Please id this speed controller ......

[poodling around]

I purchased a 'Frankenphone' and the speed controller is unlike any I have seen before - it seems to move from zero to thirty and then back to zero again !

Has any-one seen one of these before I wonder ?

Any id / information gratefully received.

[pallophotophone]

Hi !
I do mean this as a joke of course, but it seems as though the motor must shift gears and run backwards at the speed that is opposite the other one. Like for playing stampers with a bi point steel stylus.

I hope you can get the real story behind it !

[poodling around]

Hi !
I do mean this as a joke of course, but it seems as though the motor must shift gears and run backwards at the speed that is opposite the other one. Like for playing stampers with a bi point steel stylus.

I hope you can get the real story behind it !

Hi to you too !

Ha ha !!! I see what you mean about a forwards and backwards speed control. That would be a 'neat trick' for sure !

I have been researching a little bit - to no avail sadly. The only thing I learnt was that there were Berliner and made for radio Edison records (apparently) which turned at 30 rpm. Now I don't really think there is a connection - but wouldn't it be wonderful if there was !

[pallophotophone]

The Edison radio discs were a short lived experimental disc process that was instituted after Edison abandoned the entertainment disc program.
I've never actually seen one of the discs, but did hear a preservation of one of them on modern high quality magnetic tape made on an archival level machine. Sonically very disappointing.
If I recall correctly, there was one machine made that played them. It had the capability to change multiple discs in sequence. It would indeed be very interesting if your plate came from the only machine built to play the radio discs !!
Charlie Hummel would have known of it. Of Course !!

[poodling around]

The Edison radio discs were a short lived experimental disc process that was instituted after Edison abandoned the entertainment disc program.
I've never actually seen one of the discs, but did hear a preservation of one of them on modern high quality magnetic tape made on an archival level machine. Sonically very disappointing.
If I recall correctly, there was one machine made that played them. It had the capability to change multiple discs in sequence. It would indeed be very interesting if your plate came from the only machine built to play the radio discs !!
Charlie Hummel would have known of it. Of Course !!

Very interesting.

Who is Charlie Hummel I wonder ?

[Dulcetto]

The Edison radio discs were a short lived experimental disc process that was instituted after Edison abandoned the entertainment disc program.
I've never actually seen one of the discs, but did hear a preservation of one of them on modern high quality magnetic tape made on an archival level machine. Sonically very disappointing.
If I recall correctly, there was one machine made that played them. It had the capability to change multiple discs in sequence. It would indeed be very interesting if your plate came from the only machine built to play the radio discs !!
Charlie Hummel would have known of it. Of Course !!

Very interesting.

Who is Charlie Hummel I wonder ?

Charlie Hummel was a very respected and extremely knowledgable American collector and enthusiast , particularly of early rare and interesting machines. Sadly passed away at the beginning of this year . If you have seen any of the excellently produced American collector's reference books for gramophone and phonograph enthusiasts, written by Tim Fabrizio and George Paul , many of the illustrations in those books are items from Charlie's collection. If you do not have any of the Fabrizio and Paul books , then you should seek them out -- they are a must have library addition for any serious enthusiast or collector -- the books do turn up now and then in UK if you look in the right places -- online auction sites , amazon , abebooks etc. I have several and they have all come my way second-hand from auction lots etc.