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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 13th May 2008, 1:50 pm   #61
mastermanx2001
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Default Re: first complete tape recorder.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ChristopherF View Post
Mine was also a Philips EL3527, a strange machine compared to my mates, whose machines were all fitted with BRS TD2 decks! I learnt a lot from that tape recorder.
My second was a Stella upright portable, with a green-tinted lid. It took 3" reels with the lid on, and 4" with it off. It had a volume and a tone control on it; the volume control doubled as the record level control. I'd love to get hold of another one just for the hell of it. In mint condition, of course...
My first tape recorder was one of these uprights, Stella ST 471 (I think) not a bad machine at all. I had the external power supply as well.
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Old 13th May 2008, 3:02 pm   #62
paolo
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Default Re: first complete tape recorder.

Mine was a Wien cassette recorder in about 1972/3. Happy days. Dunno what happened to it. I remember that it packed up in around 1978 but by then we had lots of cassette players in the house to choose from so I didn't mourn the loss.

Never seen another Wien since though!
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Old 12th Jul 2008, 3:12 pm   #63
G1PJQ_Anthony
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Default Re: first complete tape recorder.

My first post about my first tape recorder. I started with an Alba twin track, model number unkown, which I got for my birthday in 1962. My next machine also a birthday present was a Philips N4307, which was followed by a Stella 9123 quarter track. My present machine is a Ferguson quarter track, sorry I can't be more specific about this machine.
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Old 12th Jul 2008, 4:44 pm   #64
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Default Re: first complete tape recorder.

Mine was an EMI TR51 'portable'. Superbly built, it had true hi-fi performance, and was virtually indestructable. Portable was, however, a misnomer. It was just about possible to lift it in and out of a vehicle, but hardly the sort of thing you could carry to a mate's house. The reverse takeup spool arrangement was interesting, too! Combine that with features such as a switchable VU / PPM meter and a device to manually lift the tape from the heads, and it was enough to make inexperienced attempts at operation futile.
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Old 16th Jul 2008, 10:55 pm   #65
Peter.N.
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Default Re: first complete tape recorder.

Mine was from Premier Radio in Fleet street. I bought it in 1954 when I was working in London. It was sold in three sections, a Truvox Mk3 tape deck which had a seperate motor for each function and DC braking on fast wind/reverse - and it was fast! A Mullard tye C (I think) ampilfier - EF86 - ECC83 - EL84, and a case and speaker to complete. It ran at 3 3/4 and 7 1/2 ins sec, the speed change being carried out by swapping the capstan wheel. It sounded pretty good on 7 1/2" sec but not on 3 3/4!

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Old 20th Jul 2008, 1:16 pm   #66
Valleyjinker
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Default Re: first complete tape recorder.

I was really impressed by the idea of tape recorders when I was a kid - still am obviously. When I saw that self destructing portable on 'Mision Impossible' that was it.

There was a kind of childs cassette machine called a

"Say it - Play it'

I wanted one as a christmas present because - well - the familly was very short of money and I wanted some sort of tape machine, and it was cheap. It was really meant for quite young children. It had a continuous loop of about 2 minutes of one eighth tape and had only play and record functions, no winding capability. I was spellbound by it.

Later I got into it and started connecting microphones and stuff to the amp board - and that's how I got into electronics.

Havent thought about it for years. Any-one remember this machine? bought one for the kids perhaps?

Right, now I'm off to Google - happy days.......
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Old 20th Jul 2008, 4:11 pm   #67
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Default Re: first complete tape recorder.

For anyone else who wonders, Say It Play it was made by Kenner Toys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkr2kLatZ4g

Sounds more American than English though.

Cheers,

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Old 21st Jul 2008, 9:18 pm   #68
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Default Re: first complete tape recorder.

Rich. said................ I had briefly. It was a home built job based on the Mullard circuit from the same book that described the 5-10 and 5-20. It had a BSR deck fitted and used a joystick type control for tape functions. Did anyone else have one of these (possibly with a different deck)?

Yes, I also had similar, the circuit was based on the one in the Mullard book, but I had a Collaro Studio tape deck. These decks were very popular in the 1960's. with home constructors.
They had 3 motors, and if my memory serves me well, the take up spool was tensioned not by a slipping clutch but by a motor with a resistance in series.
I think the circuit was available in kit form from Stern-Clyne radio.

John
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Old 21st Jul 2008, 10:12 pm   #69
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Default Re: first complete tape recorder.

I bought my first (and only) tape recorder two weeks ago! It's a Grundig TK20, with its original manual, circuit diagram and brochure. It also still has its plastic cover over the controls, with a legend printed by each control. Very useful for finding out where the mute button is, which was turned on! I bought it for a tenner at a car boot sale, fully working. It's still got its original microphone, although I had to replace the insides and the base is missing. I plan to get another tape recorder, because the TK20 is only mono.
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