A phonograph adapter that's DA BOMB!!

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jmad7474
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A phonograph adapter that's DA BOMB!!

Post by jmad7474 »

While I am hardly the first one to construct something like this, I spent this past weekend enjoying my homemade phonograph adapter that allows my digital music collection to be played through my 110-year-old Victor 0! Its sound quality rivals that of an Orthophonic, and best of all, it doesn't need to be wound after every play :)

Here's what I used to construct the adapter, which is air-tight, reproduces from 200-20k Hz, plays for about five hours on a full charge at 80% volume and does not damage the tonearm whenever it is put on/removed:

-A Bomb speaker (about $9-$10 at Wal-Mart)
-A water bottle with a neck opening the same diameter as the Exhibition reproducer flange opening (mine was a 20 fl oz Dasani for $2)
-Scissors
-Packing tape (only a few pieces are needed, not an entire roll)
-Vaseline (a pea-sized amount)
-About fifteen minutes of free time away from external distractions (in my case, a lovably annoying family member)

First and foremost, completely drink the water in the bottle; it is best to perform the following tasks while well-hydrated. Second, mark the bottle where the bulbous/curved portion on the top of the bottle matches the height of the Bomb speaker (it must be a near-perfect match, if it is too tall or too low, the tape will not hold and it won't stay air-tight and secure.) Cut the bottle at this mark, discard the bottom portion and completely dry the top portion before attaching the speaker side of the Bomb to the water bottle top with the neck facing out. Then, make sure everything is level before taping it tightly with packing tape (take care to not tape over the ON/OFF switch located at the bottom of the speaker) and place a dab of Vaseline inside the neck bottle (this will make it easier to put on and remove the adapter as well as ensure an airtight seal.) Then, simply attach it to your machine and enjoy!

I hope this helps other collectors, and I am curious to know if anyone can alter these instructions to construct an adapter for cylinder machines? I no longer have a cylinder player so any advice on that regard would be appreciated!
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Curt A
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Re: A phonograph adapter that's DA BOMB!!

Post by Curt A »

I made one several years ago for my Victrola XX...
http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... th+adapter

I also made one for my Edison Standard with a Cygnet horn... I just inserted the speaker into the horn, threaded the cord down and out of the horn through the rubber horn connector... it worked perfectly and sounded great.
"The phonograph† is not of any commercial value."
Thomas Alva Edison - Comment to his assistant, Samuel Insull.

"No one needs a Victrola XX, a Perfected Graphophone Type G, or whatever you call those noisy things."
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Marco Gilardetti
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Re: A phonograph adapter that's DA BOMB!!

Post by Marco Gilardetti »

Last year my wife and I desired to hear a radio program which was broadcast on a channel that doesn't reach our home. The only way to listen to it was through the smartphone app of the FM channel. I then thought to try and put a phonograph horn over the smartphone speaker, and see if we could both listen to the broadcast. Not only we could, but the sound was unbelievably loud and clear and it filled the whole salon at a surprisingly high volume! :o

Just for the sake of curiosity, I later tried with a huge HMV gramophone horn, but it didn't work just as well. I think that the very narrow mouth of phonographs' horns plays an important role in correctly coupling the small speaker of the smartphone with the duct. The mouth of the HMV's gramophone was much larger and as a result it proven much less efficient.
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VanEpsFan1914
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Re: A phonograph adapter that's DA BOMB!!

Post by VanEpsFan1914 »

Not to hijack anything, but I'd love to know if anyone has made one of these that fits in the horn or elbow of a machine and works backwards...making the phonograph into a recording device. I was thinking about making some form of feedscrew drive and attaching it to a table, then setting my Victor III there and linking that up to the feed screw and making records...

It would have to be nonpermanent, and not modify the machine...but would it work?

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Johndoe64
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Re: A phonograph adapter that's DA BOMB!!

Post by Johndoe64 »

VanEpsFan1914 wrote:Not to hijack anything, but I'd love to know if anyone has made one of these that fits in the horn or elbow of a machine and works backwards...making the phonograph into a recording device. I was thinking about making some form of feedscrew drive and attaching it to a table, then setting my Victor III there and linking that up to the feed screw and making records...

It would have to be nonpermanent, and not modify the machine...but would it work?
The Victrola Guy makes one for cylinder phonos, I've yet to try it


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rvwenger
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Re: A phonograph adapter that's DA BOMB!!

Post by rvwenger »

Curt A wrote:I made one several years ago for my Victrola XX...
http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... th+adapter

I also made one for my Edison Standard with a Cygnet horn... I just inserted the speaker into the horn, threaded the cord down and out of the horn through the rubber horn connector... it worked perfectly and sounded great.

I can attest to this. I copied it and it works great.

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