Vemco Loud Speaker

[alang]

I recently found a Vemco Loud Speaker. Does anyone know what that is? I assumed that it was a device to use a phonograph as large speaker for a radio. Is that correct? Mine does not seem to work, at least not with an mp3 player. How is it supposed to work? Can it be opened ? If yes, how?
Thanks
Andreas

[scullylathe]

You are correct that this is an attachment to use the phonograph horn as a radio loudspeaker. The output from an mp3 player wouldn't be enough to drive the unit, providing it's still working at all. If you connect new wires to the terminals and use a AA battery, you should hear clicking when you touch the other end of the wires to the poles of the battery. If not, then it needs repair. Hope this helps.

[Uncle Vanya]

This unit was mos commonly used as the driver in the Jewett "Super Speaker", a large horn modeled after a 1920 vintage Western Electric unit which sold very well in 1924 and 1925.



The Vemco phonograph units were fitted with a little stand so that they could rest on the motorboard of a talking machine without marring it.

Phonograph units were pretty common in the mid 1920's, as they allowed the use of a generally well-designed amplifying horn, and cost much less than a complete loudspeaker. Some units were designed to simply have the point of the talking machine needle placed in them, using the stylus bar and the diaphragm of the talking machine reproducer to produce sound. These direct driver units tended to perform rather poorly, and they were but briefly en vogue.

[alang]

You are correct that this is an attachment to use the phonograph horn as a radio loudspeaker. The output from an mp3 player wouldn't be enough to drive the unit, providing it's still working at all. If you connect new wires to the terminals and use a AA battery, you should hear clicking when you touch the other end of the wires to the poles of the battery. If not, then it needs repair. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the info. If the output of an mp3 player is not enough, would the speaker output of a regular stereo system work?
If it needs fixing, do you know how I can open it? And what is this little arm on the side for? Is that just to hang it onto something, or does it regulate the volume?

Thanks again
Andreas

[Edisone]

Thanks for the info. If the output of an mp3 player is not enough, would the speaker output of a regular stereo system work?
If it needs fixing, do you know how I can open it? And what is this little arm on the side for? Is that just to hang it onto something, or does it regulate the volume?

Thanks again
Andreas

It probably has an impedance of 1000-2000 Ohms, while a modern stereo is looking for 8 Ohm speakers. You might try an audio output transformer from Radio Shack (Catalog #: 273-1380) - 8 Ohms on one side, 1000 on the other.

ps - I have something like this with an Edison DD fitting - I can play my Radiola 17 through the Edison Baby Console !