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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 17th Sep 2021, 10:50 am   #1
sparkymike
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Default Ferrograph part missing?

I picked up a model 5B Ferroraph tape recorder from the local car boot for £20.00
At that price I just could not resist it, but nearly changed my mind, halfway back to the car due to the weight of the beast!! This is around the fifth one of these that has gone through my hands in the past and it looked pretty sad lying there on the ground next to a sig generator and a few other radio curios.
Now question is, what goes in the empty socket in the head section,a stereo head? and are the grille surrounds for the speaker and other side metal or plastic , as they are missing although this is not important at the moment. An extra neon lamp has been added at the rear top plate, but all valves are inside and motors turn freely. I guess next stage it to dig out the variac and see what happens. One other thing, is the rotary control on the rear an output gain control ? No book but I expect there is a pdf on line somewhere.
MIke.
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Old 17th Sep 2021, 1:17 pm   #2
Ted Kendall
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Default Re: Ferrograph part missing?

A standard Ferrograph will have, as this does, an erase and a rec/rep head, with the octal socket taking a dummy head or one for stereo rep, connected directly to the sockets on the back. The level control is non-standard, and I wonder whether you will find a little pre-amp inside the machine somewhere.
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Old 17th Sep 2021, 5:01 pm   #3
sparkymike
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Default Re: Ferrograph part missing?

Hi Ted,
no sign of any pre-amp inside so far. I will have to see where it is connected to.
It is a very large pot, maybe wirewound. Will check. On checking it over I thought that the first pressure pad was missing its metal guard, but now realise only the felt pad is missing, as only the record and stereo head have these shields. I changed the .1 uf capacitor on the motor switch as the old one had split its side open. The new one is 700volt working, so should be ok.
I have powered it up to 50% voltage so far and it has a bit of life in it. I thought , from previous experience of these ,that the main motor came on as soon as the on /off switch was operated, but maybe as I did not have full voltage on, the solenoid switch did not operate. The brass pinch roller was tight on its spindle , so that has now been cleaned and oiled. It is starting to look a bit better than first thing this morning !!
Mike.
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Old 17th Sep 2021, 5:14 pm   #4
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Default Re: Ferrograph part missing?

A couple of pages from the Series 5A manual that references the third head position, I do not know what the difference is between the 5A and 5B.

David
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Old 17th Sep 2021, 5:22 pm   #5
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Default Re: Ferrograph part missing?

What a transformation!
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Old 17th Sep 2021, 5:23 pm   #6
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Default Re: Ferrograph part missing?

I have a head cover (slightly damaged) which you're welcome to in case it doesn't have one.
Amazing what a difference a good clean makes!
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Old 18th Sep 2021, 8:45 am   #7
sparkymike
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Default Re: Ferrograph part missing?

Now got it to work on playback although it is suffering a bit from wow or flutter.
This was from the tape which was with the machine and was on the slower of the two speeds. I have cleaned the idler wheels and main motor seems to be good. I think the tape might be dragging on the heads somewhere. Have to look closely. I can not get the machine to record yet and it might be something to do with that extra knob on the rear. I may well remove that later.
This machine was previously used by a sound engineer , or so I was told, is the head cover needed. I guess it was removed as he was doing a lot of editing and splicing ,which can be seen by the BiB splicer on the deck. I may well keep the machine as he intended.
Mike.
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Old 18th Sep 2021, 9:54 am   #8
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Default Re: Ferrograph part missing?

I suspect the original dummy head was removed and a play-only head fitted - possibly a stereo one. Then whipped out for sale separately and the dummy head not re-fitted. I expect the mechanism was designed to have something in there - either a real head (any head that will plug in) or a dummy head which just looks like a block of aluminium with a base for mounting and a shined front.
Graham
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Old 18th Sep 2021, 11:45 am   #9
Ted Kendall
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Default Re: Ferrograph part missing?

The deck was supplied pre-drilled for the Bib splicer.
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Old 18th Sep 2021, 12:33 pm   #10
sparkymike
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Default Re: Ferrograph part missing?

Now cleaned all the switch contacts and cleaned the heads ,but no joy when on record.
What is my next step ?
Mike.
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Old 18th Sep 2021, 12:46 pm   #11
sparkymike
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Default Re: Ferrograph part missing?

One thing puzzles me, this Ferrograph has an extra switch on the right side of control panel, yet model 5 or later do not have this. Wondered if it was a special order ,as it does not look like it was retro fitted.
Mike.
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Old 18th Sep 2021, 2:12 pm   #12
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Default Re: Ferrograph part missing?

Is that the 2 position slide switch (not identified) in bottom right corner on your first photo ?

David
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Old 18th Sep 2021, 2:36 pm   #13
sparkymike
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Default Re: Ferrograph part missing?

Hi David, yes that one. The slide switch next to that one is not identified either.
MIke.
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Old 18th Sep 2021, 3:13 pm   #14
sparkymike
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Default Re: Ferrograph part missing?

Disregard previous post.
Right, sort of progress, in way. Having a much closer look at the two slider switches on the right hand side, they have been fitted by a previous owner, or someone on his behalf. I partially removed the control panel and it looks like one of the switches is connected to a neaby valve. It seems I will have to disconnect the control panel and take some clear photos and post them as I have no idea what the switches were for. Was one for muting maybe when adding words to a recording. etc.?
I tried record again and with volume full on, I get very faint playback.
Which valves should I check out that would only affect recording ?
Mike.
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Old 18th Sep 2021, 3:41 pm   #15
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Default Re: Ferrograph part missing?

Quote:
Originally Posted by llama View Post
I suspect the original dummy head was removed and a play-only head fitted - possibly a stereo one. Then whipped out for sale separately and the dummy head not re-fitted. I expect the mechanism was designed to have something in there - either a real head (any head that will plug in) or a dummy head which just looks like a block of aluminium with a base for mounting and a shined front.
Graham
So is this dummy head just a blank piece of metal ? some stereo recorders have a dummy head which is an actual coil for impedance matching to the bias oscillator when recording on a singe track.

David
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Old 18th Sep 2021, 3:43 pm   #16
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Default Re: Ferrograph part missing?

Unable to easily find anything on the 2 extra slide switches in the standard Ferrograph documentation.

David
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Old 18th Sep 2021, 3:47 pm   #17
sparkymike
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Default Re: Ferrograph part missing?

After a bit of disconnecting, I now have had a better look at those switches and glad to say they are both not connected at all. Before I was looking at an angle and thought they were connected but all in all thatis good news and I can now forget the switches. Perhaps a blank piece of paxolin or plastic should be inserted instead of the switches to avoid further confusion for some future owner.
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Old 18th Sep 2021, 3:55 pm   #18
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Default Re: Ferrograph part missing?

Quote:
Originally Posted by DMcMahon View Post
So is this dummy head just a blank piece of metal ?
Yes, see Post#6 in here:

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=145827

Lawrence.
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Old 18th Sep 2021, 4:25 pm   #19
DMcMahon
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Default Re: Ferrograph part missing?

Quote:
Originally Posted by sparkymike View Post
I tried record again and with volume full on, I get very faint playback.
Which valves should I check out that would only affect recording ?
Mike.
Well assuming that Playback of existing recording is reasonable and record head is really clean (and not open circuit) then I personally would start by checking the Bias Oscillator V6.

Is the Bias & Erase link plug still fitted ?

Does Erase of existing recording work well ?

David
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Old 18th Sep 2021, 4:47 pm   #20
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Default Re: Ferrograph part missing?

Quote:
Originally Posted by DMcMahon View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by llama View Post
I suspect the original dummy head was removed and a play-only head fitted - possibly a stereo one. Then whipped out for sale separately and the dummy head not re-fitted. I expect the mechanism was designed to have something in there - either a real head (any head that will plug in) or a dummy head which just looks like a block of aluminium with a base for mounting and a shined front.
Graham
So is this dummy head just a blank piece of metal ? some stereo recorders have a dummy head which is an actual coil for impedance matching to the bias oscillator when recording on a singe track.

David
The early Ferrographs were not intended for Stereo recording at all - the dummy head position was wired to the rear sockets so that, with the addition of a Stereo Replay head and suitable transformers Stereo replay would be possible via the tape replay facility available on many Hi Fi amplifiers of the time Suitable pre-recorded tapes were becoming available in the late fifties.

Ferrograph carried on with the feature to the end of the series six, as far as I know, even though very few people would ever have used it.
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