|
Vintage Audio (record players, hi-fi etc) Amplifiers, speakers, gramophones and other audio equipment. |
|
Thread Tools |
9th Jan 2022, 10:07 am | #41 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Southwold, Suffolk, UK.
Posts: 8,302
|
Re: BSR Factory Workers: reaching out..
Ignoring the box, the cartridge is a BSR TC8H high-output mono. If working, it's worth c. £35-40.
__________________
Edward. |
9th Jan 2022, 10:58 am | #42 |
Octode
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Colchester, Essex, UK.
Posts: 1,063
|
Re: BSR Factory Workers: reaching out..
Looks like TC8 G on the cartridge side.
Mike. |
9th Jan 2022, 12:11 pm | #43 |
Nonode
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Aberaeron, Ceredigion, Wales, UK.
Posts: 2,869
|
Re: BSR Factory Workers: reaching out..
I wonder why the box is marked stereo, the cartridge appears to have two terminals.
John |
9th Jan 2022, 12:20 pm | #44 |
Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK.
Posts: 21,192
|
Re: BSR Factory Workers: reaching out..
Is this of any help or has it already been mentioned?
https://discovery.nationalarchives.g...ls/r/N15626908
__________________
Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron. |
9th Jan 2022, 1:44 pm | #45 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Southwold, Suffolk, UK.
Posts: 8,302
|
Re: BSR Factory Workers: reaching out..
Yes, as I suggested in Post #41, it's the wrong box for that cartridge.
__________________
Edward. |
9th Jan 2022, 3:54 pm | #46 | |
Pentode
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Washington, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 125
|
Re: BSR Factory Workers: reaching out..
Quote:
It's absolutely beautiful. Put the lid on quick in case it gets damp. It should still work if it's been in the box all this time. Yes, its a bit strange they accidentally put the mono cart in a stereo box, perhaps a member of staff quickly packaged it up for a little give away as dad might have mentioned in passing that his needed replacing at home perhaps. I'll bet that's the case. |
|
9th Jan 2022, 3:57 pm | #47 |
Pentode
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Washington, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 125
|
Re: BSR Factory Workers: reaching out..
I contacted Astatic (CAD Audio) and Grimes today.
I still have a few avenues to follow but am getting a bit disheartened now I must admit. |
9th Jan 2022, 4:23 pm | #48 | |
Tetrode
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Hereford, Hereford and Worcester, UK.
Posts: 92
|
Re: BSR Factory Workers: reaching out..
Quote:
Sadly, many companies had little interest in their history and only keep the legally required records. But you never know. BSR were an interesting and successful company, and there may be a gold mine to be discovered. |
|
9th Jan 2022, 5:42 pm | #49 |
Pentode
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Washington, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 125
|
Re: BSR Factory Workers: reaching out..
Crystal Farm Experiment Update
As suggested previously, as I don't have an oscilloscope, I thought it was about time to see what happened when I outputted the crystals directly to the cartridge wires on a known working record player. I selected 3 crystals from my growing "farm" media and dried them off with a paper towel I connected wires to the input wires leading to the amplifier of the record player, in this instance a Bush RP31. At the other end leading to the crystal I attached kitchen foil strips. Just pressed on and not actually soldered. At the crystal end I applied the foils to either side of each axis (3 tests) and held them in place with foam for the first experiments then in the other two experiments, an elastic band. In my first experiment with a smaller crystal approx. 1.5cm in length I held everything in place with foam secured, as mentioned, with the small tabletop vice as per the attached image. For experiments 2 and 3 I used crystals that were about 3cm in length so much larger. In order to try and create a voltage I tried tapping at various positions, then pressing on the crystal at various positions in order to create a voltage. The results for them all even the large crystal approximately 3cm long were very disappointing. I was only getting low volume clicks through the amplifier with the volume control at 2/3 maximum and hardly any response when attempting to band the crystal by pushing on it, even quickly in succession. I did notice, however, that the hum from the speakers reduced to virtually nothing when the contacts on the crystal were pressed tightly in position so presumably a circuit of sorts had been created. Wish I had a scope. I think the next thing to do is to try sanding a rectangular crystal to size, fitting it into the mounts and see what happens when the vibrations from the stylus pass through it. The crystals seem very fibrous so I am hoping they don't just disintegrate. Hasn't anyone been through all this before me? Possible improvements to this experiment: 1. Soldering the contacts. 2. Using finer lead wire. I was simply using copper connector wire so that wasn't good. 3. Recording more accurate results. 4. take into account the slice position of the crystal regarding the crystal matrix axies. It's supposed to be important, but impossible to do at home without a huge solid crystal and a method of finely cutting them at an angle. At the end of all this I think I will create a separate thread solely with the Rochelle salt experiments so other people can find out what happened in a search. At present I'm not doing very well tracing how the original manufacturers used to do it nor making a working crystal element. (sigh) Does anyone else fancy giving it a go? |
9th Jan 2022, 10:50 pm | #50 |
Heptode
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: West Lothian, UK.
Posts: 760
|
Re: BSR Factory Workers: reaching out..
You may be typing on one (if it has windows and a microphone input).
https://www.zeitnitz.eu/scope_en
__________________
George |
9th Jan 2022, 11:25 pm | #51 |
Nonode
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Aberaeron, Ceredigion, Wales, UK.
Posts: 2,869
|
Re: BSR Factory Workers: reaching out..
Keep your eye on the Offered section, Scopes often appear foc.
John |
10th Jan 2022, 12:47 am | #52 |
Pentode
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Washington, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 125
|
Re: BSR Factory Workers: reaching out..
|
10th Jan 2022, 12:47 am | #53 | |
Pentode
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Washington, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 125
|
Re: BSR Factory Workers: reaching out..
Quote:
|
|
10th Jan 2022, 2:43 am | #54 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Madrid, Spain / Wirral, UK
Posts: 7,484
|
Re: BSR Factory Workers: reaching out..
According to the book, the BSR archives (or at least some material) was collected by Dr. Daniel MacDonald's son, Malcolm.There is also a McDonald trust in Switzerland.
I attach a few scans of pages of the book, with lots of names and references /sources of info. HTH.
__________________
Regards, Ben. Last edited by ben; 10th Jan 2022 at 2:55 am. |
10th Jan 2022, 2:50 am | #55 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Madrid, Spain / Wirral, UK
Posts: 7,484
|
Re: BSR Factory Workers: reaching out..
This page even mentions a box of BSR archive stuff saved from the skip in Astec!
__________________
Regards, Ben. |
10th Jan 2022, 3:09 pm | #56 |
Pentode
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Washington, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 125
|
Re: BSR Factory Workers: reaching out..
|
12th Jan 2022, 12:17 am | #57 |
Hexode
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 492
|
Re: BSR Factory Workers: reaching out..
Might be worth trying a patent search, there will be information and diagrams in the patent documents which will shed some light on what was being developed in the early days of crystal transducers.
Cosmocord (Acos) in Enfield were quite active in this topic. Chris |
12th Jan 2022, 1:14 am | #58 |
Hexode
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 492
|
Re: BSR Factory Workers: reaching out..
You have a PM re: scope
|
12th Jan 2022, 5:39 pm | #59 | |
Pentode
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Washington, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 125
|
Re: BSR Factory Workers: reaching out..
Quote:
It's a multi-governmental archive for the worlds patents. I have spent all day copying papers from it. I found out that they possibly used to grow Rochelle crystal elements of various sizes in tilting tanks in an insulated temperature controlled environment. Which is a step forward. Also, that the crystal can be grown to envelope the electrodes for a better contact. |
|
12th Jan 2022, 8:25 pm | #60 |
Nonode
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Aberaeron, Ceredigion, Wales, UK.
Posts: 2,869
|
Re: BSR Factory Workers: reaching out..
Chris you are certainly very tenacious in your search, well done.
John |