A 10-50 properly tuned and adjusted will knock the plaster loose in your house more readily than a Credenza!
For pickup rebuilds, George Epple is the man, he can be reached at [email protected]. Reasonable and first rate work. As far as molding feet with the kit that was mentioned: yes, it works, I molded some 10-50 pieces for a guy in Mississippi that had missing parts on his. He cast them in bondo (really!) and blended them with stain and shellac and you can't even tell they are new, so yes, the answer is it works. Best to all, Sean -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Richard Rubin Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2006 9:07 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Victrola VE 15-1: Electrola Hyperion Well, that silicone impression kit sounds like something I might be able to handle. One fellow I spoke to strongly recommended hiring a carpenter to make them, saying he personally would never settle for anything less, but that seems a bit extreme to me, not to mention expensive. I mean, the two damaged feet are in the back, and I didn't buy this thing to put it into a museum. I would like the feet to look somewhat alike, but resin or plastic wood are good enough for me, at least now. The feet are fairly simple and straightforward, nothing too ornate, so I might even be able to handle the plastic wood idea. Has anyone out there ever done this with good results? And is this a fairly common problem? I know that about 15 years ago I bought a Radiola 62 that had the exact same problem; come to think of it, the cabinets were probably made within a year of each other. Here's a new question: Are the electric pickup, tone arm and support made of pot metal? If not, what are they made of? Mine seem to be pretty solid (knock on wood), which makes me wonder if they really are pot metal. Also, I don't think I'll need it, but can anyone recommend someone who works on these electric pickups? Can anyone who is really good with old radios and electronics work on these, or are there tricky issues particular to this pickup? As for the speaker, I can now state with confidence that I have the Radiola 104. It's interesting that Doug's Hyperion and mine are only 111 units apart, and yet they have the different speakers. It would seem that Victor switched models somewhere between 1797 and 1908, unless they continued to alternate, at their own judgement, beyond that point? Baumbach says they switched to the six-inch dynamic speaker for "late production" units, but that's vague. Mine was only about two-thirds of the way through the run. Oh, and my set still does have the big internal loop antenna, although who knows how wel that'll work. It looks exactly like the loop that RCA sold to go with the Radiola 28. It looks pretty goofy sitting on top of that set, but if it works well... The Brunswick P-11 is a nice piece. Is there a site somewhere that lists and pictures the different Panatropes? And while I'm asking: After the Credenza, what do all you folks think is the best-sounding Victrola? I'll be interested to hear. Thanks again-- --RR >From: "Ron L'Herault" <[email protected]> >Reply-To: Antique Phonograph List <[email protected]> >To: "'Antique Phonograph List'" <[email protected]> >Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Victrola VE 15-1: Electrola Hyperion >Date: Wed, 1 Mar 2006 09:05:49 -0500 > >An alternative to building up the missing parts with plastic wood and >screws would be to buy the silicone impression material and casting >resin that I think are sold in Van Dyke's Restorer's Catalog. You would >make an impression of the good parts, then pour in the liquid resin >which would harden. Then you would glue the new piece where is was >needed, sand the seams smooth, stain and either shellac or lacquer the >finish to match. > >Ron L > >-----Original Message----- >From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] >On Behalf Of Doug >Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2006 4:47 PM >To: Antique Phonograph List >Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Victrola VE 15-1: Electrola Hyperion > >Interesting. The serial number on mine is 1797, and as I have already >said, >it has the magnetic speaker. I've seen a picture of a later Hyperion >with >the 104 speaker. It has a great big cast iron field pot on its back, and >a 6 >inch cone. On the picture I saw, there was a sturdily braced shelf to >mount >the speaker (It weighs like the blazes). The earlier sets with the >nagnetic >speaker can easily be spotted by the horseshoe magnet on the speaker >Indeed, >a dynamic speaker was far superior to a magnetic. It has deep bass >response, >and far more treble too. Magnetic speakers sound squawky. > >I have a theory about the change in speakers. When the Orthophonic >recordings came out, the Credenza bowled over the listeners. That sold a >lot >of Victors. Concurrently, RCA was selling a Loudspeaker 104 in a cabinet > >with amplifier to be used to power and amplify battery sets, especially >RCA's Radiola 28. You could have superb sound from this ensemble. In >fact, >that sound would be better yet than a Credenza! It was RCA who supplied >Victor's and Brunswick's electronics from 1926 through the merger in >1929. >I believe that if the early sets with direct radiator speakers, like the > >Hyperion and the Electrola Cromwell were equipped with dynamic speakers >so >soon, they would out-perform the Credanzas and the Borgia Victors. On >Victor >day (11-2-25), Victor COULD HAVE HAD dynamic speakers. After the >original >introduction, and credenzas were selling like hotcakes, then Victor >could >afford to put the dynamics in the cone speaker phonographs. I have two >examples of the RCA powered Electrolas: The Victor 12-15 Electrola and >the >Brunswick P-11. They must have knocked a new listener onto the floor. >So, >circuit-wise, conversion of the Hyperion to a 104 speaker was easy. The >fil;ter choke in the amplifier was replaced by the 1000 Ohm field in >the >speaker, and the output transformer changed to match the voice coil in >the >speaker. I have all of the stuff here to do that, but I wouldn't care to > >change the set, better as it would sound. > >As far as building up the foots goes, the screw would tend to help hold >the >built-up plastic wood to the flat wood. It's like building a mound of >plaster on a broken object. You put the screw in the flat piece part >way, >then pile on the plastic wood in a few layers so as to over-build it. >Let it >harden (the screw is now buried in the PW. After it's hard, file and >sand it >to match the contours of the foot. After you finish it off with toned >lacquer, nobody'd ever know that it's a repair job. > >The set is supposed to have a big loop antenna inside the right hand >side of >the cabinet. thete is a thumb wheel in the top of that panel to rotate >the >antenna for maximum reception. There isn't an external antenna coil on >the >set. I already told about putting a coil of wier to the back panel of >the >set for an external antenna. If you're in a big metropolitan area, the >set's >already pretty hot, and you'll get a lot of stations, but an external >antenna does make a difference. I suppose that they expected yopu to >tack >the antenna pick-up coil to the bcak panel Maybe tape, but never tacks! >One other caution. The volume control on the Radiola panel and the >filament >control regulate the voltage to the filaments of the X99 tubes. Be very >cautious about turning up either control, as you can possibly put too >much >juice on those tubes, and burn one out. You'll find that X99s are not >easy >to find! > >Now, regarding the external speaker jack on the set. I can't safely move >my >set away from the wall without help, but seem to recall that ther >speaker >jack is on the lower part of the cabinet. It will be a rouind bakelite >faced >jack, for a standard phone plug. It cuts out the internal speaker and >connects your other speaker that you've plugged in. That jack may not be >on >the dynamic speaker models. The dynamic speaker isn't documented for the > >Hyperion in Victor's service bulletins. If you have a speaker jack on >your >set, you'd probably never use it, anyway. > > >On Victor's Electrolas (the Cromwell, Tuscany, 12-15 and 12-25), there >was >an input jack to plug in your battery set to use the amplifier in the >Electrola. That stuff was cutting-edge technology. > > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Richard Rubin" <[email protected]> >To: <[email protected]> >Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2006 2:02 PM >Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Victrola VE 15-1: Electrola Hyperion > > > > Thanks for all the information, Doug. My 15-1 is one of the later >ones -- > > the serial number is 1908, which means it was about two-thirds of the >way > > through the run, and was shipped in the second quarter of 1926 -- but >the > > ID > > plate reads "Hyperion." I'm pretty sure I have the 104 speaker, as >it's > > not > > a ten-inch speaker. Do you have any idea why Victor switched speakers >in > > the middle of a run? Was the 104 considered to be an improvement over >the > > 100, or the opposite? > > > > I'm not sure exactly how to go about rebuilding the feet as you >described; > > it sounds like a pretty complicated process, something that Martha >Stewart > > (or Eric Reiss!) would describe in simple terms but might vex the >average > > joe (i.e. me). Can you (or anyone else out there) possibly elaborate >a > > little more on exactly how to go about this? What role do the wood >screws > > play in this? > > > > Regarding the albums, as soon as I fired off the first email I looked > > again > > at the big Baumbach book (the Data book, that is) and there they were, >on > > page 58. These were, as you wrote, Orthophonic albums, produced >between > > 1925 and 1928. Mine have letters on the side, and I'm missing the "D" > > (10-inch) and "I" (12-inch) albums. I don't know what the prospects >are > > for > > ever replacing these -- I don't think I've ever seen these particular > > albums > > on Ebay; for some reason, only the earlier red albums seem to pop up > > there. > > > > I'm a bit confused: Does your set have the internal antenna? I'm >also > > not > > sure where I would connect an extrenal one. The Baumbach books also >say > > that this model had a jack for an external speaker, but I can't seem >to > > find > > it. Where is it? > > > > Finally, if you (or anyone else out there) have pictures of what these > > > plugs > > are supposed to look like, I'd love to see them. > > > > Thanks again for all your help, Doug. I appreciate it! > > > > > > > > > >>From: "Doug" <[email protected]> > >>Reply-To: Antique Phonograph List <[email protected]> > >>To: "Antique Phonograph List" <[email protected]> > >>Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Victrola VE 15-1: Electrola Hyperion > >>Date: Sun, 26 Feb 2006 23:29:45 -0500 > >> > >>I've had one of these sets for quite a few years, and I know a bit >about > >>it. > >> > >>Questions: > >> > >>(1) I've altready said that i have one. It's a fairly uncommon set, >many > >>having been gutted, or if not, having the legs cut off. Mine is one of >the > >>early ones with the magnetic speaker; the RCA Loudspeaker 100. Later > >>versions of the Hyperion had the RCA dynamic speaker, as the >Loudspeaker > >>104. I imagine that later models carried the 15-1 on the name plate. > >> > >>(2) The line cord had been supplied with the set, and since it was so > >>easily > >>removed, it was removed by some creature in the past. If you really >have > >>to > >>have the cloth covered original line cord stuff, it can be gotten, but >I > >>can't put my finger on just where just now. As far as the >terminations, > >>there are bakelite female plugs to be found that do the job, and a > >>bakelite > >>line plug that will look original. I'm one of the few people who know >what > >>the Victor sets used, but if you were going for a $10,000 prize in a > >>judging > >>contest, I'd never rat on you. The set will never know or care how the >AC > >>gets into it, anyway. By the way, I'd recommend getting a fused plug > >>(Horrors!, it wouldn't be original!) for the line plug. It's good > >>insurance > >>for the old Victor and Brunswick phono combinations. If anything >shorts > >>past > >>the plug, the fuse goes. Those plugs are sold in farm supply stores as > >>fence > >>controller plugs. I never had the original cord for mine either, and >I've > >>never been castigated for using an extension cord. > >> > >>(3) Those little pieces have a nasty habit of disappearing. I'd >recommend > >>gluing back those you have, and putting a short wood screw in the >flats of > >>the other feet, and building them up with plastic wood, and >sanding/filing > >>them to shape and finishing with toned lacquer. > >> > >>(4) Sounds like you have the albums that are a glossy brown with the >HMV > >>logo pressed in them. Those are the regular Orthophonic style that >Victor > >>used with sets like yours. I never had the ones from mine. They do pop >up > >>occasionally in flea markets and, of course, good ole eBay. > >> > >>Are you certain thet the 10 tube is bad? If you have no luck finding >one > >>easily, the military type VT-25 is a later version of the 10. It may >also > >>be > >>called a 10Y. There is a ceramic based 10, known as a 210T. If you >don't > >>have to absolutely have the original daylight bright balloon bulb 10, >you > >>can substitute a 10Y, and it'll work perfectly. I have one in my >Brunswick > >>P-11, which has a similar amplifier. By the way, RCA called the black > >>amplifiers as you have in the Hyperion: "Tomcat". Don't ask me why; I > >>don't > >>know. It's in their service data. > >> > >>The Hyperion has no provisions for external antenna, and doesn't do >too > >>bad > >>on local and distant stations, but somewhere, Victor recommended a 6 >inch > >>diameter coil of wire, hanging from the rear of the cabinet behind the > >>antenna side, probably about 20 turns, with one end to an antenna and >the > >>other to a ground (water pipe, etc.). It'll pick up like a screamin' > >>demon. > >> > >>Doug. Houston Ortonville, Michigan > >> > >>----- Original Message ----- > >>From: "Richard Rubin" <[email protected]> > >>To: <[email protected]> > >>Sent: Sunday, February 26, 2006 8:47 PM > >>Subject: [Phono-L] Victrola VE 15-1: Electrola Hyperion > >> > >> > >> > Hi, everybody. Yesterday I picked up (literally, though I needed >some > >> > help, > >> > since it weighs about 300 lbs.) a very unusual machine: A Victrola >(or > >> > Electrola) model VE 15-1, also known as the "Hyperion." (The >latter > >> > is, > >> > in > >> > fact, what appears on the ID tag.) It's in really nice shape >except > >> > for > >> > two > >> > of the six feet, which have lost some (or in one case, all) of the > >>wooden > >> > pieces that make them round instead of square. Fortunately, >they're in > >> > the > >> > back. The piece itself is a Victor electric phonograph coupled >with an > >> > RCA > >> > radio (a Radiola 28, their top-of-the-line in 1926) and an RCA >electric > >> > speaker, built-in antenna, gold-plated hardware, Victor electric > >> > pickup, > >> > etc. The cabinet itself is almost five feet tall and just about >four > >>feet > >> > wide, walnut veneer with maple inlay, decent shape. Everything is > >> > there > >> > (including 8 of the 10 record albums) except for the needle cup and >the > >> > line > >> > cord, which plugs in to a regular two-pronged AC plug in the botton >of > >>the > >> > cabinet. It seems to work, too, though one of the tubes -- a >UX-210 -- > >> > needs to be replaced, I believe. > >> > > >> > Questions: > >> > > >> > 1. Does anyone know anything about this unit other than what's in >the > >> > Baumbach books? Anyone out there actually have one? Anywhere I >might > >> > find > >> > more information? I'd never even heard of the Hyperion until I >found > >>this > >> > one. > >> > > >> > 2. Does anyone know where I can get a nice repro cloth-covered >line > >>cord > >> > with a female two-prong adapter at one end (presumably bakelite) >and a > >> > male > >> > plug at the other? Does Antique Electronic Supply sell these? If >not, > >> > does > >> > anyone else? Did it even come with a line cord, or did folks just >use > >> > extension cords (as did the people from whom I bought it)? > >> > > >> > 3. Can anyone recommend a good carpenter who could recreate the >wood > >> > pieces > >> > that could round out the feet? I have a couple to work from. > >> > > >> > 4. The Victor albums that came with this piece are of a kind I've > >> > never > >> > seen before -- they are made of a a brown leatherette-type >material, > >> > and > >> > letters. Can anyone tell me anything about these? Do they have a >name > >>or > >> > type number? Do they ever come up on Ebay? > >> > > >> > As I said, I know very little about this machine other than what >I've > >>read > >> > in the Baumbach books, so I would appreciate any information anyone >can > >> > share, no matter how small or seemingly irrelevant. > >> > > >> > Thanks! > >> > > >> > > >> > _______________________________________________ > >> > Phono-L mailing list > >> > [email protected] > >> > > >> > Phono-L Archive > >> > http://www.oldcrank.org/pipermail/phono-l/ > >> > > >> > >>_______________________________________________ > >>Phono-L mailing list > >>[email protected] > >> > >>Phono-L Archive > >>http://www.oldcrank.org/pipermail/phono-l/ > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Phono-L mailing list > > [email protected] > > > > Phono-L Archive > > http://www.oldcrank.org/pipermail/phono-l/ > > > >_______________________________________________ >Phono-L mailing list >[email protected] > >Phono-L Archive >http://www.oldcrank.org/pipermail/phono-l/ > >_______________________________________________ >Phono-L mailing list >[email protected] > >Phono-L Archive >http://www.oldcrank.org/pipermail/phono-l/ _______________________________________________ Phono-L mailing list [email protected] Phono-L Archive http://www.oldcrank.org/pipermail/phono-l/
