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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 1st Sep 2019, 7:52 pm   #1
Gordondav54
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Default Clockwork tape recorder Boosey and Hawkes Reporter

Hello all
I am working on a 1954 portable tape recorder Boosey and Hawkes WIR 202 "Reporter" (it does not say so anywhere on it). It has a Garrard number 30 double spring wind up motor. I have fixed the minor mechanical problems and it runs well.
Before I test the electronics I could do with a diagram that is readable unlike the ones I have found on the net.
It has miniature valves often used in radios I believe, 1U5 and two DL93's. 90 volt with 1.4 volt heaters.
Can anyone help please?
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Old 2nd Sep 2019, 8:52 am   #2
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Default Re: Clockwork tape recorder Boosey and Hawkes Reporter

Boosey and Hawkes of course known for their wind instruments and shop, I wonder if it was a rebadge. A quick google brings up a german circuit diagram with the name 'Wirek' on it, and also Radiomuseum have a diagram, page created by Mike Watterson who is a member of this forum
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Old 2nd Sep 2019, 9:23 am   #3
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Default Re: Clockwork tape recorder Boosey and Hawkes Reporter

I don`t think Boosey and Hawkes badged the Reporter - they manufactured Wire Recorders during the war and probably later.

I think the Reporter was intended just for reportage rather than high quality recording and in 1954 was already outclassed by the EMI L2.

There was some information on the machine on the Vintage Recorders site / forum but I have been unable to locate it.
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Old 2nd Sep 2019, 1:35 pm   #4
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Default Re: Clockwork tape recorder Boosey and Hawkes Reporter

Boosey and Hawkes also published a lot of library music over the years
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Old 2nd Sep 2019, 8:39 pm   #5
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Default Re: Clockwork tape recorder Boosey and Hawkes Reporter

Hello
The Mike Watterson diagram from Radiomuseum.org (mentioned above, thanks) is the best one I downloaded. It really is too blurred to read any of the values. It is not clear which wires are connected and which crossing.
Does anyone have a decent copy direct from an original?
The actual valve line up is not as quoted in the Radiomuseum blurb either, but that is another matter. Do any members have a similar machine?
I couldn't find the German diagram, perhaps you could post a link please.
Thanks

Last edited by Gordondav54; 2nd Sep 2019 at 8:43 pm. Reason: add data
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Old 2nd Sep 2019, 9:39 pm   #6
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Default Re: Clockwork tape recorder Boosey and Hawkes Reporter

You could try contacting this guy if you can trace him, he may have some knowledge

http://www.vintagehofner.co.uk/hofne...es/priest.html


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Old 2nd Sep 2019, 11:32 pm   #7
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Default Re: Clockwork tape recorder Boosey and Hawkes Reporter

I worked at the Deansbrook Road factory for 6 months in 1973/4.
They had certainly manufactured Wirek wire recorders at the works - I think in the 1940's and 50's. There were still a few drawings in a cabinet in the engineering office. But I don't know if they made tape machines, and sadly the factory is long gone.
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Old 3rd Sep 2019, 12:04 am   #8
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Default Re: Clockwork tape recorder Boosey and Hawkes Reporter

I can't just find the page, I think it was an australian broadcast radio forum, apparently they used the WR202 (?) at the ABC (australian broadcast).

A quick look on Graces Guide suggests the Reporter was made by Wirek Sonorous Clocks Limited of Edgeware, who were involved during the war in aircraft equipment. The name Wirek was on that german diagram I saw this morning.

One of Boosey and Hawkes factory addresses is 'Sonorous Works' which to me says they probably took Wirek over at some point, and why a musical instrument company got into wire recorders.

The London Science Museum has a Wirek (wire, not tape) recorder listed in its stock (listed as made by Wirek Electronics, Deansbrook Road) and National Museums Scotland has a Wirek clockwork tape recorder which looks like the one on the Radiomuseum website.
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Old 3rd Sep 2019, 8:32 am   #9
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Default Re: Clockwork tape recorder Boosey and Hawkes Reporter

Just an additional snipped of googling, I've found an article and advert for Wirek recorders in the Flight Magazine Archive, and in the review it says 'the equipment is made by Wirek, a subsidiary of Boosey and Hawkes'.
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Old 3rd Sep 2019, 2:34 pm   #10
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Default Re: Clockwork tape recorder Boosey and Hawkes Reporter

B&H was a major government contractor on 'secret work' including airborne surveilence. The early 'A' and 'B' wire recorders were US Armor designs but the origin of the Type C office recorder and the clock-work Reporter remain elusive; possibly American, (Stancil?) - but they were certainly built in Britain... however there is a close resemblence to Britain's Stanhope Blaikley's 'Magnegraph' of c.1950 - the Blaikleys had worked for B&H pre-war and there was a trade agreement between the two. (See my Guide to British taperecorders).
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Old 3rd Sep 2019, 8:27 pm   #11
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Default Re: Clockwork tape recorder Boosey and Hawkes Reporter

Kevin McMurdo has certainly being doing some intensive googling. Thanks.
By coincidence I have similar machines to those mentioned in Kevins posts.

Wirek Sonorous Clocks of Edgware - WIR 202 Reporter
Wirek Electronics Ltd Deansbrook Road Edgware - Model (B1?) London
Wirek Sonorous - Airborne 'Black box' Sound Recorder Type 4185

It seems conclusive that 'Reporter' recorder was made by 'Wirek'which might help explain the diagram number- WIR 202. It might also explain why neither Boosey & Hawkes nor Wirek are mentioned on the machine itself, giving them room to sell under either brand.
I still need a decent diagram!
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Old 4th Sep 2019, 2:07 pm   #12
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Default Re: Clockwork tape recorder Boosey and Hawkes Reporter

'Wirek' was established by B&H during the war, but whether 'Wirek' is related to the American WiRecorder Corp and/or the joint Armor/GEC Wire Recorder Development Corp of 1944 (Type B Wireway), is far from clear... was 'Wirek' simply a licensee? The 'Type A' was certainly used by the military in war-time Britain; they were partly sub-contacted to assembly by Valradio and Astronic.

British-built Wirek Reporters were marketed in the USA by the Magnetic Recorders Co - not to be confused with Creek's Magnetic Recording Co!

The 4185 'crash-proof' recorder and sister Type 49 Airborne communications wire recorder date from c.1953; these were jointly developed with Hawker for flight testing and do not carry any Armour license... it gets complicated as Armor sought patent infringements from everyone!
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Old 5th Sep 2019, 9:07 am   #13
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Default Re: Clockwork tape recorder Boosey and Hawkes Reporter

Contemporary test report attached. The lack of record level control doesn't sound very inspiring!
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File Type: pdf Reporter.pdf (625.6 KB, 109 views)
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Old 9th Sep 2019, 2:03 pm   #14
Mike. Watterson
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Default Re: Clockwork tape recorder Boosey and Hawkes Reporter

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gordondav54 View Post
Hello
The actual valve line up is not as quoted in the Radiomuseum blurb either, but that is another matter. Do any members have a similar machine?
I couldn't find the German diagram, perhaps you could post a link please.
Thanks
I think there are three versions. One may use DL94 as that would be twice as loud. Or there may be be a version using DAF91 and 2 x DL94 before the 1953 release of the Dx96 valves.

The Ever Ready Model T used various sets of valves during production and the last version used D*96 25mA per filament rather than the earlier 50mA types. Curiously with no list of valves in case even though pin connections differ.

So
1) No surprise yours is a different lineup.
2) Yours might not even have correct valves.
3) It's a pretty simple piece of electronics and unless madly "got at" simply a case of replacing all paper diectric caps and checking Electrolytics before power on. Final check at g1 and g1 pins with HT and valves all removed.
Leaky cap to g1 = Excessive anode current.
Leaky cap from g2 to 0V = Poor gain, higher Anode volts.
There is probably a resistor from 0V/LT- to -HT to set bias from -HT for the DL9x valves. Too low and excessive anode current & HT pulled down. Same effect if you use external PSU with -LT or +LT shorted to -HT. If resistor is too high then distortion, low HT quiescent current.
HT current likely a lot under 10mA with no signal.

The original schematic I found was tiny. Upload is best I could manage.
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Old 9th Sep 2019, 7:52 pm   #15
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Default Re: Clockwork tape recorder Boosey and Hawkes Reporter

Note the 1U5 was hardly used in Europe / UK. Common in USA, where it's a replacement for DAF91 with less microphonics. Different pin connections. Same 50mA, unlike 25mA of the 1953 DAF96.

The DL93 is the Philips version of the USA 3A4. The DL93 hardly used.
The 3A4 far more common than DL93, but in USA from 1942 and not popular. Main use seems to have been USA Military. Seems an odd choice compared with DL94 (common, higher O/P than DL92/DL96 50mA + 50mA) or DL96 (similar power to DL91/DL92 but only 25mA + 25mA filaments)
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Old 16th Sep 2019, 5:42 am   #16
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Default Re: Clockwork tape recorder Boosey and Hawkes Reporter

Hi!

I'll have a go at redrawing it for you!

If you can post some really good clear pictures of the underside chassis–layout, I can probably work out the component values!

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Old 17th Sep 2019, 8:42 am   #17
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Default Re: Clockwork tape recorder Boosey and Hawkes Reporter

Hi!

My redrawn Circuit Diagram is complete - I'll put as much as the information on it that I can decipher tonight and then I'll post it - but to get a full and accurate drawing I will need some really good clear pictures of the chassis wiring underneath, particularly associated with the DL93 O/P valve V3, as the circuit/layout from Radio Museum is both inconsistent and has innumerable careless drawing mistakes in it!

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Old 17th Sep 2019, 11:06 am   #18
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Default Re: Clockwork tape recorder Boosey and Hawkes Reporter

Hi!

One quick update to the above – DL93 valves are correctly specified for the amplifier in this unit, as the H.T. is 135V nominal from two 67.5V B101 dry batteries wired in series, and 135V exceeds the maximum rating of all the other B7G battery output pentodes!

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Old 19th Sep 2019, 8:01 pm   #19
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Default Re: Clockwork tape recorder Boosey and Hawkes Reporter

Hi!

Attached is my redrawn Circuit Diagram for your Machine!

From the little I could read from the appalling jpeg file on the "Tapatalk" Forum where I found it, it appears the components were simply numbered in sequence along the diagram when Wirek drew it, obviously to an awful American style!

The diagram I've provided has been drawn in quality "Newnes" style as befits a British Vintage Radio Forum, and I've formatted it so the component-values can be neatly filled in when they're identified, which you should be able to do a bit more easily from my diagram!

Please note also that the two red blank voltage "balloons" were left blank on my diagram because I found it totally impossible to read any of the other figures!

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Old 8th Dec 2019, 4:42 pm   #20
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Default Re: Clockwork tape recorder Boosey and Hawkes Reporter

Thanks for the better than excellent reproduction of the diagram.
I started to do the job by hand on a sheet of A3 Card but other things got in my way.
When I have time I will get back to the machine and trace the diagram. From what I remember it was taking a lot of current and a resistor was getting hot.
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