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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 24th May 2014, 10:28 am   #1
'LIVEWIRE?'
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Default Early Car cassette Players

What players were available in 1969/70, does anyone remember? I know this was the ere of the 8 Track cartridge, but I seem to recall that the Radiomobile 301CS (actually an Italian machine made by EDI, later RIEL) was around back then, as were a couple of rather expensive Blaupunkt Radio/Cassette Players, and an early Philips, but probably no others.
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Old 24th May 2014, 1:10 pm   #2
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Default Re: Early Car cassette Players

the Italian Autovox Melody was a series of really nice car radio/cassette players that was available as early as 1968, these were extremely reliable and well built, early models had MW-LW only, later model from about 1971-72 also had FM/VHF and one model could also record from the radio or an external microphone.

PS: weren't Radiomobile machines clones of Italian Voxson designs?
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Old 24th May 2014, 8:24 pm   #3
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Default Re: Early Car cassette Players

AFAIK the only Radiomobile sets which were rebadged Voxsons, were the 103/104/106/108SR Radio/8 track Cartridge players. The Autovox MA753 Radio/Cassette player, which dates, I think, from around 1970 to 73 was also marketed in the UK as the Motorola 252. Back in the 1970s I used to be a service engineer for an Auto Electrical Firm, and repaired most of the common makes of the day, Radiomobile, Motorola, Blaupunkt, and Philips, mostly, but also Autovox & Voxson. The 301CS I mentioned was a basic Cassette Player having Fast Forward only (no rewind) and about 5watts per channel output. Maybe you can tell me what EDI & RIEL stood for. The 'I' is probably 'Italia'. Blaupunkt and Philips both produced in-car Radio/Cassette Recorders, though I think these were mid 70s items, and very much 'top of the range'
NB; The Autovox MA753/Motorola 252 was a later version of the MA363 in your photo
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Old 25th May 2014, 12:11 am   #4
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Default Re: Early Car cassette Players

that's no surprise as Autovox was owned by Motorola back then

i don't know what EDI meant but i think RIEL meant RImini ELettronica.

i had an EDI cassette player, mine was a small under-dash type mono unit, the mechanism was really crude and quite hard on tapes, you had to push on the edge of the plastic cassette tray to eject and this dragged the tape sideways while it was still engaged by the pinch roller and running, and often wrinkled it.
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Old 25th May 2014, 10:36 am   #5
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Default Re: Early Car cassette Players

Philips/PYE certainly made a very basic car-cassette player in the very early 1970s - it was pretty awful - wow and flutter varied with my car's speed! I'll see if I can find the operating booklet.
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Old 25th May 2014, 7:11 pm   #6
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Default Re: Early Car cassette Players

The 1969 KJ Enterprises catalogue lists only a Phlips RN582/51, said to be "the world's first Car Cassette radio" , a car mounting unit for the EL3302, and a Philips mono player N2600 (intended to be used in conjunction with a car radio and to be suitable for use with C60, C90, and C120 cassettes).

The 1970 KJ catalogue adds the self-contained Philips stereo player N2602.

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Old 26th May 2014, 8:55 am   #7
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Default Re: Early Car cassette Players

I remember all of those models. Wasn't the RN582 a MW/LW set with a cassette deck where the tape loaded end (narrow side) on then was pushed down until it locked in place. The clutches used to give trouble on those, IIRC.
Radiomobile & Motorola (World Radio) produced a clone of the EL3302 (with different connections to the DIN sockets Philips
marketed that as a Car Tape Recorder with an adaptor kit & mounting tray. Can't remember their model Nos. though!
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Old 26th May 2014, 11:00 pm   #8
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Default Re: Early Car cassette Players

The Philips NP1630, being the EL3301 in a car mounting kit, was mentioned in Wireless World 1965 December, as attached.

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Old 27th May 2014, 9:05 am   #9
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Default Re: Early Car cassette Players

I've just realised that I left a couple of words off a line in post #7. The bracketed part should read ....'to those on the DIN sockets in the Philips EL3302)i.e., the Radiomobile/Motorola Cassette recorder was a Philips EL3302 or one of that series, but with the DIN sockets wired differently, so that it could only be used with the Radiomobile mounting Tray/Power adaptor, which is the device whose model no. I don't remember, and not with the Philips In-Car kit.
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Old 27th May 2014, 10:05 am   #10
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Default Re: Early Car cassette Players

there was also an early in-dash Philips car radio/cassette player based on the EL3300 mechanism but with a cassette loader on top of it

there were two versions, one, the 22RN302 was mono and had a grey front panel, the other, the 22RN312 was stereo and had a black front panel, which is the one i have.

both had MW/LW only radio
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Old 27th May 2014, 7:40 pm   #11
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Default Re: Early Car cassette Players

I remember both the RN302 & 312 from my days as a service engineer. A somewhat clumsy way to adapt a domestic cassette mechanism for in car use, which meant the Fast wind only worked in one direction. They were made in Philips' French factory, IIRC.
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Old 27th May 2014, 7:53 pm   #12
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Default Re: Early Car cassette Players

I'm unsure of the year this baby appeared but I had one in my Triumph 2000 circa 1975. It was a nice machine that has FF and Rew.

I got this very clean example on Ebay for a song as spares or repair, but it works perfectly
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Old 27th May 2014, 9:56 pm   #13
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Default Re: Early Car cassette Players

Unsure of the date of this too, but it came to me installed in a Chevette in the mid '80s- Sanyo FT210E.

Data seems to be scarce and I never had any manual for it. It worked well enough at the time but could definitely do with new belts now.
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Old 27th May 2014, 11:40 pm   #14
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Default Re: Early Car cassette Players

i have a very similar Sanyo player, this was from about 1979-80

Quote:
Originally Posted by ITAM805 View Post
I'm unsure of the year this baby appeared but I had one in my Triumph 2000 circa 1975. It was a nice machine that has FF and Rew.
i bet this one has the famous "under license from STAAR" mechanism, one of the best in its days

Quote:
Originally Posted by 'LIVEWIRE?' View Post
I remember both the RN302 & 312 from my days as a service engineer. A somewhat clumsy way to adapt a domestic cassette mechanism for in car use, which meant the Fast wind only worked in one direction. They were made in Philips' French factory, IIRC.
mine is indeed made in France, and it can only rewind even though the mechanism itself is fully capable of fast forward winding, but the control linkage doesn't allow it
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Old 28th May 2014, 10:35 am   #15
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Default Re: Early Car cassette Players

My late uncle had a rather nice Blaupunkt radio/cassette-player in his 1969 Rover P5b. It amazed my father by receiving FM stereo on the move!
I was more interested in the fact that it covered the 5.9-6.2MHz short-wave band and so I could listen to the German-targetted Radio Luxembourg transmissions during the day.
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Old 28th May 2014, 4:36 pm   #16
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Default Re: Early Car cassette Players

About the mid 70s a friend of mine had a Harry Moss unit (tape only) and it had bass & treble controls it sounded rather good through a pair of Wharfedale Dentons on the back seats.
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Old 29th May 2014, 2:33 pm   #17
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Default Re: Early Car cassette Players

How's this for an old' un? A Philips N2607.
Picked it up off the floor after the local fleamarket ended. It has an odd connector, presumably it was intended as an add-on to a Philips car radio.
It had a cassette still in it, in the play position so the pinch roller has a nice capstan -shaped cut in it

I have to say, the design is pretty dire. The fast wind controls (fairly stiff in operation) have to be held down - thus meaning taking one hand off the wheel.
The cassette is simply laid in the well as in the 3300 series and a stud is depressed, thus engaging the headbridge. To eject the cassette you have to squeeze two studs located either side of the unit! (not for those with dainty hands that's for sure!) Again, pretty shocking for a design in a car unit.

An interesting curio all the same.
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Old 29th May 2014, 2:57 pm   #18
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Default Re: Early Car cassette Players

Quote:
Originally Posted by ITAM805 View Post
I'm unsure of the year this baby appeared but I had one in my Triumph 2000 circa 1975. It was a nice machine that has FF and Rew.
I had almost this exact one, also badged Pye. It had thumbwheel vol and balance controls though. Very nice unit, don't recall what I did with it. One day I'll pick up another!
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Old 29th May 2014, 3:15 pm   #19
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Default Re: Early Car cassette Players

That's an unusual Philips, Ben, but I'm sure I've read about them in the R&TVS books.

Anyone remember a Sharp where the cassette was inserted lengthways, as in modern practice, but then had to be forced down into the cassette well manually by pressing hard on a big, chromed lever? It made an impressive clunk when the autostop operated and the cassette holder jumped up. Again, ISTR FF and RW were momentary action, by holding a lever to one side or the other. I would guess mid-late 1970s at a guess, so hardly "early".

Nick.

EDIT: Found it on RM, where they think it's from 1976: http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/sharp_rg_5300.html

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Old 29th May 2014, 3:56 pm   #20
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Default Re: Early Car cassette Players

A friend has in his workshop a mid-70s philips one (I think) where the cassette is inserted lengthways and the whole aperture pushed downwards to start play. Probably same idea as that Sharp.
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