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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 Mar 2019, 7:02 pm   #1
Tractorfan
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Smile Another Philips tape recorder!

Hi,
Well, I did it again. I gave in to temptation and bought yet another tape recorder.
This time it's a Philips EL3534A/00A stereo machine with the second, left hand speaker in the lid. It's very heavy and built like the proverbial masonry outhouse. This lead me to assume it was valve driven, but no, it's transistorised! It's so well built that even the covers over the tape path are die cast metal, instead of plastic.
The usual dried up grease is causing the usual problems, but it works OK electrically and, surprisingly, the internal rubberware is still intact without any gooey belts or tyres. Bonus!
Oddly, the legends on the knobs & buttons are completely missing, and I only found out what's what after I took the top cover off.
Another European oddity from that era is that the mains plug, and the plug for the external speaker are exactly the same. Something to be aware of.
The splines on the LH turntable have been sheared, but it is easily replaced by removing three screws. I'll appeal for one when the rest of the work is completed.
Cheers, Pete.
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Old 17th Mar 2019, 7:20 pm   #2
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Default Re: Another Philips tape recorder!

It's an interesting machine. I have one too, I bought it from a shop in London that was closing down and carried it home on public transport. Yes, it's heavy.

I seem to remember you can remove the plastic grilles from the bottom of the case (obvious screws) and swing out the PCB that way. It's easier than removing the whole chassis for simple repairs.

The output stages are single power transistors (not push-pull) with output transfomers. Note that the 2 speakers are different impedances (connected to different taps on the transformers). And don't short the case of the power transistor to the chassis, it does considerable damage.

When not in use, set the speed selector (right hand lever-shaped knob) to one of the intermediate positions. This turns off the mains and also lifts the idler off the pulleys, preventing flats. As an aside this is the only tape recorder I own to have a 15/16 ips setting.

I assume you found the little thumbwheel concentric with the left hand lever knob (track selector). This is the stereo balance control. Another non-obvious control is the smaller-than-the-rest button in the middle, called 'multiplay' or something in the documention. It's only used in mono mode, where it then replays the track you have _NOT_ selected and feeds it into the 'radio' level control. So you can copy from one track to the other, mixing in a microphone signal.

Don't worry about the odd, flat 5 pin pickup input socket. It's wired in parallel with one of the DIN sockets, so you can use that instead. There's also an odd threaded rod next to the connector panel. This was for a bowden cable from a foot pedal and operates the pause control linkage.

Originally the speaker plug had a dummy pin in the middle to prevent it being plugged into the mains. It's almost always missing now though (it is in mine too).

Anything you need to know about it? I have a service manual for it somewhere, and the user instructions in the Philips Tape Recording Book.
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Old 17th Mar 2019, 7:55 pm   #3
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Default Re: Another Philips tape recorder!

A similar model, though mono, is the EL3549. This looks very similar but has a different shaped cabinet and of course no second speaker in the lid. These are more common than the EL3534 and you might find a "donor" one for the missing deck parts. The controls on the deck are also slightly different.

There were various different versions ("WR" numbers) of these machines, some of which had the rewind belt as a "figure of 8" instead of being "flat". The service manual (very clear and informative) details all the differences.

The amplifiers are full of early germanium transistors, which can go noisy.

Nice machines, typical Philips of the time!
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Old 17th Mar 2019, 10:29 pm   #4
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Default Re: Another Philips tape recorder!

Nice find, Philips kit of that era was extremely solid, even compared with that of less than a decade later.
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Old 18th Mar 2019, 11:41 am   #5
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Default Re: Another Philips tape recorder!

There seems to be two versions of the EL3534, one has three (?) speakers in the tape recorder case itself, the other one has one in the case and one in the lid. At least one of these (I have never been able to figure what the story is exactly) has a slightly trapezoid shape to the case, in contrast to the mono EL3549 which has a rectangular one. I would have thought the trapezoid shape would be to fit the speakers at the side of the case.
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Old 18th Mar 2019, 6:03 pm   #6
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Smile Re: Another Philips tape recorder!

Hi,
Thanks for all your input and info for this recorder.
When testing it, there was no back tension at all. The left hand turntable was free to spin. Having taken off the plastic spool holder, I saw that the lower part had dropped by about an eighth of an inch. Taking the lower part off I found a felt ring on the underside, but nothing for it to bear on to provide some mechanical resistance. Furthermore, the felt doesn't appear to be worn, as if there never was anything for it to ride on. All very odd.
Underneath the plastic spool holders there is a dab of grease which makes me think that they bear on the top of the spindles and support the lower parts.
My second question is: How is the back tension provided if the felt ring is riding on fresh air
Thanks in advance.
Cheers, Pete.
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Old 18th Mar 2019, 7:00 pm   #7
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Default Re: Another Philips tape recorder!

The Philips machines of this era were from their halcyon 'pre-goo' days!
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Old 18th Mar 2019, 7:06 pm   #8
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Default Re: Another Philips tape recorder!

If all else fails I'll get my machine out and take the covers off...

I notice 2 felt brake pads in you photo. One on a stiff metal arm, which I assume is for
stopping the unit. The other on a leaf spring. Is that to provide back tension?
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Old 18th Mar 2019, 11:53 pm   #9
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Smile Re: Another Philips tape recorder!

Hi,
Thanks, TonyDuell, That's it! The felt ring underneath must be for a different model, and the arm holding the back tension pad was stiff with old grease, and not doing its job. Once I clean and re-grease it should be OK.
Thank Heavens for the good old 'pre-goo' days!
Cheers, Pete.
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Old 19th Mar 2019, 11:03 am   #10
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Default Re: Another Philips tape recorder!

Possibly both turntables were fitted with felt rings to rationalise parts diversity. The RH turntable probably uses a ring to give take-up tension dependant on tape weight, so it varies with radius, as it should. Supply spool tension should be constant - hence the radial cork brake.

So, you should be able to interchange the turntables if I'm right.

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Old 19th Mar 2019, 11:55 am   #11
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Smile Re: Another Philips tape recorder!

Hi,
There is more to the take up clutch for the reasons that Leon has mentioned, than for the LH turntable. Which all makes perfect sense now. Thanks folks!
I've started taking the deck apart (while taking copious photos) in order to remove the old grease.
A few years back I was given an old Sony valve stereo tape recorder, which I thought was complicated and well built, until I saw this one!
Alas, the Sony needs all new rubberware and a complete re-cap.
Cheers, Pete.
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Old 19th Mar 2019, 1:03 pm   #12
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Default Re: Another Philips tape recorder!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tractorfan View Post
My second question is: How is the back tension provided if the felt ring is riding on fresh air
I seem to recall the same quander, eventually concluding that with the felt pad in front of the record/playback head provides the necessary contact between head and tape, and that the tension required for the erase head was in fact provided by the drag of the tape counter!

As to the two cork pads, I think one is for the ordinary brake, and one (with the leaf spring) is for the pause function.
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Old 20th Mar 2019, 11:10 am   #13
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Default Re: Another Philips tape recorder!

I worked on the Philips Continental 401, and 301 models
when the first came out.

Compared to the previous tube models, 400, 300 (El3536) these
machines were in a word 'beautiful' when they worked.


They were chock full of bendable adjustments, and manuals
I still have showed the revisions they had to make.

I still have a few of those units on the pile, some with a
fatal broken part.

Enjoy your find !
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Old 20th Mar 2019, 11:26 am   #14
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Default Re: Another Philips tape recorder!

I would be tempted, as an experiment, to insert a plastic washer below that pad to see if/how well that works. That arrangement with a spring-pressure cork pad on the rim looks a little crude to my eyes.
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Old 20th Mar 2019, 8:02 pm   #15
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Default Re: Another Philips tape recorder!

Here is a response to the query about back tension. Also,
if any other issues that arise, I can dive into the manuals
and pick out what you may need.
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Old 21st Mar 2019, 1:12 pm   #16
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Default Re: Another Philips tape recorder!

Right, it's like on the EL3547 then, the actual tape tension is maintained with the little felt brake against the left guide pin, and the only braking on the supply reel is just to stop it unwinding unduly.
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Old 21st Mar 2019, 6:03 pm   #17
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Default Re: Another Philips tape recorder!

There is braking of the left table applied when the machine is
not not moving the tape. The machine has 71 figure diagrams
many showing how to adjust and measure things.

On the surface , think ship's chronometer, on closer, when
doing the bending with pliers to adjust, think cheap alarm clock.

When reel to reel vanished and cassettes arrived things were better,
when CDs came out, repair techs were virtually booted.

Then, I took my electrical papers and cashed them in for a cushy
job in heavy industry.
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Old 22nd Mar 2019, 12:49 pm   #18
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Smile Re: Another Philips tape recorder!

Hi,
Thanks again for the info, and your kind offer of further help, Steve.
A couple of replies mentioned the counter belt being the only source of reel braking and, ironically, that's the very belt that's missing presumed broken.
Typically Philips, as is the bending of metal tabs to adjust things. Some of their autochanger record decks used the same method.
I ran it for a while the other day, and smelled something getting hot. I think, but I'm not certain, that it might be one of the output transformers, although the output transistors remain cold and there's no apparent distortion. I'll have to remove the machine from its case in order to have a good look.
Cheers, Pete.
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Old 24th Mar 2019, 8:55 pm   #19
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Default Re: Another Philips tape recorder!

As quick shorterm fix you could use a suitably dimensioned ordinary rubber band as a replacement for the real thing.
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