While not on topic for radios, someone might be interested or be able to help me. I have about a dozen or so wire recordings and a wire recorder. I don't think the recorder is operable, but then again, I'm not sure how to go about trying to use it without perhaps damaging the recordings. Any info on how to research this equipment and maybe find someone to retrieve the recordings and transfer to tape or cd would be greatly appreciated.

:While not on topic for radios, someone might be interested or be able to help me. I have about a dozen or so wire recordings and a wire recorder. I don't think the recorder is operable, but then again, I'm not sure how to go about trying to use it without perhaps damaging the recordings. Any info on how to research this equipment and maybe find someone to retrieve the recordings and transfer to tape or cd would be greatly appreciated.

::While not on topic for radios, someone might be interested or be able to help me. I have about a dozen or so wire recordings and a wire recorder. I don't think the recorder is operable, but then again, I'm not sure how to go about trying to use it without perhaps damaging the recordings. Any info on how to research this equipment and maybe find someone to retrieve the recordings and transfer to tape or cd would be greatly appreciated.

I'm not sure if you are only interested in obtaining the recordings from the wire or not. If so you can try forums like this and others. Your recorder model, chassis will probably need to be provided.
If you would like to repair your system, Sams info and other sources can provide you what you want. I am
in the process of repairing Sears 7085 & 8086B wire recorders but may take another month.......

:::While not on topic for radios, someone might be interested or be able to help me. I have about a dozen or so wire recordings and a wire recorder. I don't think the recorder is operable, but then again, I'm not sure how to go about trying to use it without perhaps damaging the recordings. Any info on how to research this equipment and maybe find someone to retrieve the recordings and transfer to tape or cd would be greatly appreciated.
:
:I'm not sure if you are only interested in obtaining the recordings from the wire or not. If so you can try forums like this and others. Your recorder model, chassis will probably need to be provided.
:If you would like to repair your system, Sams info and other sources can provide you what you want. I am
:in the process of repairing Sears 7085 & 8086B wire recorders but may take another month.......

I've done some repairs on Webster-Chicago wire recorders, but would be more interested transferring the audio on the wire reels to CD. Typically ask $5 per reel. Richard

::::While not on topic for radios, someone might be interested or be able to help me. I have about a dozen or so wire recordings and a wire recorder. I don't think the recorder is operable, but then again, I'm not sure how to go about trying to use it without perhaps damaging the recordings. Any info on how to research this equipment and maybe find someone to retrieve the recordings and transfer to tape or cd would be greatly appreciated.
::
::I'm not sure if you are only interested in obtaining the recordings from the wire or not. If so you can try forums like this and others. Your recorder model, chassis will probably need to be provided.
::If you would like to repair your system, Sams info and other sources can provide you what you want. I am
::in the process of repairing Sears 7085 & 8086B wire recorders but may take another month.......
:
:I've done some repairs on Webster-Chicago wire recorders, but would be more interested transferring the audio on the wire reels to CD. Typically ask $5 per reel. Richard

I have successfully transfered wire recordings to tape. The reason I did was because the amp was out of order and did not care to repair same. Although it would not have been impossible since I have been in radio repair since 1949 and the succeeding 20 years.

The mechanism was and is in good shape and thus I disconnected the head output lead from the selection switch and with a piece of coax and a proper plug plugged into the mike input of the tape recorde the reproduction came thru quite well.

I hope this may be of some help to you. Feel free to write.

If you have or know where to get the schematic for my machine, Montgomery Mod. 94-GCD-3652A, it would be immensly appreciated. I don't have access to Sams any longer. So if you could help or maybe know of other scources. Pleas pass it on.

You can get all sorts of wire related stuff on eBay, including wire spools that may or may not have been recorded on.

Wire recorders are a pain in the butt, especially when the brakes are not adjusted properly. I own three, and have ruined recordings simply because the brakes like to malfunction. The brakes are adjusted so that they put a slight tension on the supply reel during play. Then, when you stop the wire, that brake is supposed to put a fairly hard tension on the supply reel. When it doesn't, that reel keeps spinning, and puts a mess of wire all over the place. The worst is when rewinding the wire. Then, when you stop the wire, the take-up reel's brake is supposed to go on rather hard. WHen it doesn't, you have disaster. Fortunately wire traveles at such a high rate of speed that not much program is lost when you have a tangle. Untangling wire is incredibly difficult, though, and kinks then formed in the wire cause all sorts of trouble. You are supposed to be able to "splice" wire together easily by tying a knot. Webster Chicago even recommends a certain type of knot. Knots never work for me. They get stuck every so often, and sometimes come apart. When you anneal the wire with a match, another disaster is waiting to happen. The smooth surface of the wire is ruined when you heat it with a match due to oxidation. Sometimes this rough spot gets caught in the head, causing nasty tangles and snags, even if the head is clean and smooth.

Still, I have fun with my wire recorders now and then. I love them for their fascinating function and attractive looks. If you have a wire recording that you cherish, I strongly suggest you record it to tape or CD before playing it repeatedly on your recorder.

I have some manuals and diagrams for various Webster Chicago wire recorders. If anyone needs some copies, I can e-mail them. They give you the basic idea of how the recorder is designed (amplifier, etc.). Unfortunately the original model 80 amplifiers lack clarity and volume. A later model I own has much stronger pre-amplification. The 6V6 tube is amazingly used only as the recording bias oscillator. This recorder uses a 6SN7 tube for a push-pull output!!!! The 6SN7 is not listed in tube manuals as an output tube. Still, it does a very good job. It gets pretty hot like output tubes do, but the plates don't glow red or anything. The sound of this recorder has much more definition and clarity.

Anyway, the literature explains some other things like what to do when the oscillator coil shorts out. The oscillator coil in a W-C recorder is wound with the two coils on top of eachother. The magnetic wire of each coil touches the wire of the other. THe original design of the recorder put B+ in one coil and B- in the other. When they short out, they blow the field coil in the speaker, along with other things. The literature I have shows how to rewire the oscillator coil so that it is isolated from B+.

Thomas

:You can get all sorts of wire related stuff on eBay, including wire spools that may or may not have been recorded on.
:
:Wire recorders are a pain in the butt, especially when the brakes are not adjusted properly. I own three, and have ruined recordings simply because the brakes like to malfunction. The brakes are adjusted so that they put a slight tension on the supply reel during play. Then, when you stop the wire, that brake is supposed to put a fairly hard tension on the supply reel. When it doesn't, that reel keeps spinning, and puts a mess of wire all over the place. The worst is when rewinding the wire. Then, when you stop the wire, the take-up reel's brake is supposed to go on rather hard. WHen it doesn't, you have disaster. Fortunately wire traveles at such a high rate of speed that not much program is lost when you have a tangle. Untangling wire is incredibly difficult, though, and kinks then formed in the wire cause all sorts of trouble. You are supposed to be able to "splice" wire together easily by tying a knot. Webster Chicago even recommends a certain type of knot. Knots never work for me. They get stuck every so often, and sometimes come apart. When you anneal the wire with a match, another disaster is waiting to happen. The smooth surface of the wire is ruined when you heat it with a match due to oxidation. Sometimes this rough spot gets caught in the head, causing nasty tangles and snags, even if the head is clean and smooth.
:
:Still, I have fun with my wire recorders now and then. I love them for their fascinating function and attractive looks. If you have a wire recording that you cherish, I strongly suggest you record it to tape or CD before playing it repeatedly on your recorder.
:
:I have some manuals and diagrams for various Webster Chicago wire recorders. If anyone needs some copies, I can e-mail them. They give you the basic idea of how the recorder is designed (amplifier, etc.). Unfortunately the original model 80 amplifiers lack clarity and volume. A later model I own has much stronger pre-amplification. The 6V6 tube is amazingly used only as the recording bias oscillator. This recorder uses a 6SN7 tube for a push-pull output!!!! The 6SN7 is not listed in tube manuals as an output tube. Still, it does a very good job. It gets pretty hot like output tubes do, but the plates don't glow red or anything. The sound of this recorder has much more definition and clarity.
:
:Anyway, the literature explains some other things like what to do when the oscillator coil shorts out. The oscillator coil in a W-C recorder is wound with the two coils on top of eachother. The magnetic wire of each coil touches the wire of the other. THe original design of the recorder put B+ in one coil and B- in the other. When they short out, they blow the field coil in the speaker, along with other things. The literature I have shows how to rewire the oscillator coil so that it is isolated from B+.
:
:Thomas

How does a wire recorder work and why wouldn't the wire laying directly across itself on the spool create a bunch of crosstalk from magnetic fields or whatever on the adjacent wire positions?

:You can get all sorts of wire related stuff on eBay, including wire spools that may or may not have been recorded on.
:
:Wire recorders are a pain in the butt, especially when the brakes are not adjusted properly. I own three, and have ruined recordings simply because the brakes like to malfunction. The brakes are adjusted so that they put a slight tension on the supply reel during play. Then, when you stop the wire, that brake is supposed to put a fairly hard tension on the supply reel. When it doesn't, that reel keeps spinning, and puts a mess of wire all over the place. The worst is when rewinding the wire. Then, when you stop the wire, the take-up reel's brake is supposed to go on rather hard. WHen it doesn't, you have disaster. Fortunately wire traveles at such a high rate of speed that not much program is lost when you have a tangle. Untangling wire is incredibly difficult, though, and kinks then formed in the wire cause all sorts of trouble. You are supposed to be able to "splice" wire together easily by tying a knot. Webster Chicago even recommends a certain type of knot. Knots never work for me. They get stuck every so often, and sometimes come apart. When you anneal the wire with a match, another disaster is waiting to happen. The smooth surface of the wire is ruined when you heat it with a match due to oxidation. Sometimes this rough spot gets caught in the head, causing nasty tangles and snags, even if the head is clean and smooth.
:
:Still, I have fun with my wire recorders now and then. I love them for their fascinating function and attractive looks. If you have a wire recording that you cherish, I strongly suggest you record it to tape or CD before playing it repeatedly on your recorder.
:
:I have some manuals and diagrams for various Webster Chicago wire recorders. If anyone needs some copies, I can e-mail them. They give you the basic idea of how the recorder is designed (amplifier, etc.). Unfortunately the original model 80 amplifiers lack clarity and volume. A later model I own has much stronger pre-amplification. The 6V6 tube is amazingly used only as the recording bias oscillator. This recorder uses a 6SN7 tube for a push-pull output!!!! The 6SN7 is not listed in tube manuals as an output tube. Still, it does a very good job. It gets pretty hot like output tubes do, but the plates don't glow red or anything. The sound of this recorder has much more definition and clarity.
:
:Anyway, the literature explains some other things like what to do when the oscillator coil shorts out. The oscillator coil in a W-C recorder is wound with the two coils on top of eachother. The magnetic wire of each coil touches the wire of the other. THe original design of the recorder put B+ in one coil and B- in the other. When they short out, they blow the field coil in the speaker, along with other things. The literature I have shows how to rewire the oscillator coil so that it is isolated from B+.
:
:Thomas

:You can get all sorts of wire related stuff on eBay, including wire spools that may or may not have been recorded on.
:
:Wire recorders are a pain in the butt, especially when the brakes are not adjusted properly. I own three, and have ruined recordings simply because the brakes like to malfunction. The brakes are adjusted so that they put a slight tension on the supply reel during play. Then, when you stop the wire, that brake is supposed to put a fairly hard tension on the supply reel. When it doesn't, that reel keeps spinning, and puts a mess of wire all over the place. The worst is when rewinding the wire. Then, when you stop the wire, the take-up reel's brake is supposed to go on rather hard. WHen it doesn't, you have disaster. Fortunately wire traveles at such a high rate of speed that not much program is lost when you have a tangle. Untangling wire is incredibly difficult, though, and kinks then formed in the wire cause all sorts of trouble. You are supposed to be able to "splice" wire together easily by tying a knot. Webster Chicago even recommends a certain type of knot. Knots never work for me. They get stuck every so often, and sometimes come apart. When you anneal the wire with a match, another disaster is waiting to happen. The smooth surface of the wire is ruined when you heat it with a match due to oxidation. Sometimes this rough spot gets caught in the head, causing nasty tangles and snags, even if the head is clean and smooth.
:
:Still, I have fun with my wire recorders now and then. I love them for their fascinating function and attractive looks. If you have a wire recording that you cherish, I strongly suggest you record it to tape or CD before playing it repeatedly on your recorder.
:
:I have some manuals and diagrams for various Webster Chicago wire recorders. If anyone needs some copies, I can e-mail them. They give you the basic idea of how the recorder is designed (amplifier, etc.). Unfortunately the original model 80 amplifiers lack clarity and volume. A later model I own has much stronger pre-amplification. The 6V6 tube is amazingly used only as the recording bias oscillator. This recorder uses a 6SN7 tube for a push-pull output!!!! The 6SN7 is not listed in tube manuals as an output tube. Still, it does a very good job. It gets pretty hot like output tubes do, but the plates don't glow red or anything. The sound of this recorder has much more definition and clarity.
:
:Anyway, the literature explains some other things like what to do when the oscillator coil shorts out. The oscillator coil in a W-C recorder is wound with the two coils on top of eachother. The magnetic wire of each coil touches the wire of the other. THe original design of the recorder put B+ in one coil and B- in the other. When they short out, they blow the field coil in the speaker, along with other things. The literature I have shows how to rewire the oscillator coil so that it is isolated from B+.
:
:Thomas
Hi Thomas,
I would sure appreciate any info you could email on the model 80. The output volume is weak and I am having trouble locating the problem. Thanks much.
Mark

Its possible the recordings themselves are weak. Really takes another recorder in known good condition to know for sure. My recorder had to be completely recapped. Below is a schematic link. Richard

http://www.webster-chicago.com/80.htm
================

:Hi Thomas,
:I would sure appreciate any info you could email on the model 80. The output volume is weak and I am having trouble locating the problem. Thanks much.
:Mark
:

I ALSO NEED SCHEMATIC FOR WIRE RECORDER 94-GCD-3652A WHICH IS A MONTGOMERY WARD PRODUCT, BUT PROBABLY MADE BY AIRLINE. IF YOU EVER LOCATE ONE, ADVISE ME OF SOURCE. IT APPEARS THAT SAMS PHOTOFACT DOES NOT HAVE IT.
THANX, TOM K-BEATTY,DD,BFHM