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Re: [ARSCLIST] Magne-Discs
Incredible! Steve, good to know that you have the machine. As far as I
know there is no hurry to reformat these here at Columbia.
One thing I wonder is how these machines tracked, as these discs have no
grooves (while Brush's did, I believe). It seems like it would be very
difficult to match the rotational speed of the disc with the sweep of
the arm so that the head matches the track through the entire disc.
Unless there was a parallel, grooved disk, traced by a separate but
connected arm (see patent 2567092). Can you tell from the machine?
Marcos
Steven Smolian wrote:
Actually, I have the machine to play these back. Since you'd be the
first to actualy want it used, I'd need lead time to get it up and
working- 4 to 6 months, as my technician is backed up something fierce.
This is true for many really odd formats.
With some of the strange cassettes and cartridges, there is the added
problem that when the machine is ready, one discovered the leader
becomes unattached as the splicing tape has drid out. I'm struggling
with one of these right now. Everything is reay, but there is one
little, uniquely shaped spring that insists on going aiborne at the end
of the reaasembly process..
And then their is belt failure.....
Steve Smolian
----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard L. Hess"
<arclists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2007 4:54 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Magne-Discs
Wouldn't these be highly endangered due to lack of reproducers?
I think it was Brush that made a "Record-A-Voice"? that was a disk as
you describe that was in a combo player with a phonograph. I wonder if
this is compatible?
The big challenge would be to get the leadscrew right to track the arm
on the spiral magnetic track.
I don't have a player. Maybe Steve Smolian does?
Cheers,
Richard
At 01:57 PM 2007-10-09, Marcos Sueiro wrote:
Greetings
I just came across two of Allen Communication's Magne-Discs, "for use
with the Magnetic Secretary dictation and transcribing machine". They
look like oxide on thin paper discs.
I have to assign them a condition rating for our database purposes.
Would you consider them highly endangered? They are pretty flimsy,
but I do not know how robust the track configuration or the oxide
formulation were. They will probably get maximum obsolescence rating,
though.
If you have any more information about these, please let me know.
Richard L. Hess email: richard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Aurora, Ontario, Canada (905) 713 6733 1-877-TAPE-FIX
Detailed contact information: http://www.richardhess.com/tape/contact.htm
Quality tape transfers -- even from hard-to-play tapes.
--
Marcos Sueiro Bal
Audio/Moving Image Project Archivist
Preservation Division
Columbia University Libraries