PHILIPS EL3301 dates and differences

[Ekcoman]

Just cleaned off all the black goo of what once was belts and replaced with new ones. What I did notice is the size of the screws on the back panel that changed what appears to be over a three week period? Large on later smaller on the earlier one. Maybe miss reading the labels

[camtechman]

The larger (captive) screws are correct for the Week 25 Year 65. And the smaller (non captive screws) are correct for the Week 22 Year 66 one.

You may be confusing the Factory codes: WR 02 & WR 01 as part of the dating?. They only indicate the factory they were made.

An additional indicator is the Model/Serial number labels, primarily the model number & any suffix.

If you could post pics of the model/serial number labels, I could check it out for you.


Additionally, other cassette makers (made under a free Licence granted by Philips) eg: Ferguson/Marconiphone used the same larger headed screws but they weren't captive ones, as were the Philips EL3300 models.

Tony

[Ekcoman]

Thanks Camtechman as see it now as 22 66 where was reading as 22 65. clearer in photo than by sight...lol!
Need to test your expert knowledge on these Philips machines as got me thinking how long did the EL3300 and EL3301 run for ? Also got me thinking on when the EL3300 came out here in the UK was it 1964 or when first launched in 1963? Last one did they change anything else besides these screws while the models were in production?

[camtechman]

"did they change anything else besides these screws while the models were in production?"

Do you mean Internal or External (or Both)?

If you look at the model/serial number label, if changes were made from a previous model, the label will show the model number and will have and extra code. e.g: EL3300/00 (original 1st model) changed to: EL3300/15.

This involved several internal parts and a couple of external parts, one of which was the most important....they added a mechanism to prevent a previously recorded cassette from being recorded over !!

The original EL3300/00 was not designed to have this mechanism......Go Figure !


I could list many changes that would fill this page and a few more! LOL.

Tony

[camtechman]

Then there were simple changes.

For example, on the EL3300/00 it was difficult to lift the cassette compartment cover/door and on the EL3300/15 they added 2 little protrusions to the side of the cover/door so that your fingers could grip the protrusions and made opening easier.

[Ekcoman]

Leaves me in a dilemma as the later one (1966) that bought as advertised as quote "PHILIPS TAPE RECORDER" is almost mint that even had the little straps to hold loose leads. I feel one has to go to keep some sort of control over numbers in my collection. Problem, which one? Thanks again Tony for all your input drawing on your superb knowledge on these lovely little machines.

[camtechman]

when the EL3300 came out here in the UK was it 1964

Yep, it was 1964.

I feel one has to go to keep some sort of control over numbers in my collection. Problem, which one?

That's one question I'm unable to answer......why?

'Cos I own around 50 to 60 EL33XX models and I'm not a hoarder, I'm a passionate, keen enthusiastic collector of the mark.

However, my sister still insists it's called hoarding !!

Good luck

[dseymo1]

Perhaps it's not so surprising that there was originally no re-recording protection mechanism - after all, there is none with reel to reel, which is what, if anything, most domestic users would have been used to. Also, as a dictation medium, it would generally have been a case of 'listen once and reuse', so no need there.

[camtechman]

dseymo1,

Yep I agree.

[emeritus]

In the early 1970's a former Plessey colleague went to work for Multitone. At that time they were manufacturing in the UK, and he told me that each operative was provided with an EL 3302 fitted with a cassette that had step-by-step assembly instructions. Whoever had set this up was unaware of the "no re-recording" feature of cassettes and to prevent accidental erasure, had had all the EL3302's red "record" buttons removed!

[camtechman]

I remember repairing quite a few EL3302's where the unaware user had used excessive pressure on the record button and distorted the shuffle link, thinking it was stuck !

[Maarten]

Originally Posted by camtechman

If you look at the model/serial number label, if changes were made from a previous model, the label will show the model number and will have and extra code. e.g: EL3300/00 (original 1st model) changed to: EL3300/15.

You probably know, but it may confuse some of the readers: The only changes principally between execution /00 and execution /15 are those needed to make the standard set suitable for the British market. Execution numbers from 10 up are mostly used to indicate a version for a specific market. Of course, if a derived model was introduced only after some changes to the main model, it will be introduced including those changes. That is probably the case here.

That said, I would also be interested in the model labels from Ekcoman's sets.

[TonyDuell]

Originally Posted by dseymo1

Perhaps it's not so surprising that there was originally no re-recording protection mechanism - after all, there is none with reel to reel, which is what, if anything, most domestic users would have been used to. Also, as a dictation medium, it would generally have been a case of 'listen once and reuse', so no need there.

At the time that the EL3300/compact cassette was introduced, was there any recording medium that had a record-prevention system akin to the tab on (later) compact cassettes?

[camtechman]

Maarten,

Thanks, once again, for the input.

Tony

[ben]

Just repaired a 3301 kindly given to me by a forum member. Date: 02 37 65