For what it's worth, Doug, I agree with you entirely -- I would always choose keeping a set original over changing a speaker, even if I thought it might sound better. That, to me, is the whole point of restoring something like this -- to keep it as close as possible to original, not "improve" it. Just my opinion, though.
--RR >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: Tue, 28 Feb 2006 16:47:17 -0500 > >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/
