A few "before / after" pictures of my Magnetophon HTS... - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

david winter · 25th Apr 2012, 8:54 pm

Here are a few pictures of my little monster which required several days to work again...
This machine was originaly designed exclusively for the Reichs-Rundfunk-Gesellschaft (RRG) in 1942. Only 100 were made.
Some were captured right after the war, others like mine continued working at the RIAS.
The transport is nothing but a R22a, itself the broadcast version of the K4.

From left to right:
- Magnetophon HTS are received: dust, rust and more...
- Power supply chassis: leaky capacitors
- Power supply once cleaned and restored

Next pictures to follow...

david winter · 25th Apr 2012, 9:01 pm

From left to right:

- Main chassis before restoration
- Main chassis once restored
- HTS transport once restored
- HTS in whole with a bit of cleaning on the paint

Most capacitors were in perfect shape except for those in metal cans (paper isolated). New capacitors were put in the cans, except for cylindrical electrolytics (I put a new one under the chassis for easier replacement).
I don't recall finding any bad resistor, but if some were replaced, they were not more than two or three.

Problems to be solved later: playback amplifier tends to saturate easily if volume is put too high, even just before 50%.
Recording has not been tested.
One piece of zamac holding the electromagnet of the capstan motor brake had to be rebuilt (thanks to a friend of mine who kindly made an exact replacement).

mrmagnetophon · 25th Apr 2012, 10:42 pm

Hello David,
Now that I look at it the machine looks more like a Magnetophon K4. The R22 HTS machine is in the documents I sent you.
The Magnetophon K3 was black and with a round meter in the middle, I am still not 100% sure, but I think yours is a type of Magnetophon K4, or perhaps was it built later then the other HTS machines? say in 1945?, but yet it still looks more like a K3, so perhaps yours is earlier.
But the confusing part is that you have one Amplifier chassis, which would have been odd for a Magnetophon.
Just my thoughts, I'm not 100% sure.
-Chris

david winter · 26th Apr 2012, 7:52 am

Chris,

My machine is an HTS as per pictured ID plate. The serial seems to mean the 75th one built in 1942 but it's only speculative.
The HTS was designed for easy transport, hence the trolley. How could you transport safely such a machine with the racks shown in the file and without rollers ? This doesn't make any sense. I'm quite sure this particular machine is a prototype or another custom model which had an HTS transport installed for some reasons (don't forget that the ID plate is on the transport and may be confusing).
Check the second picture of a the R22 studio at the RRG in 1939, you'll recognize the racks and R22 transports with optional boards on the left and on the right.

mrmagnetophon · 26th Apr 2012, 8:18 pm

Could yours possibly be aN Editing machine then? Specifically designed so that when editing one isn't leaning over the valves? But yet still fully have all the recording and playback facilities? Maybe yours was a prototype, does make sense to see the lighter weight amplifier, as my Philips are like that.
Excellent picture, do you happen to have any more of the RRG?
Thank you,
-Chris

david winter · 26th Apr 2012, 9:34 pm

I don't know how it was used at the RIAS. All I know is that the amplifier chassis has been modified many times, just like most K7 and K8 machines.
But it still contains a significant portion which is original. The power supply chassis was never altered and still had all electrolytics dated from 1941/42.

In any case it is not a prototype like the one in the BBC file. Once again, the HTS was a complete, all-in-one movable machine.

25th Apr 2012, 8:54 pm	#1
david winter Hexode Join Date: May 2008 Location: Paris, France Posts: 336	A few "before / after" pictures of my Magnetophon HTS... Here are a few pictures of my little monster which required several days to work again... This machine was originaly designed exclusively for the Reichs-Rundfunk-Gesellschaft (RRG) in 1942. Only 100 were made. Some were captured right after the war, others like mine continued working at the RIAS. The transport is nothing but a R22a, itself the broadcast version of the K4. From left to right: - Magnetophon HTS are received: dust, rust and more... - Power supply chassis: leaky capacitors - Power supply once cleaned and restored Next pictures to follow... Attached Thumbnails Last edited by david winter; 25th Apr 2012 at 9:02 pm.

25th Apr 2012, 9:01 pm	#2
david winter Hexode Join Date: May 2008 Location: Paris, France Posts: 336	Re: A few "before / after" pictures of my Magnetophon HTS... From left to right: - Main chassis before restoration - Main chassis once restored - HTS transport once restored - HTS in whole with a bit of cleaning on the paint Most capacitors were in perfect shape except for those in metal cans (paper isolated). New capacitors were put in the cans, except for cylindrical electrolytics (I put a new one under the chassis for easier replacement). I don't recall finding any bad resistor, but if some were replaced, they were not more than two or three. Problems to be solved later: playback amplifier tends to saturate easily if volume is put too high, even just before 50%. Recording has not been tested. One piece of zamac holding the electromagnet of the capstan motor brake had to be rebuilt (thanks to a friend of mine who kindly made an exact replacement). Attached Thumbnails Last edited by david winter; 25th Apr 2012 at 9:07 pm.

25th Apr 2012, 10:42 pm	#3
mrmagnetophon Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Ohio, USA. Posts: 757	Re: A few "before / after" pictures of my Magnetophon HTS... Hello David, Now that I look at it the machine looks more like a Magnetophon K4. The R22 HTS machine is in the documents I sent you. The Magnetophon K3 was black and with a round meter in the middle, I am still not 100% sure, but I think yours is a type of Magnetophon K4, or perhaps was it built later then the other HTS machines? say in 1945?, but yet it still looks more like a K3, so perhaps yours is earlier. But the confusing part is that you have one Amplifier chassis, which would have been odd for a Magnetophon. Just my thoughts, I'm not 100% sure. -Chris

26th Apr 2012, 7:52 am	#4
david winter Hexode Join Date: May 2008 Location: Paris, France Posts: 336	Re: A few "before / after" pictures of my Magnetophon HTS... Chris, My machine is an HTS as per pictured ID plate. The serial seems to mean the 75th one built in 1942 but it's only speculative. The HTS was designed for easy transport, hence the trolley. How could you transport safely such a machine with the racks shown in the file and without rollers ? This doesn't make any sense. I'm quite sure this particular machine is a prototype or another custom model which had an HTS transport installed for some reasons (don't forget that the ID plate is on the transport and may be confusing). Check the second picture of a the R22 studio at the RRG in 1939, you'll recognize the racks and R22 transports with optional boards on the left and on the right. Attached Thumbnails

26th Apr 2012, 8:18 pm	#5
mrmagnetophon Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Ohio, USA. Posts: 757	Re: A few "before / after" pictures of my Magnetophon HTS... Could yours possibly be aN Editing machine then? Specifically designed so that when editing one isn't leaning over the valves? But yet still fully have all the recording and playback facilities? Maybe yours was a prototype, does make sense to see the lighter weight amplifier, as my Philips are like that. Excellent picture, do you happen to have any more of the RRG? Thank you, -Chris

26th Apr 2012, 9:34 pm	#6
david winter Hexode Join Date: May 2008 Location: Paris, France Posts: 336	Re: A few "before / after" pictures of my Magnetophon HTS... I don't know how it was used at the RIAS. All I know is that the amplifier chassis has been modified many times, just like most K7 and K8 machines. But it still contains a significant portion which is original. The power supply chassis was never altered and still had all electrolytics dated from 1941/42. In any case it is not a prototype like the one in the BBC file. Once again, the HTS was a complete, all-in-one movable machine.