The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

(I "Bumped" this without really knowing what that would do.) But I did want to ask again if anyone here has a good photo of an O reproducer's 4 minute sapphire? (Is what I labeled below with the arrow really it?) - Thanks again...

Forgive me if I'm starting a new thread on an old topic but I didn't find anything in my searches...

I just got my reproducer for my Triumph model D (I've been running it on a modern day electronic pick-up since getting my machine in July). It's an Edison O 2 & 4 minute. But I had a lot more time to look at it rather than listen to it because it had swelled and took me a while to get it back down to its performance girth! In that time, however, I was sure it was missing the 4 minute sapphire. I could see the 2 minute, but I could not see the 4 minute even with the highest magnifier I own.

I did a quick google and couldn't find a photo. And I wondered: Has the 4 minute sapphire ever been captured on film?

I'm a bit long in the tooth to be trying this kind of photography, especially with my tremor, but I've attached the best I could do tonight. If I squint hard enough I think I see exactly what Larry Donley was telling me I'd see, but - wow - that's tiny! (A 4 minute record groove must be pretty shallow!)

Does anyone have a good picture of both sapphires? [[Now the hard part... waiting until morning to really hear my machine - family's asleep so I don't dare play it through the horn!]]

Yes, in your third photo, the arrow is pointing at the 4 min. stylus.

This may be more than you want, 2 angles of a 4 min stylus magnified about 70X






Chuck

ChuckA wrote:This may be more than you want, 2 angles of a 4 min stylus magnified about 70X


Chuck

Fantastic! No wonder I was having trouble capturing a picture of it - it's TINY!

My guess, then, is that sometimes the 'shoulder' (or cylindrical shaft which holds the 'knob' in the weld) must ride on top of the record surface which is between the grooves. Because it's SO small, and it is mounted 90 degrees to the groove compared to the 2 minute sapphire.

Very interesting! Thank you very, very much, Chuck! (What kind of awesome optical equipment do you have?!)

Schlick wrote:(What kind of awesome optical equipment do you have?!)

I have snapped a few photos like that through a microscope eyepiece using my iPhone. Holding the iPhone steady at the critical distance above the eyepiece is pretty hard though without some kind of stand to hold the iPhone. For those wishing to take high quality microscopic pictures, there are specialty digital cameras that can be inserted into the microscope in place of the eyepiece. They can be found on eBay.

Very interesting! Thank you very, very much, Chuck! (What kind of awesome optical equipment do you have?!)

Not really that awesome, it's a variable 2X to 70X stereo microscope that jewelers use for inspecting gemstones. I just replace the eyepiece with my camera to take pictures.


Chuck