Is the HMV 102 basically a Orthophonic Portable?

[estott]

Is the HMV 102 basically a Orthophonic Portable?

To add to what Peter said, I'd say it's a perfected Orthophonic portable.

According to "The Perfect Portable" by David Cooper, the executives at the Gramophone Company, when they were designing a follow-on to the HMV 101 portable, studied Victor's Orthophonic portable and found it lacking. Nonetheless, the HMV 102 incorporates all of the major acoustic design features--notably, an air-tight exponentially tapered tone chamber (tonearm & horn) coupled with a modified Orthophonic sound box. Initially, it was equipped with the HMV 16 sound box which was nearly identical to the one fitted to the Orthophonic 2-35 portable. This was soon replaced with the HMV 5a sound box which was fitted with the same diaphragm used in the Orthophonic sound box, but the needle bar pivot was based on the one used for the #4 sound box. Later in production, the 5a was replaced by the 5b sound box which had the same Orthophonic style diaphragm incorporating a modified pivoting ring.

As for the improvements, compared to the VV-2-55 portable, the HMV 102 is lighter weight, has a vastly improved auto-brake, and is more compact, while delivering the same quality sonic performance.

OrthoFan

In the US acoustic portables were primarily for occasional use- after Victor stopped manufacturing their own there was little innovation or interest in making them more than adequate. In the UK and Europe portables were often the only machine you had, and effort was made to design them for serious performance.

[estott]

They are orthophonic in that they are refined developments of the design- what RCA Victor might have built if they hadn't decided to scrap portable production in the early 30's.

They didn't actually scrap portable production, they just kept it low-key. LIFE has ads for Victrola acoustic portables as far forward as 1939.

RCA Victor SOLD those portables but they didn't produce them- everything after the 2-55 was built by outside contractors. Nothing came out of Camden.

[epigramophone]

The HMV102 was available until as late as 1960, many being exported to countries still without a reliable mains electricity supply.

In the mid 1960's, unused ex Ministry of Supply 102D's were being sold off in Army Surplus shops, and I bought one for £5. With hindsight I should have bought the lot, but in 1965 £5 was half a week's salary for a lowly 18 year old bank clerk.