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Cylinders On Ediphone?

Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2017 2:33 pm
by RolandVV-360
Is it possible to play regular cylinders on either of these Ediphone Voice Writers? If so, what kind of cylinder(s) may I play?

Re: Cylinders On Ediphone?

Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2017 3:55 pm
by 12jslater
You cannot play regular cylinders the ediphones have 150 grooves per inch. 2 minute cylinders have 100 and 4 minute have 200 per inch.

Re: Cylinders On Ediphone?

Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2017 4:34 pm
by victorIIvictor
Just to add to what 12jslater wrote, Ediphone and Dictaphon cylinders rotate at 80rpm, not at 160rpm required for a 4 minute music/entertainment cylinder.

The answer to your second question is that you are limited to playing Ediphone Voice Writer cylinders, like the ones pictured with your machine (and perhaps contemporary Dictaphone cylinders as well), on an Ediphone Voice Writer.

If you wish to play music cylinders, you would be better off acquiring an Edison Home Model D or Standard Model D, which machines permit playback of both 2-minute and 4-minute cylinders, so long as you have the correct playback stylus size for each type of cylinder.

Best wishes, Mark

Re: Cylinders On Ediphone?

Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2017 4:49 pm
by edisonphonoworks
Only if you could change the feedscrew to 100 or 200 tpi. However they are set for 150 for Ediphone and 160 for Dictaphone, so no for entertainment cylinders. You can though have fun recording and playing on them Ediphone blanks and records, and you can record music on them (you can get them to spin up to 160 to0.)

Re: Cylinders On Ediphone?

Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2025 2:55 am
by Papycoup
High !
This post is a bit old... but it is the only place where I find the charcteristics of the machines:
May I consider as definite details:
Cylinders 2 munuts: 160 rpm, engravement 100 rpi
Cylinders 4 munuts: 160 rpm engravement 200rpi
Cylindres Ediphone: 80 rpm engravement 150 rpi
Cylinders Dictaphone: 80 rpm engravement 160 rpi reverse rotation

If anyone can correct these numbers...
I am planning to buid a machine for electrically reading the cylinders (rebuid toothed pinions, mandrels and so on...)