The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I made a short Christmas video showing how the Condon-Autostop functions. No matter how many times I use it...I jump whenever I hear the reproducer hit the stop arm. It sounds like it's going to rip the reproducer right off the tone arm... . The three soft (sort of) rubber pads need to be moistened in order to create resistance to stop the record/turntable.
https://youtu.be/0ER2-yCyxKg

Yes,it DOES look rather dangerous!! edisonplayer

Any chance you could upload it to YouTube again, but in HD, so we can see the details, please?

Is that a added plate on the back of the reproducer? I do think the Condon looks interesting but not sure if i would use it regularly for fear of eventually breaking something.

I wish I had a HD camera. Unfortunately, I seem to spend my money on old stuff instead. I'm sure no one here can relate.. .

For those that are unfamiliar with the principal behind the Condon-Autostop, I have taken some detailed pics showing the progression. The Condon-Autostop is in two parts.
The main hub has a pronged arm that you need to pull out and adjust to allow the stop to happen after the last groove. So, every record (without a runoff groove) requires this adjustment prior to play (a bit of a hassle, unless your planing to play the same record over and over).

This pronged arm has a thin spring steel blade slightly protruding outward as well as a triangle shaped protrusion that works as a needle guide to help determine where the blade will hit the correct spot at the records end.

The other part (a steel plate) is attached between the reproducer body and the rubber flange. This plate also has a piece of spring steel attached to the end in the form of a knife edge.
Once the reproducer reaches the end of the record, the reproducer blade slips inside the hub arm blade and locks together.
Once lock together, the soft rubber pads under the main hub create drag or resistance and the table slows to a stop fairly quickly.

This is a nut shell explanation I know. I just hope it's clear enough.. .

Thank you for sharing, I now get the idea how it works. By the way...a beautiful Victrola. I bet you play most of your records on that beauty.

Many thanks for the interesting posts but I have to say I find the whole process somewhat heavy-handed and mechanically frightening !