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I found this advertisement for a His Master's Voice Speed Tester on the back of an old UK HMV sleeve.
Very interesting.

The ad suggests that it is not a shaft-driven tachometer, per se, in that it appears to rotate with the record it is sitting on while the arm is down on the record.

It must work on some sort of spring or weight and lever system which translates the centrifugal force generated by rotation into an RPM measurement.

I would assume that it is used with a record and the tone arm so that the rotation speed is calculated with the drag of the record and needle, although I don't see how this would work with the tone arm illustrated--great potential for disaster in this picture.

The ad doesn't say whether it has a scale for a range of speeds or whether it is just 78 RPM.

Does anyone own one? How does it work?

It is a cool looking device, but I would think a cheap digital laser tachometer would be more practical now.

I have one. It works quite well actually. There is a weight on a pivot inside, such that when the platter is spinning at the correct speed the little disc’s surface is level with the surrounding surface of the hole through which it rises.

Clever and clean and simple, with no clocks or math required.

I have a collection of 7 or 8 HMV Speed Testers as they made different variations of the same basic device. Yes, I'm a collector!

PeterF wrote: Mon May 29, 2023 2:01 pm I have one. It works quite well actually. There is a weight on a pivot inside, such that when the platter is spinning at the correct speed the little disc’s surface is level with the surrounding surface of the hole through which it rises.

Thank you for the reply. Very interesting.

PeterF wrote: Mon May 29, 2023 2:01 pm
... no clocks or math required.

For its use, yes. Its design/engineering was probably an entirely different matter. LOL

It can't be used with an HMV 102 portable, because the swan neck sits too low. But I believe it will clear the swan neck of an HMV 101.

shoshani wrote: Wed May 31, 2023 10:58 am It can't be used with an HMV 102 portable, because the swan neck sits too low. But I believe it will clear the swan neck of an HMV 101.

I didn't know that. Very useful information indeed !

poodling around wrote: Wed May 31, 2023 12:36 pm

shoshani wrote: Wed May 31, 2023 10:58 am It can't be used with an HMV 102 portable, because the swan neck sits too low. But I believe it will clear the swan neck of an HMV 101.

I didn't know that. Very useful information indeed !

Works perfectly well on all my 101 and 102 models. Why wouldn't it ? I can't see that HMV would market a device that would not " fit " arguably their
most popular portable gramophone model for nearly 30 years. Some years ago I purchased a red 102 from the family of the original owner that came with
a boxed HMV speed tester . Regards

Dulcetto wrote: Sat Jun 03, 2023 2:36 pm

poodling around wrote: Wed May 31, 2023 12:36 pm

shoshani wrote: Wed May 31, 2023 10:58 am It can't be used with an HMV 102 portable, because the swan neck sits too low. But I believe it will clear the swan neck of an HMV 101.

I didn't know that. Very useful information indeed !

Works perfectly well on all my 101 and 102 models. Why wouldn't it ? I can't see that HMV would market a device that would not " fit " arguably their
most popular portable gramophone model for nearly 30 years. Some years ago I purchased a red 102 from the family of the original owner that came with
a boxed HMV speed tester . Regards

I'm inclined to agree, although I haven't got access to my speed Testers to check, but with that said, let's not also forget that HMV made the same design of fibre needle cutter for many years, only marginally altering it to suit no. 4 and then 5A soundboxes.

Dulcetto wrote: Sat Jun 03, 2023 2:36 pm

poodling around wrote: Wed May 31, 2023 12:36 pm

shoshani wrote: Wed May 31, 2023 10:58 am It can't be used with an HMV 102 portable, because the swan neck sits too low. But I believe it will clear the swan neck of an HMV 101.

I didn't know that. Very useful information indeed !

Works perfectly well on all my 101 and 102 models. Why wouldn't it ? I can't see that HMV would market a device that would not " fit " arguably their
most popular portable gramophone model for nearly 30 years. Some years ago I purchased a red 102 from the family of the original owner that came with
a boxed HMV speed tester . Regards

I forget where I read that, one of two HMV collectors books, neither of which are with me at the moment, or one of the UK gramophone sites, but trying to find the latter now, I got swamped by ads for completed sales of same. (I've never had one, I only knew what I read, which was the 102 swan neck sat too low for the rotating speed tester to clear. Never had a chance to actually try it.)