series Cassette Recorder

An Update To My EL3300 List:

External:

1) No Finger Tabs On Cassette Compartment Lid
2) No Inspection Window On Cassette Compartment Lid
3) Chocolate Brown Body Plastic
4) No Silver Reflective Strip Inside Cassette Compartment
5) No Removable Cassette Head Alignment Cover
6) No Anti Erase Finger At Rear LH Side Of Cassette Compartment
7) Early Versions Have White Record Button (Red On EL3300/15)
8) Embossed: Made In Holland (Next To Level Meter)
9) Retained, Sprung, Large Head, Bottom Case Securing Screws
Internal:

1) No Motor Speed Control Circuit
2) Mechanical Governor Speed Controlled Motor
3) No Anti Erase Lever Assembly
4) Thicker Drive Belts Than Later EL3301/3302 Versions
5) Black Pulley & Drive Tables.
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Old 8th Nov 2011, 6:32 pm   #52
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Default Re: History Of Philips EL33XX Series Cassette Recorder

Quote:
Originally Posted by camtechman View Post
Sure did, when I used to commercially repair the EL3301-3302, the first thing I did was to replace that darn pot with a vertical Bourns 3386 100R (see pic) & never had the problem again.
I had that problem with my first machine too but never got round to fixing it. Good to know that a simple pot replacement will do the trick.

James.
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Old 8th Nov 2011, 7:31 pm   #53
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Default Re: History Of Philips EL33XX Series Cassette Recorder

My memory is coming back to me now and I can remember some of the other common causes of speed adjustment & variation problems.

Apart from intermmitent or failing transistors: T9 or T10, the way the speed adjustment pot was fitted adjacent to T9 (not as shown in the service manual layout dia's - with some distance between them) was a problem.

The wiper side of the pot buttressed right up against T9, so much so that the body of T9was insulated by a thickish clear polythene sleeve but, by doing this, the transistor now pushed against the pot's wiper so much that the transistor's tubular shape located into the concave shaped portion of the wiper and a bump or knock to the machine would transfer to the pots wiper & hence contact to the carbon track.

Another problem was the sometimes over zealous application of the orange/red fixing paint to the pot, applied at the factory after calibration. If the motor speed needed adjustment - it was sometimes found that the carbon track in the vicinity of the wiper stud was contaminated either by the paint, or its solvent base and this led to intermittent contact & thereby needed a thorough clean (or better still, a new pot fitted).

In later Motor Speed boards, they used one of the two securing screws to make electrical contact from the MS board to the metal chassis (in earlier MS boards the two screws were isolated, as the board was hard wired ) and this could lead to problems, either through corrosion of the screw, plating or contact pressure (loosened screw) or corrosion of the pcb plated pad (or a combination of all)

I won't go on as me old brain is exhausted now!
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Old 8th Nov 2011, 7:55 pm   #54
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Default Re: History Of Philips EL33XX Series Cassette Recorder

At last sorted how to attach so here is the ELIZABETHAN LZ9102T dated 1966. It looks as though it's a definite rebranded Philips 33**? of some kind
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Old 8th Nov 2011, 8:09 pm   #55
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Default Re: History Of Philips EL33XX Series Cassette Recorder

Which happens to be a clone of the Stella ST472 or ST473 (marketed in the USA as a Mercury TR800) which, in turn are Philips EL3301A/15 or EL3302A/15.

Good Game....Good Game
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Old 8th Nov 2011, 8:28 pm   #56
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Default Re: History Of Philips EL33XX Series Cassette Recorder

Yeah! Good game! Good Game!
Here's a couple more the EL 3300/15 and the EL3302/A15P, so me thinks one early 1964 and the other at the other end of the scale 1971'ish?
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Old 8th Nov 2011, 8:51 pm   #57
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Default Re: History Of Philips EL33XX Series Cassette Recorder

The second bower is more like 1975 - you can tell from the sexy skimpy case (no place for the microphone) and the transparent cassette cover.

I have one exactly like that, bought new in 1976 - it was the last one I ever saw on sale, in fact.

Paul

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Old 8th Nov 2011, 9:42 pm   #58
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Default Re: History Of Philips EL33XX Series Cassette Recorder

That's a long time for the overall model to be in production from it's start in 1963 to 1976. I await to be corrected
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Old 9th Nov 2011, 10:17 am   #59
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Default Re: History Of Philips EL33XX Series Cassette Recorder

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Jones View Post
Here's a couple more the EL 3300/15 and the EL3302/A15P, so me thinks one early 1964 and the other at the other end of the scale 1971'ish?

On the rear of the square metal motor housing there should be a white label on which there will be two codes.

Code #1 (Factory/Line):
For the EL3300, it should be something like: AH01 or AH02 and for later EL3301/2 machines it's probably a WR or WT code.

Code #2 (Week/Year):
For the EL3300 this code will be in traditional week/year format, e.g: 23/64 - but not necessarily exactly that code - as it depends when your machine was made.

Week 23 = 1st to 7th June & Year 64=1964.

This is ISO-8601 coding and there's a full list of year/week dates (you have to scroll back for earlier years). Here's the link:

http://www.epochconverter.com/epoch/weeknumbers.php

Around the early to mid 1970's Philips, along with all other European countries, switched over to a form of batch code dating.

So, instead of the easy week/year code, the code on later Philips EL series is just 3 digits.

For example, the date code for my EL3302A/15G shows as: 910 but for my later EL3302A/15P it's 336.......go figure!

I lost the details for converting the Philips batch dates, so I can't be sure in what years the later machines were made.

If anyone knows this later code, I'd be most grateful if you could help.

Finally, as I'm compiling a list of all Philips EL33XX series, if you'd like to PM me with the details of your machines from the model/serial number label & the motor housing label, it would be most helpful.

Cheers,

Tony
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Old 9th Nov 2011, 10:28 am   #60
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Default Re: History Of Philips EL33XX Series Cassette Recorder

Quote:
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That's a long time for the overall model to be in production from it's start in 1963 to 1976

The 'Ruskies' kept making their Philips clone, the Sputnik 402 into the late 1980's (so my 'lefty' mate informed me), the pic below is of a 1974 model but being Russian, it didn't change in style even up to the last production model!
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