new recordio

[doug]

This Wilcox-Gray Recordio has arrived. It's the one-arm model; you pull the back of the arm up to cut; there's a threaded gear-thing inside that guides the arm along it cuts.

I have yet to plug this unit in, but I have hand-cranked a few CDs. They skipped and skidded when I played them back on my modern turntable.

First thing, I'm replacing the electrolytic caps before plugging this Recordio in. I once fried an old tube radio transformer with dried out caps; not making that mistake again.

Next is to try and play back some 78s. Also, I want to connect a separate power supply to the motor and slow it down with a Variable AC transformer. (Variac.) That way, I can cut at 45, maybe even 33.3 (or 66.6?). Speed adjusted using test tone oscillator/test record.

[jessefreelance]

that sounds great
let me know about your experience with speed altering

[doug]

Jesse,

I will definitely let everybody here know. I ordered some filter caps from Mouser; they shoulf be here pretty soon.

The CDs I hand-cranked skipped on playback (Technics, modern cartridge), and I had to press down on the cutter arm to get deep grooves. I think I might have one of the low-end units. There's only arm, meant to both play AND cut.

But we'll see how it goes.

Doug

[doug]

The motor spins, but the rectifier tube seems to be dead. It takes 250V AC from the secondary of the power transformer, but puts out 0V DC where it should be supplying about 300V DC. The tube is a 6X4. I could always use diodes to rectify, though.

There is a needle, but I don't think the cutting arm is heavy enough to cut into CDs. The needle cuts a groove that is too shallow to be played back without the arm skipping across the CD. I'll have to pick up some purple solo plates next time I'm at the grocery store, if I can remember.

This is sort of a 'back burner' project for me right now.

[Steve E.]

Have you tried adjusting the depth of the cut? There's usually a control screw for that.

Heat helps, too!