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Author Topic: The Oldest Electronic Gear You Have Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 11-30-2009 09:10 AM                        I have an RCA 44bx microphone. It is easily the best sounding mike I have and I even have a couple of new Neumann's. Everyone sounds like Bing Crosby with a 44bx. Louis  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 11-30-2009 09:44 AM                        quote: Tim Reed You still active, Jack? Not for a long long time, Tim. I lost the bug (literally) when I moved on to movies and broadcast radio. There have been times when I've regretted that. However, I doubt my wife would have thought much about me hauling old broadcast transmitters around, as we moved from there to here.  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 11-30-2009 10:13 AM                       A trip to a good hamfest always piques my interest!  |  IP: Logged Tony Gallimore Expert Film Handler Posts: 108 From: Willis, Virginia, USA Registered: Jul 2009 posted 11-30-2009 02:54 PM                     Unfortunately my shop is so loaded with outdated equipment, I don't have room to continue my wayward pack rat habits. Here are a few I have stashed... RCA Wide Range Oscillator HP 333A Distortion Analyzer Assorted interface units All of the above coupled with a frequency counter were used for proof of performance measurements when I was into broadcast engineering. There used to be a field strength meter somewhere in here too. Probably under something. A Navysurplus R5007 short wave receiver. I still tune into a few broadcasts occasionally. In the film line... 4 16mm's retired from the school system I retired from. 2 B&H's, 1 Eiki, and a Graflex. There's another really old one that I haven't even taken the cover off. An old Century W3-11 mono sound system with field booster. Picked it up from a closed drive in... literally picked it up... off the field. Vandals had broken in and boogered it up. We rebuilt the booster, converted it to different tubes. It was working great when last fired up. The W3-11 was in repair but the schematic was in such bad condition we couldn't make out all the connections and circuits, so it was set aside before it was finished. Now if I get to moving a few things around I'll find all sorts of electronic components, resistors, caps, etc., a few IC's and transistors. What a mess! Where's the vacuum cleaner?  |  IP: Logged Jeff Stricker Master Film Handler Posts: 481 From: Calumet, Mi USA Registered: Nov 1999 posted 12-01-2009 05:49 PM                     Ah yes Louis, the 44 BX is a great bi-directional mic. It gave ba-ba-ba-Bing his fanmous mellow full bodied sound. Wish I had one...have a ham radio buddy who has re-ribboned one---sounds super over the air. Back the in the 1930's the microphone techonology sure exceeded recording capabilities!  |  IP: Logged Jack Theakston Master Film Handler Posts: 411 From: New York, USA Registered: Sep 2007 posted 12-01-2009 06:15 PM                     quote: Back the in the 1930's the microphone techonology sure exceeded recording capabilities! In practice, yes, but technically no. Late '20s/early '30s recordings can be incredibly high fidelity, but the steel needles and heavy tone arms that were being used to play would wear down the fine grooves after even just one play, removing that width of sound. Most labels started fattening their EQs to accommodate this, severely limiting the quality of the sound, but making for more lasting records. Those early electric era records can sound wonderful if they haven't been torn up by a fat needle and played back through the proper EQ. I've heard some examples sound like they were recorded yesterday.  |  IP: Logged Julio Roberto Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 938 From: Madrid, Madrid, Spain Registered: Oct 2008 posted 12-01-2009 06:20 PM                    I throw away most of the old stuff. In working order, oldest interesting stuff I can remember, there's still somewhere a Super8 Beaulieu 4008 camera (release date MK1, I'm sure batteries would have to be rebuilt) and a couple of japanese VHD videodisc players (those similar to Laserdisc that released several 3D movies), Bauer Super8 projector and moviola, etc. Not sure where the 16mm stuff is, probably gone too. Plain electronic equipment: all old radio receivers are long gone, as is most analog audio equipment (open reels, magnetic film sound recording, etc). I don't think anything survived that is older than '75 or so, except for filmed stuff itself  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 12-01-2009 09:51 PM                       So, umm, I guess no one wants my U-matic editor, then?  |  IP: Logged Jack Theakston Master Film Handler Posts: 411 From: New York, USA Registered: Sep 2007 posted 12-02-2009 07:05 PM                     Tim, you might offer it to places specializing in antique tape services. Since a lot of these machines aren't made anymore, lots of these places have to cannibalize older machines to get the right heads, etc.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-02-2009 07:09 PM                        Tim--no, but I have a BVU-950 and wouldn't mind getting another one of these (yours looks like a BVU-850, which is even heavier and bulkier). I also have two VO-8800 "portable" decks, but would like to get the timecode card for those. (I have this weird idea about re-inventing 1986, in all of its crappy-looking analog video glory.) Strangely, the hardest thing to find was a 19-pin to 14-pin (Ikegami to Sony) camera cable (I have one now).  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 12-03-2009 01:01 AM                       Thanks, guys. Scott, yes, you're a good step up from what we had at the station I worked in '91.. 7700's and 850s. I'd really like someone to come pick it up, though, so I don't have to move it ever again.  |  IP: Logged Jesse Skeen Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1517 From: Sacramento, CA Registered: Aug 2000 posted 12-03-2009 06:12 PM                     I'd take the U-Matic machine if it wasn't so far away, and I'm too cheap to pay for shipping right now.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-03-2009 06:36 PM                     Nice TV's Hillary! I have a 630ts and an 721ts with matching stand. Alignment if you can find the right person is not that difficult. If you're interested you should contact the TV Museum in Ohio and they could probably refer you to someone. These sets can produca amazing pictures as the video bandwidth at the CRT goes to well over 4mhz! They did this by using seperate picture and seperate sound IF strips. Mark  |  IP: Logged Hillary Charles Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 748 From: York, PA, USA Registered: Feb 2001 posted 12-03-2009 07:15 PM                     Thanks Mark! Your models are nice examples. You can tell the 630ts and the 8ts30 are basically the same sets, and that chassis is the basis for so many tv's at the time! I'd like to find a 621 or pre-war model (I can dream, can't I?) We do have a 1956 CTC-5 "roundie" color set that works, but could use a few new caps. John has been in contact with local tv repairmen from back in the day. Either they have no interest in working on something that old, and/or have thrown out the old test equipment. Are you referring to the Early Television Foundation? We never thought of writing to them. Definitely worth a try. Thanks for the suggestion!  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-03-2009 07:41 PM                     Yea... the elusive 621! There have been a few on E-bay that went for over $3500.... The closest I've come to aquiring one is a decent used CRT for one. Yea, Early Television Museum. There are alot of people connected with that museum and the key is finding someone that can align and has either old equipment made for doing so that has been restored or someone with new fancy spectrum analyzers and sweep generators. The latter would give better results. The Museum in Ohio also has has a 1949 remote truck that was originally bought by KDYL, one of the first TV Stations in Salt Lake City! It is still equipped with most of the origi9nal equipment.... TK-30 cameras.  |  IP: Logged

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