Beltona portable

[langleycello]

Greetings,

I have an incomplete Beltona portable gramophone, without the tonearm resonator which I presume could be removed and stored in a little drawer on the side of the unit. I thought it could be interesting to try and make up a replacement if anyone has a closeup pic or two of the wooden tonearm / resonator? There is a soundbox with the machine, but it is incomplete and severely damaged. The motor, alas, works and the crank is extant. There there seems to be very little info online re this model but I may be looking in the wrong places.

Cheers,

Stephen

[jamiegramo]

Hi Stephan,

The only pictures I know of this unusual Beltona are these low res ones which you’ve probably seen. Hopefully someone can supply better pictures.

Jamie

[leels1]

I have the exact same machine. I didn’t think it was a commercially made thing given how strange it is.

I can send pictures to you of the tone arm and soundbox when I dig it out.

It’s a really odd machine as there doesn’t seem to be any sort of horn with it. The tone arm just goes into the base is yours the same?

[leels1]

Hi Stephan,

The only pictures I know of this unusual Beltona are these low res ones which you’ve probably seen. Hopefully someone can supply better pictures.

Jamie

Ahhh now I get why there’s no internal horn! Mine had a replacement tone arm. Thanks Jamie for the post as you’ve helped me too. The “horn” was in the base on mine and I couldn’t figure out what it was for!

[langleycello]

Thanks Jamie for the pics…yes they are the only low res ones I can muster as well.

There is evidently some sort of wooden resonator assembly which rotates on a pivot upon which the soundbox is attached. The pivot base hole is extant on my machine so I can locate the position. I also need to source some brass flat top screws, as a number are missing, but that should be reasonably straightforward.

A very simple design overall - probably not very loud…

Cheers,

Stephen

[langleycello]

Thanks too to leels1 who responded - if by chance you can take a pic of the small ‘horn’ situated in the base of your machine, I may be able to emulate it somehow… ? no pressure..

I took a couple of pics of my machine again for reference. The end of the little drawer is missing too, unfortunately, and the sound box is wrecked - alas, these are more easily resolved.

Kind regards,

Stephen

[jamiegramo]

I’m guessing the small ‘horn’ attached to the soundbox acts as a horn, rather than a resonator, and the sound is reflected from the back of the machine. Similar to a Decca reflex (bowl in lid) portable.

It might be worth doing a saved search for a Beltona soundbox on eBay.

[Inigo]

It's curious that the case seems too big for only housing the motor and the drawer at the back. Looks like the parts you're missing could have been lost in that large case... Did you open it to see what's inside?

[langleycello]

Thanks Jamie - you are indeed correct. It is a small ‘horn’ which I need to recreate rather than a resonator (my incorrect term). If I can establish the dimensions and fixture points, I may be able to recreate something or perhaps even have it 3D printed, so I can use the machine without destructive adaptation. To answer Inigo’s query, I have looked inside and there is nothing else apart from the motor and drawer Cheers, Stephen

[leels1]

Sure, I’ll get some pics of the “horn” and take some measurements of it too.

Have you any pics of the interior where the tone arm/ horn assembly sits? I can’t figure out how it’s supposed to attach to the motorboard.